BA Study Into Development Data in Nepal

A Study Into
Development Data In Nepal
JULY, 2018
1
Acknowledgement
This research was undertaken by Bikas Udhyami with the support of the ‘Data for Development
in Nepal’ Program, implemented by The Asia Foundation in partnership with Development
Initiatives (DI) with funding from the UK’s Department for International Development (DFID).
This program is part of the broader DFID funded ‘Evidence for Development’ Programme which
works to strengthen the government of Nepal’s capacity to generate data and use evidence
more effectively.
2
Executive Summary
A Study into Development Data in Nepal
Background
Sustainable development requires smart decision-making and resource allocation at
both national and local levels of government. This requires a sustainable flow of timely and
reliable data that informs policy making and planning. However, Nepal’s National Statistical
System (NSS) has several constraints, which hamper its ability to take on the new challenges
of our information age. Traditionally, the NSS in Nepal has focused on the data needs of the
Government of Nepal (GoN) itself and its administration. The needs of other data users have
not been systematically taken into consideration while planning data collection. Of late, with the
growing emphasis on evidence-based decision-making, a shift towards greater use of data and
information is being noted both within and outside government.
In 2015, the GoN together with 192 countries adopted the Sustainable Development
Goals (SDGs) to end poverty, protect the planet and ensure prosperity for all, but to
provide the data needed to adequately monitor and drive SDG progress a strong and
capacitated NSS is needed. The GoN is currently in the process of aligning its planning,
budgeting, and monitoring frameworks with the SDGs and their targets. The GoN is also in the
process of finalizing its monitoring framework for the measurement of progress across SDGs
and localizing the framework provincial and local level. So far, there has not been an in-depth
analysis of the underlying data infrastructure to understand the quality of statistical systems
and data sources in Nepal, and how adequate the resulting data is for measuring progress and
informing development decisions regarding the SDGs.
This study aims to examine the strengths, weaknesses and delivery of Nepal’s NSS, and
to assess whether the available data sources fulfil the demands for monitoring the SDGs.
The study aims to accomplish two objectives. First, it attempts to examine the organization
and delivery of Nepal’s NSS. Secondly, it maps out Nepal’s data sources vis-à-vis the SDG
indicators, while assessing the quality of those sources and identifying gaps in the current
data inventory. The study is undertaken with the support of the Data for Development in Nepal
Program implemented by The Asia Foundation in partnership with Development Initiatives (DI),
which is funded by the Department of International Development of the UK Government.
The methodology for this study has been based on the Data Development Assessment
(DDA) methodology designed by (DI). The original methodology was reviewed, modified and
adapted to the Nepalese context. The DDA inventory involves the audit, classification, analysis
and presentation of existing sources of development data in the form of a living database.
The methodology is used to assess the quality of data available for monitoring development
indicators and informing development decisions and to identify gaps and overlaps in the
development data infrastructure. Through this, the DDA aims to aid policy makers in making
better informed investments in data and statistics. The earlier versions of this methodology
were used in Uganda and Kenya before being adapted for Nepal. In addition, the study has
used a combination of secondary data sources and interviews with informants to examine
the strengths, weaknesses and delivery of Nepal’s statistical systems, and to assess whether
3
the available data sources fulfil the demands of existing national and international policy
frameworks focusing on the SDGs. Using this methodology this study examines the adequacy
and effectiveness of Nepal’s statistical system and also assesses the adequacy of current data
sources to monitor the indicator framework provided by the SDGs.
Major Findings
Nepal’s NSS is highly fragmented and coordination among data producers has been
limited. The Statistical Act, 1958 designates the Central Bureau of Statistics (CBS) as the
sole agency responsible for the production, processing and dissemination of government data
in Nepal. However, various subsequent laws have entrusted other ministries and agencies
including the Central Bank and constitutional bodies with the task of data production and
dissemination. The fragmentation of statistical functions has led to poor coordination in
planning and a duplication of efforts, leading to inefficiencies and incoherence in the NSS. The
fragmentation is further exacerbated by the fact that there are various other civil society, private
sector and development agencies that produce data but currently fall outside the NSS. Various
other national policies such as the National Statistical Plan and Periodic Development Plans
have underlined the need for strengthening the NSS, but implementation has been limited. In
2017 Nepal also developed a National Statistics Development Strategy (NSDS), which aims to
improve and modernize the system of data collection and dissemination by the CBS and other
government agencies within the NSS. However, the NSDS is yet to be approved by the GoN.
