Internal Migration in Nepal

Abstract

With a population of 26.4 million in 2011, Nepal is a land-locked, mountainous country located in southern Asia. Nepal has a long history of data collection on internal migration, dating back to the 1961 census. At the most recent census in 2011, questions elicited information on lifetime and recent (five-year) migration, duration of residence, duration of absence and reasons for move. 2011 census data show that Nepalese are moderately mobile with an ACMI approaching 15.2%. This has increased sharply from 8.3% in the five years prior to the 2001 Census. Similar to other Asian nations, they display early and concentrated migration profiles, with peaks at age 21 for men and 22 for women, primarily driven by work and study for males and marriage and family reasons for females. With less than a quarter of its population residing in cities, Nepal is at an early stage in the urban transition and is dominated by rural-to-urban migration. Moderately high levels of migration effectiveness coupled with moderate intensities underpin substantial population redistribution. Owing to the mountainous topography of Nepal, spatial patterns of migration have frequently been disrupted by natural disasters, including floods, landslides and earthquakes, as well as conflict during the Maoist insurgency. The continuing exodus of people from rural and impoverished areas of Nepal due to both internal and international migration has contributed to rapid urban growth as well as massive depopulation in rural areas. Government policy is seeking to stem these flows through a programme of decentralisation.