India vs Nepal
India vs Nepal: Urban population
Urban population in 2025: 35.7% in India and 67% in Nepal, by UN estimates. In 2025 the value was higher in Nepal, by 31.3 percentage points, or 1.88 times that in India.
% of people · UN
What the numbers say
- Nepal has been higher since 1998, when it overtook India.
- In 2025, India ranked 191 and Nepal ranked 106 of 229 countries, counting from the highest.
- The UN projection (World Urbanization Prospects 2025) puts India at 43.1% and Nepal at 71.4% in 2050.
Every year
% of people · UN
| Year | India | Nepal |
|---|---|---|
| 2025 | 35.7 | 67 |
| 2024 | 35.4 | 66.8 |
| 2023 | 35.1 | 66.5 |
| 2022 | 34.8 | 66.3 |
| 2021 | 34.4 | 66.1 |
| 2020 | 34.1 | 66.1 |
| 2019 | 33.8 | 66 |
| 2018 | 33.5 | 65.8 |
| 2017 | 33.2 | 65.6 |
| 2016 | 32.9 | 65.3 |
| 2015 | 32.6 | 65 |
| 2014 | 32.2 | 64.6 |
| 2013 | 31.9 | 64.1 |
| 2012 | 31.6 | 63.7 |
| 2011 | 31.3 | 63.1 |
| 2010 | 30.9 | 62 |
| 2009 | 30.5 | 59.9 |
| 2008 | 30.1 | 56.9 |
| 2007 | 29.8 | 53.4 |
| 2006 | 29.4 | 49.5 |
| 2005 | 29.1 | 45.5 |
| 2004 | 28.8 | 41.6 |
| 2003 | 28.5 | 38.1 |
| 2002 | 28.2 | 35 |
| 2001 | 27.9 | 32.8 |
| 2000 | 27.7 | 31.1 |
| 1999 | 27.4 | 29.5 |
| 1998 | 27.2 | 28 |
| 1997 | 27 | 26.6 |
| 1996 | 26.8 | 25.3 |
| 1995 | 26.6 | 24.1 |
| 1994 | 26.4 | 23 |
| 1993 | 26.2 | 22 |
| 1992 | 26 | 21.2 |
| 1991 | 25.8 | 20.4 |
| 1990 | 25.6 | 19.8 |
| 1989 | 25.4 | 19.2 |
| 1988 | 25.2 | 18.7 |
| 1987 | 25 | 18.3 |
| 1986 | 24.8 | 17.9 |
| 1985 | 24.7 | 17.5 |
| 1984 | 24.5 | 17.1 |
| 1983 | 24.3 | 16.7 |
| 1982 | 24 | 16.1 |
| 1981 | 23.8 | 15.5 |
| 1980 | 23.5 | 14.6 |
| 1979 | 23.2 | 13.4 |
| 1978 | 22.8 | 12.1 |
| 1977 | 22.4 | 10.5 |
| 1976 | 21.9 | 9 |
| 1975 | 21.5 | 7.5 |
| 1974 | 21 | 6.2 |
| 1973 | 20.6 | 5.1 |
| 1972 | 20.3 | 4.3 |
| 1971 | 20 | 4 |
| 1970 | 19.7 | 3.9 |
| 1969 | 19.5 | 3.9 |
| 1968 | 19.2 | 3.8 |
| 1967 | 19 | 3.8 |
| 1966 | 18.8 | 3.8 |
| 1965 | 18.6 | 3.7 |
| 1964 | 18.4 | 3.7 |
| 1963 | 18.3 | 3.7 |
| 1962 | 18.1 | 3.6 |
| 1961 | 18 | 3.6 |
| 1960 | 17.9 | 3.5 |
| 1959 | 17.9 | 3.5 |
| 1958 | 17.8 | 3.4 |
| 1957 | 17.7 | 3.3 |
| 1956 | 17.7 | 3.2 |
| 1955 | 17.6 | 3.2 |
| 1954 | 17.6 | 3.1 |
| 1953 | 17.5 | 3 |
| 1952 | 17.4 | 2.9 |
| 1951 | 17.3 | 2.8 |
| 1950 | 17.2 | 2.7 |
UN projection (World Urbanization Prospects 2025) · 2026–2050
| Year | India | Nepal |
|---|---|---|
| 2026 | 36 | 67.2 |
| 2027 | 36.3 | 67.5 |
| 2028 | 36.6 | 67.7 |
| 2029 | 36.9 | 67.9 |
| 2030 | 37.2 | 68.1 |
| 2031 | 37.5 | 68.3 |
| 2032 | 37.8 | 68.5 |