Nepal’s legal framework provides for access to information, but the sharing of data is
still not common practice. The Constitution and the Right to Information Act 2007 guarantee
citizens’ rights to access information. In addition, a number of laws have tried to regulate
and facilitate the collection, processing and dissemination of data and information in Nepal
such as the Good Governance Act (2007), and the Government Agency Website Design and
Management Directives (2011). However, in the absence of a clear data sharing policy, many
GoN agencies still abide by traditional ways of data dissemination by publishing data in the form
of annual reports in selective form mostly in pdfs. At the same time, although Nepal currently
lacks a systematic policy and legislation for the protection of data, various laws including the
Constitution guarantee the right to privacy and the Statistical Act prohibit the disclosure or
publication of data and information pertaining to individual citizens, families, or companies
without prior written approval of the CBS.
In terms of data infrastructure, much needs to be done to improve access, affordability,

cyber security, digitization of content, and synergies in infrastructure and content. The
GoN has expressed its commitment towards ensuring access to wireless broadband services
and to encourage a content rich environment that will facilitate a growing online community.
However, the broadband infrastructure and internet penetration is still limited. Nepal was
ranked 140 in the ICT Development Index 2017, while Nepal’s telecom density reached 141.8
percent with an estimated broadband subscription of 48.91 percent of the population.1 In
addition to broadband, investments are also required to ensure that central, provincial and local
governments have the technical equipment, electrical infrastructure and expertise required to
appropriately produce, access and share digital information.
Civil registration data, censuses, administrative data and surveys are the major sources
of SDG data in Nepal. The Nepal Population and Housing Census2 (NPHC), carried out every
4
10 years, is the most comprehensive source for nation-wide demographic data. For poverty,
Nepal does not have information systems that regularly track people’s income and expenditure.
The Nepal Living Standards Survey3 (NLSS) constitutes the only official source of disaggregated
data on estimated income and expenditure of Nepalese households and dates back to
2010/2011. These are supplemented by various other official surveys including the Multiple
Indicator Cluster Survey4 (MICS) and Nepal Demographic Health Survey5 (NDHS). In the
agriculture sector, the administrative data generated by the Ministry of Agricultural Development
(MoAD) is the main data source, while surveys like the NLSS also contain agricultural data. In
the health sector, the two major information sources are the Health Management Information
System (HMIS)6 and the NDHS. Similarly, in the education sector, the Education Management
Information System (EMIS)7 and the Higher Education Management Information System
(HEMIS)8 are the key data sources for school and tertiary level education respectively. Most
data sources, except where unit of measurements are not individuals or households, have
gender disaggregated data. For trade, two separate sources of data exist i.e. one produced by
the Automated System for Customs Data (ASYCUDA) by the Department of Customs9 and the
data on foreign currency and balance of payment are maintained by the Central Bank (NRB).10
With regard to employment the Nepal Labor Force Survey (NLFS), the NLSS and the NHPC are
the major sources. Financial data are available from several MIS’s under the Ministry of Finance
(MoF) including, Treasury Single Accounts (TSA)11, the Revenue Management Information
System (RMIS)12, the Computerized Government Accounting System (CGAS)13, Line Ministry
Budget Management Information System (LMBIS)14, Financial Management Information System
(FMIS)15 and the Aid Management Platform (AMP)16. Annual economic data is published by the
CBS and the NRB using secondary sources.
