Population: 24,302,653 (July 1999 est.)

Age structure:
0-14 years: 41% (male 5,182,829; female 4,869,895)
15-64 years: 55% (male 6,856,905; female 6,571,916)
65 years and over: 4% (male 407,797; female 413,311) (1999 est.)

Population growth rate: 2.51% (1999 est.)

Birth rate: 35.32 births/1,000 population (1999 est.)

Death rate: 10.18 deaths/1,000 population (1999 est.)

Net migration rate: 0 migrant(s)/1,000 population (1999 est.)

Sex ratio:
at birth: 1.05 male(s)/female
under 15 years: 1.06 male(s)/female
15-64 years: 1.04 male(s)/female
65 years and over: 0.99 male(s)/female
total population: 1.05 male(s)/female (1999 est.)

Infant mortality rate: 73.58 deaths/1,000 live births (1999 est.)

Life expectancy at birth:
total population: 58.42 years
male: 58.47 years
female: 58.36 years (1999 est.)

Total fertility rate: 4.78 children born/woman (1999 est.)

Nationality:
noun: Nepalese (singular and plural)
adjective: Nepalese

Ethnic groups: Newars, Indians, Tibetans, Gurungs, Magars, Tamangs, Bhotias, Rais, Limbus, Sherpas

Religions: Hindu 90%, Buddhist 5%, Muslim 3%, other 2% (1981)
note: only official Hindu state in the world, although no sharp distinction between many Hindu and Buddhist groups

Languages: Nepali (official), 20 other languages divided into numerous dialects

Literacy:
definition: age 15 and over can read and write
total population: 27.5%
male: 40.9%
female: 14% (1995 est.)

People—note: refugee issue over the presence in Nepal of approximately 91,000 Bhutanese refugees, 90% of whom are in seven United Nations Office of the High Commissioner for Refugees (UNHCR) camps