Karnali Province: population, economy, jobs, poverty, health and schooling

Karnali Province is a province of Nepal, number 7 of 7 by population. Karnali Province had 1,688,412 residents at the 2021 National Population and Housing Census, 5.8% of Nepal's 29,164,578; the smallest of the 7 provinces. The census, held in November 2021, is the latest full count.

In depth

• Economy, jobs and prices in Karnali Province: Karnali's economy produced an estimated Rs 277 billion of goods and services (gross domestic product) in 2025/26, 4.2% of Nepal's Rs 6,600 billion; the smallest of the 7 provinces (National Statistics Office preliminary estimate).
• Health in Karnali Province: For every 1,000 babies born in Karnali in the five years before the 2024-25 Multiple Indicator Cluster Survey, 29 died before their first birthday and 38 before their fifth; the under-five rate is 2nd highest of the 7 provinces (Nepal: 27 and 31).
• Education in Karnali Province: 69.7% of people aged 15 and over in Karnali could read and write in 2022/23 (82.0% of men, 61.3% of women), 3rd lowest of the 7 provinces (Nepal: 72.5%).
• Poverty and living standards in Karnali Province: 26.69% of people in Karnali lived below Nepal's poverty line (Rs 72,908 per person a year) in 2022/23, 2nd highest of the 7 provinces (Nepal: 20.27%). Karnali is home to 5.12% of all poor Nepalis.

How provinces are governed in Nepal

Provinces (7). Elected provincial assembly and chief minister; province chief appointed by the federal government. Provincial laws, police, health, roads; supports local levels.

Every tier of government in Nepal

Other provinces of Nepal

• Bagmati Province 6,116,866
• Madhesh Province 6,114,600
• Lumbini Province 5,122,078
• Koshi Province 4,961,412
• Sudurpashchim Province 2,694,783
• Gandaki Province 2,466,427

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Sources

• National Statistics Office, Government of Nepal (with UNICEF): Nepal Multiple Indicator Cluster Survey 2024-25, Survey Findings Report (February 2026), read 27 October 2026 · saved copy (SHA-256 f01d5f5fe2ad…)
• National Statistics Office, Government of Nepal: National Accounts Statistics of Nepal 2025/26: provincial GDP (Table 9.1 and Annex II Tables 1.1-1.7 and 6.1-6.7), read 27 October 2026 · saved copy (SHA-256 e09da8226350…)
• National Statistics Office, Government of Nepal: Nepal Living Standards Survey IV 2022/23, Statistical Report (Tables 6.1, 11.3, 12.1 and 13.9), read 27 October 2026 · saved copy (SHA-256 cbebb744184e…)
• National Statistics Office, Government of Nepal: Nepal Statistical Year Book 2025: Table 1.5 (population by province, 2021 census), Table 8.6 (households and amenities, 2021 census), Table 6.3 (schools by province), read 27 October 2026 · saved copy (SHA-256 fe008244ecf5…)
• National Statistics Office, Government of Nepal: Small Area Estimation of Poverty 2023, press note: Table 1, poverty by province from the NLSS IV 2022/23 Summary Report, read 27 October 2026 · saved copy (SHA-256 9a74cff3346a…)

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