In terms of accessibility, the GoN shares limited data publicly available online in
machine readable format. More recently, several efforts have emerged that have attempted
to synthesize data from GoN publications and present them in a single platform. An example is
the Visualizing Development Initiative from the NPC17, which makes which makes SDG baseline
data accessible, visual and downloadable. It also includes a link to the National Data Archive
(NADA) from the CBS. From the non-government sector, various non-governmental partners
have developed and maintain portals that make data open an accessible including Open
Nepal18, Open Knowledge Nepal19, Code for Nepal20 and Nepal in Data21.Similarly, various
multilateral agencies maintain platforms with development data on Nepal generated from official
1
Nepal Telecommunications Authority, MIS Report, April 2018. Available at:
https://nta.gov.np/wp-content/uploads/2018/06/Baisakh-2075.pdf
2
http://cbs.gov.np/image/data/Population/National%20Report/National%20Report.pdf
3
http://cbs.gov.np/nada/index.php/catalog/37
4
http://cbs.gov.np/nada/index.php/catalog/46
5
https://www.dhsprogram.com/pubs/pdf/fr336/fr336.pdf
6
http://dohs.gov.np/information-systems/health-management-information-section/
7
Not uploaded for public but published in Flash Reports on regular basis.
8
http://www.ugcnepal.edu.np/reports/EMIS%20071.pdf
9
https://www.asycuda.org/dispcountry.asp?name=Nepal
10
https://www.nrb.org.np
11
http://fcgo.gov.np/old/tsa/
12
http://fcgo.gov.np/old/rmis-2/
13
http://tsa.fcgo.gov.np:8888/forms/frmservlet?config=ras
14
http://lmbis.gov.np
15
http://tsa.fcgo.gov.np:8888/forms/frmservlet?config=fmis
16
http://amis.mof.gov.np/portal/
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GoN data sources which are standardized to make them internationally comparable such as the
World Bank data platform and IATI data catalogue.22
As for the frequency and timeliness, Most data generated through MISs are updated
on a regular basis, but disseminated only in the form of an annual report. However, the
implementation of official surveys is often delayed and when data is disseminated it is usually
long after the survey has been completed, meaning that by the time the data is available it is
dated and lacks relevance to users. The problem of timeliness lies with both official surveys
and with data generated from national censuses. Though censuses are considered to be a
very reliable source of data, their reliability is undermined by their long implementation intervals
as well as the time taken for their processing. Many official surveys are conducted on an ad
hoc basis which casts doubt on how regularly they will be repeated. Overall data quality is
often not up to the mark and there is sometimes incoherence in data e.g. data does not add
up or contradicts each other. Depending on their nature, most data sources provide data
disaggregated to some degree. However, in terms of interoperability of data across datasets
and sources, significant gaps are noted.
Finally, although the demand for and the use of data is increasing, the practice of using
data is still in its formative stage. To date, there are not many systematic studies on the
usage of data in Nepal. The productive use of data has not been a more strategic consideration
in the approaches used for data collection, processing and dissemination, and maximizing the
use of data is not yet on the agenda of NSS. However, there is a realization that user needs
need to be taken into account and the systems is slowly moving into this direction. A recent
positive example has been the demand and satisfaction survey of data users undertaken
by CBS in 2017. Even within the GoN, there is much unrealized scope for productive use of
available data. According to key informants, the cultural and managerial incentives do not
encourage use of data for planning and policy-making. Furthermore, political considerations
often take precedence over evidence as a criterion for decision-making. However, the growing
discourse of late, both outside and within government, around the importance of the use of data
as the basis of policy making and program development decisions brings hope for the further
evolution of the NSS.
The GoN has started to mainstream the SDGs into national level budgeting and planning
processes. Some of the sectoral plans, priorities and targets are already aligned with the
SDGs while others are in the process of forging alignment. An Inter-Ministerial Coordination
Committee has been formed under the CBS to track the SDG indicators. The Fourteenth
Plan (2016/17-1018/19)23 has integrated the essential elements of the SDGs and two annual
development programs and budgets (FY 2016/17 and 2017/18) have been aligned with the
SDGs. Projects are coded based on their contribution to individual SDGs. However, many of
the existing sectoral plans, long-term strategies and perspective plans of the sectoral ministries
need revision and further alignment with the SDGs. So far not much has been accomplished
towards the localization of SDGs at the provincial and local level planning process. Following
17
http://128.199.69.221:5555/data/
18
http://opennepal.net
19
https://np.okfn.org
20
http://codefornepal.org/en/
21
https://nepalindata.com
22
For instance, the FAO food production database is based on agriculture data generated by GoN.
