Trend of Urbanization in Nepal

 

Nepal’s urban growth is primarily characterised by

i)                   an increase in the number of municipalities,

ii)                an expansion in the urban area,

iii)             a relatively steady increase in the urban population in the designated urban areas in the initial years,

 iv) a rapid increase of population in recent years,

iv)              consistent increases in the percentage share of urban population to the total population and rural population.

According to the Population Monograph of Nepal, reclassification contributed 38.8% of the urban growth, internal migration contributed 19.9% of the urban growth and annexation contributed 1.5% of the urban growth.

Urban Places, Population Sizes and % Share of Urban Population form 1952/54 to 2014

Year	Number of Urban Places	Population Size	Urban Population as a Share of the Total population
1952/54	10	238275	2.9%
1961	16	336222	3.7%
1971	16	461938	4%
1981	23	956721	6.4%
1991	33	1695719	9.2%
2001	58	3227879	17.9%
2011	58	4523820	17.1%
2014	130	7199514	27.2%

 

 

There has been a drastically increase in urban area and population from 1952/54 to 2001. In 1952/54, there were only 10 urban places and the share of the  urban population to the total population was only 2.9%.  But in  2001, the number of urban places was 58 and the share of the urban population to the total population was 17.9%. The increase in the urban places was about 48 and the increase in population was about more than a million. However, the period between 2001 and 2011 for urbanization was slow and steady, there was no significant change in the urban.  In 2014, the urbanization took a different level of pace, 2014 saw the increase of urban places from 58 in 2011 to 130  , thanks to the reclassification, internal migration and annexation. The share of the population has also increased from 17.1% to 27.2%.

Urban Population Growth Rates:

A general characteristics of the population growth rate in urban area of less developed countries is that the population growth rate of urban area is higher than the total population growth rate of country. Since, Nepal is also less developed countries, it also follows the same pattern.

Growth Rate of Urban and National total Population from 1961-2011

Year	Nepal’s Growth Rate (%)	Urban Growth Rate (%)
1961	1.65	3.44
1971	2.07	3.18
1981	2.66	7.28
1991	2.08	5.72
2001	2.25	6.44
2011	1.35	3.38
2014	1.35	8.08

From the above mentioned data, it is clear that the growth rate of Nepal is higher than the growth rate of urban. In 1961 AD, the urban growth rate of Nepal was 3 times greater than Nepal’ growth rate. This same pattern is followed in the succeeding years. In 2014 AD, the urban growth rate is about 8 time higher than the Nepal’ growth rate.