Kathmandu: population
Kathmandu, Nepal: 3.23 million people in 2025, by the UN estimate.
Rank among the cities of the country: 1 of 19.
In 1975 it had 420,000 people.
In 2000 it had 1.51 million people, so it has grown by 114% since then.
For 2050 the UN projects 4.12 million people.
A city here is a dense area of at least 1,500 people per km² with at least 50,000 people, drawn on a population grid by the UN degree of urbanisation. It can differ from the city’s administrative borders and from national statistics. Years from 2026 on are projections.
Largest cities: Nepal
| City | 2025 | 2050, projected |
|---|---|---|
| Kathmandu | 3,231,516 | 4,115,021 |
| Biratnagar | 398,453 | 431,981 |
| Pokhara | 297,320 | 332,129 |
| Pokhariya | 242,966 | 424,005 |
| Bharatpur | 161,441 | 182,011 |
| Sitāpur | 155,726 | 216,287 |
| Laksmipur | 136,748 | 258,264 |
| Biratnagar | 122,466 | 134,257 |
| Nepalgunj | 119,892 | 202,398 |
| Banjariya | 118,088 | 174,578 |
Sources: World Urbanization Prospects 2025, UN DESA Population Division (CC BY 3.0 IGO).
