Millennium Development Goals in Nepal - Progress

on key indicators
Millennimun Development Baseline Latest Target
1995 2000 2005
Goals and Key Indicators 1990 Figure 2015
Goal 1a: Eradicate Extreme Poverty [4]
Target: Halve between 1990 and 2015, the proportion of of people whose income is
less than one dollar per day
Population living below US$1
  34 na 24 na 17
a day (PPP value) (%)
Population living below
  42 38 31 na 21
national poverty line (%) 
Goal 1b: Eradicate Hunger [5]
Target: Halve between 1990 and 2015, the proportion of of people who suffer from
hunger
Population below minimum
49 47 na 40 40 24.5
dietary energy consumption
Underweight children (% of
57 na 53 na 49 29
children 6-59 months) 
Stunted children (% of
60 na 55 na 46 30
children aged 6-59 months) 
Goal 2: Achieve Universal Primary Education [6]
Target: Ensure that by 2015, children everywhere, boys and girls alike, will be able
to complete primary schooling
Net enrolment rate in primary
64 69 81 87 89 100
education (%) 
Survival rate to grade 5 (% of
na 38 63 79 81 100
cohort) 
Literacy rate 15-24 year olds  50 56 70 73 na 100
Goal 3: Promote Gender Equality and Empower Women [7]
Target: Eliminate gender disparity in primary and secondary education, peferebly
by 2005, and at all levels of education no later than 2015
Ratio of girls to boys in
0.56 0.66 0.79 0.86 0.95 1
primary education 
Ratio of girls to boys in lower
0.43 0.56 0.7 0.82 0.85 1
secondary education 
Ratio of literate women to
men of age group 15-24 0.48 0.56 na 0.73 na 1
years
Proportion of seats held by 3.4 3.4 5.9 na 33 na
women in parliament (%)
Goal 4: Reduce Child Mortality [8]
Target: Reduce by two-thirds, between 1990 and 2015, the under-5 mortality rate
Mortality rate, infant (per
108 79 64 51 48 34
1,000 live births) 
Mortality rate, under-5 (per
162 118 91 65 na 54
1,000 live births)
1-year old children
immunized against measles 42 57 71 85 81 >90
(%) 
Goal 5: Improve Maternal Health [9]
Target: Reduce by three-quarters, between 1990 and 2015, the maternal mortality
ratio (per 100,000 live births)
Maternal mortality ratio (per 213 or
850 or 515 539 415 na 281
100,000 live births) (2006)  134
Births attended by skilled
health personnel (% of total) 7 10 11 19 na 60
(2006)
Contraceptive prevalence (%
of married women 15-49) 24 29 39 na 48 67
(2006)
Goal 6a: Combat HIV and AIDS, Malaria and other diseases [10]
Target: Have halted by 2015, and begun to reverse, the spread of HIV and AIDS,
malaria, and other major diseases
Prevalence of HIV/AIDS (%
na na 0.29 0.55 0.49 reverse
ages 15-49) 
Laboratory confirmed malaria
cases (per 100,000 people at na na 52 30 na reverse
risk) [11]  
Prevalence of tuberculosis
(per 100,000 people) (2006) 460 420 310 257 244 reverse
[12]
Goal 7a: Ensure Environmental Sustainability [13]
Target: Integrate the principles of sustainable development into country policies
and programmes and reverse the loss of environmental resources
reverse
Forest area (% of land area)  37 29 na 25 29
loss
Area protected to maintain reverse
11 18 18 20 20
biodiveristy (% of total land) loss
Goal 7b: Ensure access to water and sanitation
Target: Halve, by 2015, the proportion of people without sustainable access to
drinking water
Improved water source (%
46 70 73 81 89 73
with sustainable access) 
Improved sanitation (%with
6 22 30 39 41 53
sustainable access) 
Goal 8: Develop a Global Partnership for Development [14]
Official Development
11.6 9.8 6.8 5.6 6.25 na
Assistance (% of GNI)
Official Development
423 429 387 425 514 na
Assistance (Million USD)
Telephone lines per 100
0.32 0.41 1.2 1.79 2.21 na
population 

