Kathmandu — More than 1.3 million Nepalis returned home within a year, even as over 1.5 million people left the country during the same period, according to data from the Department of Foreign Employment.
The department’s 2025 data shows that 1,313,991 Nepalis returned to Nepal, while 1,523,000 people migrated abroad. Authorities say the majority of outbound migrants left the country for foreign employment and higher education.
The data also indicates significant cross-border movement into Nepal. During the same period, 1,015,378 foreign nationals entered Nepal, primarily for tourism, while a smaller number arrived for employment and academic purposes, the department said.
Officials note that the figures highlight Nepal’s ongoing circular migration pattern, where large numbers of workers and students move abroad temporarily and later return home.
