Since the 1980s, when international travel began to become available to the people of Nepal, temporary international migration has been popular with its people. Although there have been years of positive net migration, following a record net movement of -409,782 in 2023 (United Nations Population Division, 2025), a negative net movement has persisted in Nepal. Indeed, in 2021, according to the Nepal Housing and Population Census, 23% of households had one member living abroad, with absentees making up 7.5% of the country’s population (Dongol et. al., 2025).

Dongol, P., Etang Ndip, A., Joshi, N. K., Mijiyawa, A. G., Phadera, L., & Sapkota, S. (2025). Nepal Development Update : International Migration and Well-being in Nepal (English). Washington, D.C.: World Bank Group. Available at: https://documents1.worldbank.org/curated/en/099439009302442870/pdf/IDU-bade7473-0f41-4499-a576-83a9a3eb57d4.pdf (accessed 03/11/25).

United Nations Population Division (2025). Net migration - Nepal. Available at: https://data.worldbank.org/indicator/SM.POP.NETM (access 03/11/25).