People

Nepali Faces

Miguel Cruz

Population: 23 698 421 (July 1998 est.)

Age structure:

0-14 years: 42% (male 5 087 855; female 4 779 941)

15-64 years: 55% (male 6 655 865; female 6 387 255)

65 years and over: 3% (male 392 141; female 395 364) (July 1998 est.)

Population growth rate: 2.52% (1998 est.)

Birth rate: 35.66 births/1 000 population (1998 est.)

Death rate: 10.44 deaths/1 000 population (1998 est.)

Net migration rate: 0 migrant(s)/1 000 population (1998 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 (1998 est.)

Infant mortality rate: 75.98 deaths/1 000 live births (1998 est.)

Life expectancy at birth:

total population: 57.89 years

male: 58.04 years

female: 57.74 years (1998 est.)

Total fertility rate: 4.87 children born/woman (1998 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