6
the assumption of their functions by the provincial government, municipalities and rural
municipalities post-election last year, localization and mainstreaming of SDGs is expected to
gain momentum. There have been other ongoing efforts to establish SDG implementation and
process monitoring mechanisms. For example, the EvalSDGs Group of Nepal prepared a five-
year (2016-2020) integrated gender and equity focused SDG monitoring and evaluation action
plan for Nepal.24 In terms of SDG financing, Nepal faces various challenges and has undertaken
a SDG needs and costing assessment and has been developing a financial strategy.
There are significant data gaps to monitor and track SDG progress. The 2017 ‘SDGs
Baseline Report’ of the National Planning Commission (NPC) identified a total of 425
indicators for the monitoring of SDG progress in Nepal.25 The study states that out of 425,
data for only 249 indicators are regularly or intermittently available, whereas the data for 76
indicators are partially available and data for about 100 indicators are not available at all.
About 10 indicators are repeated under 2-3 targets and therefore the actual total number of
indicator is 415. Our study found that 178 indicators do not have any baseline data i.e. SDG
12,4,5,6,8,10,11,12,15,16 and 17 have 10 or more indicators for which baseline data is missing.
In addition, 25 indicators do not have a data source especially under SDG 2 and 17. To fill the
data gaps the GoN is likely to have to plan new surveys and information systems which will
have significant cost implications.
In particular, there is a shortage of disaggregated data. Many targets and indicators

are at an aggregated level and should ideally be disaggregated. Those indicators that have
disaggregation as a requirement focus primarily on disaggregation based on gender, social
group and subnational level. This data in many cases needs to be specifically generated
constituting a major time and resource intensive effort. In terms of leaving no one behind,
very few indicators require disaggregation by age and disability and hence young, elderly and
disabled people are in danger of not being visible and thus being able to benefit from actions to
achieve the SDGs. Another key concerns pertains to the timeliness of data production for the
SDGs ass many of the indicators use data sources that are not regularly produced.
23
NPC, 2017. Available at: https://www.npc.gov.np/images/category/14th-plan-full-document.pdf
24
NPC, 2017.
25
NPC, 2017. Nepal’s Sustainable Development Goals: Baseline Report Available at:
https://www.npc.gov.np/images/category/1__SDG_Report_final_version.pdf
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Table of Contents
Executive Summary......................................................................................3
Acronyms.......................................................................................................10
Tables and Figures........................................................................................14
Chapter I: Introduction..................................................................................15
1.1 Background....................................................................................................15
1.2 Scope and Methodology................................................................................17
1.3 Limitations of the study.................................................................................18
1.4 Outline of Report............................................................................................19
Chapter II: Governance.................................................................................20
2.1 Overview of the National Statistics System.................................................20
2.1.1 Data Producers........................................................................................21
2.1.2 Data Users...............................................................................................24
2.2. Legal framework............................................................................................26
2.2.1 Constitution and Statistics Act..................................................................26
2.2.2 Privacy.....................................................................................................27
2.2.3 Data Protection........................................................................................28
2.2.4 Access to information...............................................................................28
2.3. National policies............................................................................................34
2.3.1 Consolidated National Statistical Plan.....................................................34
2.3.2 Periodic Development Plans....................................................................35
2.3.3 National Strategy of Development of Statistics........................................36
2.3.4 National Development Plans....................................................................37
2.3.5 Commitment to Regional and International Frameworks.........................37
2.3.6 Fundamental Principles of Official Statistics............................................38