| 2033 | 38.1 | 68.7 |
| 2034 | 38.4 | 68.9 |
| 2035 | 38.7 | 69.1 |
| 2036 | 39 | 69.3 |
| 2037 | 39.3 | 69.5 |
| 2038 | 39.6 | 69.7 |
| 2039 | 39.9 | 69.9 |
| 2040 | 40.2 | 70 |
| 2041 | 40.5 | 70.2 |
| 2042 | 40.8 | 70.4 |
| 2043 | 41.1 | 70.5 |
| 2044 | 41.4 | 70.7 |
| 2045 | 41.7 | 70.8 |
| 2046 | 41.9 | 70.9 |
| 2047 | 42.2 | 71.1 |
| 2048 | 42.5 | 71.2 |
| 2049 | 42.8 | 71.3 |
| 2050 | 43.1 | 71.4 |
Each country on its own
Good to know
- The share of people living in places the country itself counts as urban.
- Source: UN DESA, World Urbanization Prospects 2025.
- The dashed line is the UN projection (World Urbanization Prospects 2025), a scenario rather than a forecast.
- Ranks count the 229 countries with a value in 2025, highest first.
How the layers work, where their data comes from and what they can’t tell you: Countries through time
India vs Nepal
Health
- Life expectancyIndia: 72 years in 2023Nepal: 70.4 years in 2023
- Child mortalityIndia: 2.7 per 100 live births in 2024Nepal: 2.5 per 100 live births in 2024
- Infant mortalityIndia: 22.6 per 1,000 live births in 2023Nepal: 21.9 per 1,000 live births in 2023
- DepressionIndia: 3.53% in 2017Nepal: 3.61% in 2017
- Suicide rateIndia: 15.6 per 100,000 people in 2017Nepal: 8.4 per 100,000 people in 2017
People
- PopulationIndia: 1.44 billion people in 2023Nepal: 29.7 million people in 2023
- Population growthIndia: 0.89% a year in 2023Nepal: -0.14% a year in 2023
- Fertility rateIndia: 1.98 births per woman in 2023Nepal: 1.98 births per woman in 2023
- Median ageIndia: 28.1 years in 2023Nepal: 24.7 years in 2023
- People aged 65 and overIndia: 6.9% in 2023Nepal: 6.4% in 2023
- Net migration rateIndia: -0.7 per 1,000 people in 2023Nepal: -13.8 per 1,000 people in 2023
Economy
Education
Politics
Conflict
Military
- Military spendingIndia: 2.3% of GDP in 2025Nepal: 0.97% of GDP in 2025
- Military spending in US dollarsIndia: $93.3B in 2025Nepal: $429M in 2025
- Military spending per personIndia: $63 in 2025Nepal: $14 in 2025
- Military share of state spendingIndia: 8.2% of government spending in 2025Nepal: 4.5% of government spending in 2025
- Armed forces personnelIndia: 3.07 million people in 2020Nepal: 112,000 people in 2020
- National powerIndia: 9.94% of world capability in 2022Nepal: 0.18% of world capability in 2022
- Armed forces, share of workersIndia: 0.58% of the labour force in 2020Nepal: 1.4% of the labour force in 2020
- Arms importsIndia: 2.86 billion TIV in 2025Nepal: 6 million TIV in 2025