[1] United Nations and Government of Nepal, Nepal Millennium Development Goals:
Progress Report 2005 (Kathmandu, 2005).
[4] Source: GoN sources, UNDP
[5] Source: GoN sources, WFP
[6] Source: GoN sources, UNICEF
[7] Source: GoN sources, UNICEF, UNFPA
[8] Source: GoN sources, UNICEF
[9] Source: GoN sources, UNICEF, UNFPA
[10] Source: Gon sources, UNAIDS, WHO
[11] Clinically diagnosed malaria cases in public health facilities in 17 highest risk
districts per 100,000 people at risk.
[12] Distinct from incidence, which reports the number of new cases in a given year,
prevalence indicates the total extent of the infection in the population. In 2006, the
prevalence for tuberculosis in Nepal was 244 per 100,000. The MDG however aims at
reversing the 'incidence' of tuberculosis.
[13] Source: GoN Sources, UNDP
[14] UN statistics department, MDG inidcators database. ODA figures: OECD DAC.
Latest figure from 2006. In 2007, the estimated total ODA is about USD 580 million.

Goal 1: Eradicate extreme poverty and hunger

Indicators
Target 1a: Reduce by half the proportion of people living on less than a
dollar a day
← 1.1 Proportion of population below $1 (PPP) per day
← 1.2 Poverty gap ratio

← 1.3 Share of poorest quintile in national consumption

Target 1b: Achieve full and productive employment and decent work for
all, including women and young people
← 1.4 Growth rate of GDP per person employed
← 1.5 Employment-to-population ratio
 ← 1.6 Proportion of employed people living below $1 (PPP) per day

← 1.7 Proportion of own-account and contributing family workers in total

employment
Target 1c: Reduce by half the proportion of people who suffer from
hunger
← 1.8 Prevalence of underweight children under-five years of age

← 1.9 Proportion of population below minimum level of dietary energy

consumption

Goal 2: Achieve universal primary education

Indicators
Target 2a: Ensure that all boys and girls complete a full course of
primary schooling
← 2.1 Net enrolment ratio in primary education
← 2.2 Proportion of pupils starting grade 1 who reach last grade of
primary

← 2.3 Literacy rate of 15-24 year-olds, women and men

Goal 3: Promote gender equality and empower

women
UNDP works on pro-women's policy advice, capacity development, and supports
projects for gender equality in collaboration with UNIFEM.

Indicators
Target 3a: Eliminate gender disparity in primary and secondary
education preferably by 2005, and at all levels by 2015
← 3.1 Ratios of girls to boys in primary, secondary and tertiary education
← 3.2 Share of women in wage employment in the non-agricultural sector

← 3.3 Proportion of seats held by women in national parliament

Goal 4: Reduce child mortality

Indicators
Target 4a: Reduce by two thirds the mortality rate among children
under five
← 4.1 Under-five mortality rate
← 4.2 Infant mortality rate

← 4.3 Proportion of 1 year-old children immunised against measles

Goal 5: Improve maternal health
Indicators
Target 5a: Reduce by three quarters the maternal mortality ratio
← 5.1 Maternal mortality ratio

← 5.2 Proportion of births attended by skilled health personnel

Target 5b: Achieve, by 2015, universal access to reproductive health
← 5.3 Contraceptive prevalence rate
← 5.4 Adolescent birth rate
← 5.5 Antenatal care coverage (at least one visit and at least four visits)

← 5.6 Unmet need for family planning

Goal 6: Combat HIV/AIDS, malaria and other

diseases
Indicators
Target 6a: Halt and begin to reverse the spread of HIV/AIDS
← 6.1 HIV prevalence among population aged 15-24 years
← 6.2 Condom use at last high-risk sex
← 6.3 Proportion of population aged 15-24 years with comprehensive
correct knowledge of HIV/AIDS

←6.4 Ratio of school attendance of orphans to school attendance of non-

orphans aged 10-14 years
Target 6b: Achieve, by 2010, universal access to treatment for
HIV/AIDS for all those who need it
←6.5 Proportion of population with advanced HIV infection with access to
antiretroviral drugs
Target 6c: Halt and begin to reverse the incidence of malaria and other
major diseases
← 6.6 Incidence and death rates associated with malaria
← 6.7 Proportion of children under 5 sleeping under insecticide-treated
bednets
← 6.8 Proportion of children under 5 with fever who are treated with
appropriate anti-malarial drugs
← 6.9 Incidence, prevalence and death rates associated with tuberculosis

← 6.10 Proportion of tuberculosis cases detected and cured under directly

observed treatment short course

Goal 7: Ensure environmental sustainability

Indicators
Target 7a: Integrate the principles of sustainable development into
country policies and programmes; reverse loss of environmental
 resources