2.3.7 Open Data Policies..................................................................................39
2.4 Technical and Human Capacity....................................................................42
Chapter III: Infrastructure.............................................................................44
3.1 ICT Governance..............................................................................................44
3.1.1 National Authorities..................................................................................45
3.1.2 Control of Social Media............................................................................46
3.2 ICT Capacity....................................................................................................48
3.2.1 Electricity..................................................................................................48
3.2.2 ICT Networks............................................................................................48
Chapter IV: Data Sources in Nepal..............................................................49
4.1 Major Data Sources........................................................................................49
4.2 Development Data Sources...........................................................................54
4.3 Data Access....................................................................................................60
4.4 Data Quality....................................................................................................61
4.4.1 Frequency and Timeliness.......................................................................61
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4.4.2 Disaggregation.........................................................................................62
4.4.3 Interoperability..........................................................................................62
4.4.4 Survey Design and Duplication................................................................62
4.4.5 Accuracy...................................................................................................63
4.4.6 Data Use..................................................................................................63
Chapter V: Sustainable Development Goals and Data..............................66
5.1 Sustainable Development Goals...................................................................66
5.2 SDG Monitoring Framework..........................................................................68
5.3 Data Gaps........................................................................................................69
5.4 Data Sources..................................................................................................71
5.4.1 Major Data Sources for monitoring the SDG indicators...........................71
5.4.2 SDG Summary.........................................................................................74
5.5 Resources.......................................................................................................94
5.5.1 Financial...................................................................................................95
5.5.2 Domestic vs International Resources.......................................................96
Way forward...................................................................................................96
References.....................................................................................................99
Annex 1:Legislation Reviewed.....................................................................103
Annex 2: List of Key Interviewees...............................................................104
Annex 3: SDG Monitoring Framework of Nepal..........................................105
Infographic: Development Data Sources in Nepal.....................................155
Infographic: SDG Missing Baselines & Data Sources in Nepal................156
Infographic: SDG Disaggregation & Number of Disaggregated
Indicators in Nepal........................................................................................157
Infographic: Main SDG Data Sources in Nepal ..........................................158
Infographic: Top 10 Government Agencies Responsible for SDG
Data Collection in Nepal ..............................................................................159
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Acronyms
ADB Asian Development Bank
AHS Annual Household Survey
AIS Ayurvedic Information System
AMIS Agriculture Management Information System
AMP Aid Management Platform
ASYCUDA Automated System for Customs Data
BMIS Building Management Information System
CAAN Civil Aviation Authority of Nepal
CBS Central Bureau of Statistics
CEDA Center for Economic Development and Administration
CERID Center for Educational Research, Innovation and Development
CGAS Computerized Government Accounting System
CME Census of Manufacturing Establishments
CNAS Center for Nepal and Asian Studies
CNSP Consolidated National Statistical Plan
CPC Central Product Classification
CPI Consumer Price Index
COICOP Classification of Individual Consumption According to Purpose
DDC District Development Committees
DHS Demographic Health Survey
