Nepal Religion


Until 2006, Nepal was officially a Hindu state, the only one in the world. The current constitution provides that the country is a secular (non-religious) nation. Four out of five Nepalese count as Hindus.

Nepal Population Forecast

Buddhism is common among Tibetan Nepalese. Hindu and Buddhist beliefs intertwine many times and the tolerance is great between different religious groups. Buddha’s birthplace of Lumbini is located in southern Nepal, near the border with India, and here pilgrims Buddhists from all over the world.

In the country there are also some Muslims and followers of Kirat, a form of shamanism (religious belief where the shaman is the medium), and small groups of followers of other faith communities.

  • Countryaah: Population statistics for 2020 and next 30 years in Nepal, covering demographics, population graphs, and official data for growth rates, population density, and death rates.

Population composition

Many different population groups live in Nepal. Three quarters of the population are Indonepalese who once immigrated from India. The ruling class of the Ghurkas belong to them. They speak Nepali.

Most of the high mountain tribes belong to the Tibetan Palestinians. They make up a quarter of the population.

The third and smallest group with a population of less than 1% are the Tibetans, to whom the mountain people of the Sherpas belong. The Sherpas ethnic group live mainly in the high regions of northeastern Nepal. They are farmers and traders. They raise livestock and keep a domestic yak predominant. With tourism, especially trekking tourism, a new line of business emerged for the Sherpas in the 1950’s. You work as a mountain guide and porter on expeditions in the High Himalayas.

Population distribution

The regions of the High Himalayas are almost uninhabited. In contrast, the Terai and the high valleys of the Upper Himalayas, especially the Kathmandu valley, are densely populated. Less than 15% of Nepalese live in cities. The population growth is high. The population of Nepal has almost doubled in the last 25 years. The standard of living is very low. Half of the people live in poverty.

Religion and religious art treasures

Almost 90% of the population professes Hinduism. The Buddhists have greatly influenced the Nepalese form of Hinduism. Tolerance shapes the relationship between these two Far Eastern religions. They use many temples together for cult practice. Numerous old temples, monasteries and palaces have been preserved in Nepal. The most significant can be found in the old royal cities in the Kathmandu valley and in the palace district of the capital.

2018

March

Bhandari re-elected president

the 13th of March

Bidhya Devi Bhandari is re-elected as President for a five-year term. She has been politically independent since 2015 but was previously a member of the ruling communist party UML. In the indirect election, Bhandari defeats challenger Kumari Laxmi Rai of the opposition Nepalese Congress Party (NC) by a good margin. The president is elected by electors from the federal parliament and the seven provincial assemblies (see Political system).

February

Left government is formed

February 20th

The Communist UML and the Maoist CPN-MC form a new government coalition, called the Nepal Communist Party. Together, the two left parties have a majority in both chambers of Parliament but cannot make changes to the constitution on their own.

UML leader new prime minister

February 15

President Bhandari appoints UML’s chairman KP Sharma Oli as government leader. He will take over as new Prime Minister on the same day.

The left wins elections for the upper house

February 7

In the indirect election to Parliament’s upper house, the communist party UML and Maoist CPN-MC together win a clear majority of seats. Thus, the left alliance has such a large majority in the federal parliament that it can form government on its own.

January

New loan for reconstruction

January 19

The World Bank grants Nepal a $ 300 million loan for the post-earthquake reconstruction in April 2015. The natural disaster claimed nearly 9,000 lives and caused enormous material damage. Of just over half a million homes that were leveled with the land, only one in ten has been rebuilt. According to the World Bank, Nepal lacks $ 1.2 billion to cope with the reconstruction.

Nepal Religion

You may also like...