Nepal

Nepal is among the poorest and least developed countries in the world, with almost one-quarter of its population living below the poverty line. Agriculture is the mainstay of the economy, providing a livelihood for three-fourths of the population and accounting for about one-third of GDP. Industrial activity mainly involves the processing of agricultural products, including pulses, jute, sugarcane, tobacco, and grain. Nepal has considerable scope for exploiting its potential in hydropower, with an estimated 42,000 MW of feasible capacity, but political instability hampers foreign investment. Additional challenges to Nepal’s growth include its landlocked geographic location, civil strife and labor unrest, and its susceptibility to natural disaster.

$35.31 billion (2010 est.)

$34.11 billion (2009 est.)

$32.58 billion (2008 est.)

$15.11 billion (2010 est.)

3.5% (2010 est.)

4.7% (2009 est.)

5.3% (2008 est.)

$1,200 (2010 est.)

$1,200 (2009 est.)

$1,200 (2008 est.)

18 million

46% (2008 est.)

42% (2004 est.)

24.7% (2008)

47.2 (2008)

36.7 (1996)

8.6% (September 2010)

13.2% (2009 est.)

6.5% (31 December 2010)

6.5% (31 December 2009)

8% (31 December 2009 est.)

8% (31 December 2008 est.)

$3.03 billion (July 2010)

$2.72 billion (July 2009)

$10.01 billion (July 2010)

$10.67 billion (July 2009)

$9 billion (July 2010)

$7.7 billion (July 2009)

$5.2 billion (31 December 2010)

$5.485 billion (31 December 2009)

$4.894 billion (31 December 2008)

pulses, rice, corn, wheat, sugarcane, jute, root crops; milk, water buffalo meat

tourism, carpets, textiles; small rice, jute, sugar, and oilseed mills; cigarettes, cement and brick production

1.8% (FY08)

2.6 billion kWh (2009 est.)

2.243 billion kWh (2007 est.)

0 kWh (2009 est.)

213 million kWh (2008 est.)

0 bbl/day (2009 est.)

18,000 bbl/day (2009 est.)

0 bbl/day (2007 est.)

16,920 bbl/day (2007 est.)

0 bbl (1 January 2010 est.)

0 cu m (2009 est.)

0 cu m (2009 est.)

0 cu m (2009 est.)

0 cu m (2009 est.)

0 cu m (1 January 2010 est.)

-$449 million (2010)

$537 million (2009)

$849 million (2009)

$907 million (2008)

clothing, pulses, carpets, textiles, juice, pashima, jute goods

India 65.6%, US 8%, Bangladesh 6.04%, Germany 5% (2009)

$5.26 billion (2009)

$4.1 billion (2008)

petroleum products, machinery and equipment, gold, electrical goods, medicine

India 57%, China 13% (2009)

$4.5 billion (2009)

$3.285 billion (2008)

$NA

$NA

Nepalese rupees (NPR) per US dollar - 72.56 (2010), 77.44 (2009), 65.21 (2008), 70.35 (2007), 72.446 (2006)