Target 7b: Reduce biodiversity loss, achieving, by 2010, a significant

reduction in the rate of loss
← 7.1 Proportion of land area covered by forest
← 7.2 CO2 emissions, total, per capita and per $1 GDP (PPP)
← 7.3 Consumption of ozone-depleting substances
← 7.4 Proportion of fish stocks within safe biological limits
← 7.5 Proportion of total water resources used
← 7.6 Proportion of terrestrial and marine areas protected

← 7.7 Proportion of species threatened with extinction

Target 7c: Reduce by half the proportion of people without sustainable
access to safe drinking water and basic sanitation
← 7.8 Proportion of population using an improved drinking water source
7.9 Proportion of population using an improved sanitation facility
Target 7d: Achieve significant improvement in lives of at least 100
million slum dwellers, by 2020
← 7.10 Proportion of urban population living in slums

Goal 8: Develop a global partnership for

development
Indicators
Target 8a: Develop further an open, rule-based, predictable, non-
discriminatory trading and financial system

Includes a commitment to good governance, development and poverty

reduction – both nationally and internationally

Target 8b: Address the special needs of the least developed countries

Includes: tariff and quota free access for the least developed countries'
exports; enhanced programme of debt relief for heavily indebted poor countries
(HIPC) and cancellation of official bilateral debt; and more generous ODA for
countries committed to poverty reduction

Target 8c: Address the special needs of landlocked developing

countries and small island developing States (through the Programme
of Action for the Sustainable Development of Small Island Developing
States and the outcome of the twenty-second special session of the
General Assembly)

Target 8d: Deal comprehensively with the debt problems of developing

countries through national and international measures in order to make
debt sustainable in the long term
Human Development Report 2009

Nepal

The Human Development Index - going beyond income

Each year since 1990 the Human Development Report has published the human
development index (HDI) which looks beyond GDP to a broader definition of well-being.
The HDI provides a composite measure of three dimensions of human development:
living a long and healthy life (measured by life expectancy), being educated (measured
by adult literacy and gross enrolment in education) and having a decent standard of living
(measured by purchasing power parity, PPP, income). The index is not in any sense a
comprehensive measure of human development. It does not, for example, include
important indicators such as gender or income inequality nor more difficult to measure
concepts like respect for human rights and political freedoms. What it does provide is a
broadened prism for viewing human progress and the complex relationship between
income and well-being.

Of the components of the HDI, only income and gross enrolment are somewhat
responsive to short term policy changes. For that reason, it is important to examine
changes in the human development index over time. The human development index
trends tell an important story in that respect. Between 1980 and 2007 Nepal's HDI rose
by 2.16% annually from 0.309 to 0.553 today. HDI scores in all regions have increased
progressively over the years (Figure 1) although all have experienced periods of slower
growth or even reversals.

Figure 1: HDI Trends

This year's HDI, which refers to 2007, highlights the very large gaps in well-being and
life chances that continue to divide our increasingly interconnected world. The HDI for
Nepal is 0.553, which gives the country a rank of 144th out of 182 countries with data
(Table 1).

Table 1: Nepal’s human development index 2007

Life Adult literacy
Combined gross
expectancy at rate GDP per capita
HDI value enrolment ratio
birth (% ages 15 and (PPP US$)
(%)
(years) above)
1. Norway 1. Georgia 1. Australia 1. Liechtenstein
1. Japan (82.7)
(0.971) (100.0) (114.2) (85,382)
142. Swaziland 113. Guyana 128. Yemen
134. India (61.0) 163. Uganda (1,059)
(0.572) (66.5) (58.9)
143. Angola 114. Tajikistan 129. Papua New 135. Morocco 164. Afghanistan
(0.564) (66.4) Guinea (57.8) (61.0) (1,054)
144. Nepal 115. Nepal 130. Nepal 136. Nepal
165. Nepal (1,049)
(0.553) (66.3) (56.5) (60.8)
145.
116. Mongolia 131. Mauritania 137. Swaziland
Madagascar 166. Madagascar (932)
(66.2) (55.8) (60.1)
(0.543)
146. 117. Pakistan 132. Morocco 138. Kenya 167. Myanmar (904)
Bangladesh
(66.2) (55.6) (59.6)
(0.543)
176. 181. Congo
182. Niger 177. Djibouti
Afghanistan 151. Mali (26.2) (Democratic Republic
(0.340) (25.5)
(43.6) of the) (298)

By looking at some of the most fundamental aspects of people’s lives and opportunities
the HDI provides a much more complete picture of a country's development than other
indicators, such as GDP per capita. Figure 2 illustrates that countries on the same level of
HDI can have very different levels of income or that countries with similar levels of
income can have very different HDIs.

