The NGO Federation of Nepal (NFN), in collaboration with Oxfam, is set to release the Nepal Country Inequality Report 2025 (Nepal CIR 2025) in March 2025. According to NFN, this comprehensive report aims to provide an in-depth analysis of existing inequalities in Nepal, examining the structural and systemic drivers of disparity while recommending policies to promote social and economic justice. To ensure a robust and multifaceted analysis, the NFN has assembled a diverse group of experts and consultants to contribute to specific thematic areas of the report. These include Raju Sharma (Wealth), Dr Rupa Munakarmi (Education Inequality), Dr Dipesh Ghimire (Political and Structural Inequalities), Dr Sanjay Hamal (Food and Hunger), Mr Dipak Joshi Poudel (Migration and Urban Inequalities), Rishi Adhikari (Climate Change & Disaster), Dr Laxmi Tamang (Health Inequalities), and Pankaj Thapa (Income Inequalities).
The Nepal CIR 2025 not only focuses on the root causes of inequality but also seeks to uncover the intersectionality of disparities, particularly under the axes of marginalisation which includes class, gender, and caste. Additionally, the report incorporates other dimensions of inequality, such as age, abilities, access to public resources, and regional disparities. To gather data and insights, the experts are relying on secondary sources, including case studies, existing reports, and media stories.
Inequality remains a pressing global challenge, with Nepal being no exception. It significantly impacts access to resources, opportunities, and rights, with the COVID-19 pandemic exacerbating these gaps. Marginalised communities, including women, youth, persons with disabilities, low-income individuals, and indigenous groups, have been historically, and continue to be disproportionately affected.
The Nepal CIR 2025 initiative was officially launched on 18 January 2025, with a multi-stakeholder event that brought together key actors from Nepal’s development sector. The event included focused group discussions across all thematic areas, inviting stakeholders from all provinces to contribute their insights and shape the direction of the research. Findings from these discussions were presented during the inaugural programme.
A focused group discussion with Dr Laxmi Tamang on health related inequalities. (Image: NFN)
Dr Rupa Munakarmi, a visiting faculty at Kathmandu University’s School of Education and the lead coordinator of the Nepal CIR 2025, emphasised that the expert team has been meeting regularly to discuss progress and challenges in drafting the report. She believes the report will shed light on the nature of inequality in Nepal across various themes, highlighting its intersectional dimensions. Dr Munakarmi hopes the findings will encourage the government and other organisations to adopt a more systemic approach to addressing structural inequalities. In addition to coordinating the report, she is contributing a chapter on education inequality, focusing on access and quality of education, and advocating for an inclusive educational framework.
Similarly, Dipak Joshi Poudel, who is compiling a chapter on migration and urban inequalities, notes that while remittances supplement household incomes, they have also widened the inequality gap—a perspective supported by other researchers. This underscores the complex, intersectional nature of inequality in Nepal.
Arjun Bhattarai, Secretary General of the NFN, stated that the Nepal CIR 2025 is the result of a collaborative, multi-stakeholder effort. The NFN has engaged expert researchers, policymakers, civil society organisations, and community groups to ensure a comprehensive and inclusive analysis. Furthermore, a dedicated advisory group of leading experts will provide guidance throughout the process, ensuring the highest standards of research integrity and relevance.
Nepal’s last national inequality report, titled Fighting Inequality in Nepal: The Road to Prosperity, was published in 2019 by HAMI, SAPE, and Oxfam in Nepal. The report revealed stark disparities, with Nepal reporting one of the highest income Gini coefficients globally at 49.42. The Palma Ratio indicated that the income of the richest 10% of Nepalis was more than three times that of the poorest 40%. Additionally, the wealth gap was staggering, with the richest 10% owning more than 26 times the wealth of the poorest 40%. Whether these inequalities have worsened or improved since then will soon be revealed, as the NFN plans to publish its findings as early as next month.
