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

Madhesh Province is a province of Nepal, number 2 of 7 by population. Madhesh Province had 6,114,600 residents at the 2021 National Population and Housing Census, 21.0% of Nepal's 29,164,578; 2nd largest of the 7 provinces. The census, held in November 2021, is the latest full count.

In depth

• Economy, jobs and prices in Madhesh Province: Madhesh's economy produced an estimated Rs 804 billion of goods and services (gross domestic product) in 2025/26, 12.2% of Nepal's Rs 6,600 billion; 4th largest of the 7 provinces (National Statistics Office preliminary estimate).
• Health in Madhesh Province: For every 1,000 babies born in Madhesh in the five years before the 2024-25 Multiple Indicator Cluster Survey, 30 died before their first birthday and 33 before their fifth; the under-five rate is 3rd highest of the 7 provinces (Nepal: 27 and 31).
• Education in Madhesh Province: 60.6% of people aged 15 and over in Madhesh could read and write in 2022/23 (73.1% of men, 50.3% of women), the lowest of the 7 provinces (Nepal: 72.5%).
• Poverty and living standards in Madhesh Province: 22.53% of people in Madhesh lived below Nepal's poverty line (Rs 72,908 per person a year) in 2022/23, 4th highest of the 7 provinces (Nepal: 20.27%). Madhesh is home to 25.08% 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
• Lumbini Province 5,122,078
• Koshi Province 4,961,412
• Sudurpashchim Province 2,694,783
• Gandaki Province 2,466,427
• Karnali Province 1,688,412

Up a level: Nepal · government and power in Nepal · cities

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…)

Each saved copy is the file exactly as downloaded, kept so the figures can be checked even if the source changes. Report an error.