Figure 2: The human development index gives a more complete picture than income

Human poverty: focusing on the most deprived in multiple

dimensions of poverty

The HDI measures the average progress of a country in human development. The Human
Poverty Index (HPI-1), focuses on the proportion of people below certain threshold levels
in each of the dimensions of the human development index - living a long and healthy
life, having access to education, and a decent standard of living. By looking beyond
income deprivation, the HPI-1 represents a multi-dimensional alternative to the $1.25 a
day (PPP US$) poverty measure.
The HPI-1 value of 32.1% for Nepal, ranks 99th among 135 countries for which the index
has been calculated.

The HPI-1 measures severe deprivation in health by the proportion of people who are not
expected to survive to age 40. Education is measured by the adult illiteracy rate. And a
decent standard of living is measured by the unweighted average of people not using an
improved water source and the proportion of children under age 5 who are underweight
for their age. Table 2 shows the values for these variables for Nepal and compares them
to other countries.

Table 2: Selected indicators of human poverty for Nepal

Children
Probability of Adult illiteracy People not using
Human Poverty underweight for
not surviving to rate (%ages 15 an improved water
Index (HPI-1) age (% aged under
age 40 (%) and above) source (%)
5)
1. Hong Kong,
1. Czech
China (SAR) 1. Georgia (0.0) 1. Barbados (0) 1. Croatia (1)
Republic (1.5)
(1.4)
71. Venezuela
88. Uzbekistan 128. Yemen
97. Haiti (31.5) (Bolivarian 125. Pakistan (38)
(10.7) (41.1)
Republic of) (10)
72. Occupied
98. Equatorial 89. El Salvador 129. Papua New
Palestinian 126. Ethiopia (38)
Guinea (31.9) (10.7) Guinea (42.2)
Territories (11)
99. Nepal 130. Nepal
90. Nepal (11.0) 73. Nepal (11) 127. Nepal (39)
(32.1) (43.5)
100. Rwanda 91. Kazakhstan 131. Mauritania 74. Kyrgyzstan
128. Burundi (39)
(32.9) (11.2) (44.2) (11)
101. Pakistan 92. Guatemala 132. Morocco 75. Syrian Arab 129. Afghanistan
(33.4) (11.2) (44.4) Republic (11) (39)
135.
153. Lesotho 150. Afghanistan 138. Bangladesh
Afghanistan 151. Mali (73.8)
(47.4) (78) (48)
(59.8)

Building the capabilities of women

The HDI measures average achievements in a country, but it does not incorporate the
degree of gender imbalance in these achievements. The gender-related development
index (GDI), introduced in Human Development Report 1995, measures achievements in
the same dimensions using the same indicators as the HDI but captures inequalities in
achievement between women and men. It is simply the HDI adjusted downward for
gender inequality. The greater the gender disparity in basic human development, the
lower is a country's GDI relative to its HDI.

Nepal's GDI value, 0.545 should be compared to its HDI value of 0.553. Its GDI value is
98.6% of its HDI value. Out of the 155 countries with both HDI and GDI values, 111
countries have a better ratio than Nepal's.

Table 3 shows how Nepal’s ratio of GDI to HDI compares to other countries, and also
shows its values for selected underlying indicators in the calculation of the GDI.

Table 3: The GDI compared to the HDI – a measure of gender disparity

Adult literacy rate (% Combined primary,
Life expectancy at
GDI as % of HDI ages 15 and older) secondary and tertiary gross
birth(years) 2004
2004 enrolment ratio2004
Female as % male Female as % male Female as % male
1. Russian
1. Mongolia
Federation 1. Lesotho (122.5%) 1. Cuba (121.0%)
(100.0%)
(121.7%)
110. Algeria 183. Nigeria
128. Senegal (63.1%) 137. Guatemala (92.6%)
(98.4%) (102.1%)
111. Iran (Islamic
184. Uganda 129. Morocco
Republic of) 138. Zambia (92.0%)
(102.0%) (62.9%)
(98.4%)
112. Nepal 185. Nepal
130. Nepal (62.0%) 139. Nepal (91.6%)
(98.4%) (101.9%)
113. Honduras 186. Kenya
131. Bhutan (59.5%) 140. Senegal (90.0%)
(98.4%) (101.5%)
114. Burkina Faso 187. Pakistan 132. Burkina Faso
141. Sudan (89.3%)
(98.4%) (101.0%) (58.8%)
155. Afghanistan 190. Swaziland 145. Afghanistan
175. Afghanistan (55.6%)
(88.0%) (98.0%) (29.2%)

The gender empowerment measure (GEM) reveals whether women take an active part in
economic and political life. It tracks the share of seats in parliament held by women; of
female legislators, senior officials and managers; and of female professional and
technical workers- and the gender disparity in earned income, reflecting economic
independence. Differing from the GDI, the GEM exposes inequality in opportunities in
selected areas.

Nepal ranks 83rd out of 109 countries in the GEM, with a value of 0.486.
Migration

Every year, millions of people cross national or international borders seeking better living
standards. Most migrants, internal and international, reap gains in the form of higher
incomes, better access to education and health, and improved prospects for their children.
Most of the world’s 195 million international migrants have moved from one developing
country to another or between developed countries.

Nepal has an emigration rate of 3.9%. The major continent of destination for migrants
from Nepal is Asia with 95.0% of emigrants living there.

Table 4: Emigrants
Emigration rate Major continent of destination for
Origin of migrants (%)
(%) migrants
1. Antigua and Barbuda 45.3 Asia 46.6
53. Afghanistan 10.6 Asia 91.4
99. Sri Lanka 4.7 Asia 54.1
101. Bangladesh 4.5 Asia 92.4
115. Nepal 3.9 Asia 95.0
143. Bhutan 2.2 Asia 89.3
146. Pakistan 2.2 Asia 72.5
180. Maldives 0.4 Asia 38.9
181. Mongolia 0.3 Europe 40.7
Global aggregates
Least developed countries 3.6 Asia 44.7
Medium human
1.9 Asia 43.3
development
South Asia 1.6 Asia 78.0
World 3.0 Europe 33.4

The United States is host to nearly 40 million international migrants – more than any
other country though as a share of total population it is Qatar which has the most
migrants – more than 4 in every 5 people are migrants. In Nepal, there are 818.7 thousand
migrants which represent 3.0% of the total population.

Table 5: Immigrants
Destination of Immigrant stock Destination of Immigrants as a share of
migrants (thousands) migrants population (%) 2005
1. United States 39,266.5 1. Qatar 80.5
7. India 5,886.9 70. Bhutan 5.7
20. Iran (Islamic 2,062.2
Republic of)
37. Bangladesh 1,031.9
45. Nepal 818.7 98. Nepal 3.0
100. Iran (Islamic
78. Sri Lanka 366.4 2.9
Republic of)
124. Afghanistan 86.5 119. Pakistan 2.1
180. Maldives 3.2 167. Afghanistan 0.4
182. Vanuatu 1.0 182. China 0.0
Global aggregates
South Asia 13,847.0 South Asia 0.9
Least developed Least developed
10,908.5 1.4
countries countries
Medium human Medium human
40,948.6 0.8
development development
World 195,245.4 World 3.0

Remittances

Remittances, which are usually sent to immediate family members who have stayed
behind, are among the most direct benefits from migration; their benefits spread broadly
into local economies. They also serve as foreign exchange earnings for the origin
countries of migrants. However, remittances are unequally distributed. Of the total
US$370 billion remitted in 2007, more than half went to countries in the medium human
development category against less than one per cent to low human development
countries. In 2007, US$1,734 million in remittances were sent to Nepal. Average
remittances per person were US$61, compared with the average for South Asia of
US$33. (See Table 6 for more details.)

Table 6: Remittances
Total remittance inflows(US$ millions) Remittances per capita(US$)
1. India 35,262 1. Luxembourg 3,355
1. India 35,262 67. Sri Lanka 131
17. Pakistan 5,998
36. Sri Lanka 2,527
45. Nepal 1,734 91. Nepal 61
63. Iran (Islamic Republic of) 1,115 98. Bangladesh 41
151. Maldives 3 102. Pakistan 37
133. Maldives 10
157. Burundi 0 157. Burundi 0
Global aggregates
South Asia 53,201 South Asia 33
Least developed countries 17,293 Least developed countries 26
Medium human development 189,093 Medium human development 44
World 370,765 World 58