DI Development Initiatives
DoCR Department of Civil Registration
DoCSI Department of Cottage and Small Industries
DoE Department of Education
DoEn Department of Environment
DoHS Department of Health Service
EDCD Epidemiology and Disease Control Division
DoHM Department of Hydrology and Meteorology
DoIT Department of Information Technology
DoL Department of Labor
DoR Department of Roads
DoUDBC Department of Urban Development and Building Construction
DoWC Department of Women and Children
DoWSS Department of Water Supply and Sewerage
DPMAS District Poverty Monitoring and Analysis System
DSBB Dissemination Standards Bulletin Board
EC Election Commission
E-GDDS Enhanced General Data Dissemination System
EMIS Education Management Information System
ERO Education Review Office
FAO Food and Agriculture Organization
FCGO Financial Comptroller General’s Office
GBD Global Burden of Diseases
GDP Gross Domestic Product
10
GoN Government of Nepal
GIDC Government Integrated Data Centre
GIS Geographic Information System
GPI Gender Parity Index
HDU High Dependency Unit
HIIS Health Infrastructure Information System
HMIS Health Management Information System
HS Household Survey
ICCPR International Covenant on Civil and Political Rights
ICD International Classification of Diseases
I/NGO International/Non-government Organization
ICT Information Communication Technology
ITU International Telecommunication Union
IFMIS Integrated Financial Management Information System
IIDS Institute for Integrated Development Studies
ILO International Labor Organization
IMF International Monetary Fund
IMIS Insurance Management Information System
IRD Inland Revenue Department
ISCO International Standard Classification of Occupations
ISIC Industrial Classification of All Economic Activities
ISP Internet Service Provider
LAPA Local Adaptation Plans of Action
LMBIS Line Ministry Budget Information System
LMIS Labor Management Information System
LMIS Logistics Management Information System
MDGs Millennium Development Goals
MIS Management Information System
MICS Multiple Indicator Cluster Survey
MoAD Ministry of Agriculture Development26
MoC Ministry of Commerce27
MoCP Ministry of Cooperatives and Poverty Alleviation
MoCTA Ministry of Culture, Tourism and Civil Aviation
MoD Ministry of Defense
MoE Ministry of Education28
MoEN Ministry of Energy
MoF Ministry of Finance
MoFALD Ministry of Federal Affairs and Local Development29
MoFSC Ministry of Forestry and Soil Conservation30
MoGA Ministry of General Administration31
MoH Ministry of Health32
MoHA Ministry of Home Affairs
MoI Ministry of Industry33
MoIR Ministry of Irrigation34
MoLE Ministry of Labour and Employment35
MoIC Ministry of Information and Communication36
MoLJPA Ministry of Law, Justice and Parliamentary Affairs
11
MoLRM Ministry of Land Reform and Information37
MoPE Ministry of Population and Environment38
MoPIT Ministry of Physical Infrastructure and Transport
MoS Ministry of Supplies39
MoST Ministry of Science and Technology40
MoUD Ministry of Urban Development
MoWCSW Ministry of Women, Children and Social Welfare41
MoWSS Ministry of Water Supply and Sanitation42
MoYS Ministry of Youth and Sports
MPI Multi-Dimensional Poverty Index
MTEF Medium term Expenditure Framework
NADA National Data Archive
NAPA National Adaptation Program of Action
NARC National Agricultural Research Council
NASA National Assessment of Student Achievement
NCASC National Centre for Aids and STD control
NBDP National Broadband Development Program
NCCS Nepal Center for Contemporary Studies
NDHS Nepal Demographic Health Survey
NDHR National Human Development Report
NDRR National Disaster Risk Reduction
NHA National Health Accounts
NHDR Nepal Human Development Report
NLFS Nepal Labor Force Survey
NLSS Nepal Living Standard Survey
NMICS Nepal Multiple Cluster Indicator Survey
NPC National Planning Commission
NPHC Nepal Population and Housing Census
NPHL National Public Health Laboratory
NRB Nepal Rastra Bank
NSC National Statistical Council
NSCA National Sample Census on Agriculture
NSDP National Summary Data Page
NSDS National Strategy of Development of Statistics
NSO National Statistical Organization
NSS National Statistical System
NTA Nepal Telecommunication Authority
ODA Official Development Assistance
OECD Organization for Economic Cooperation and Development
OGD Open Government Data
OPHI Oxford Poverty & Human Development Initiative
PG Provincial Government
PDNA Post Disaster Needs Assessment
PMIS Prison Management Information System
PPIS Project Performance Information System
PRSP Poverty Reduction Strategy Paper
RMIS Revenue Management Information System
12
RTI Right to Information
SADGs SAARC Development Goals
SCI Statistical Capacity Index
SDGs Sustainable Development Goals
SMART MIS Smart Management Information System
SSRC Social Science Research Council
TMIS Tourism Management Information System
UDHR Universal Declaration of Human Rights
UNDP United Nations Development Program
UGC University Grant Commission
UN United Nations
UNCTAD United Nations Conference on Trade and Development
UNDG United Nations Development Group
UNDP United Nations Development Program
UNDESA United Nations Department of Economic and Social Affairs
UNICEF United Nations Children’s Fund
VDC Village Development Committee
VERSPMIS Vital Events Registration and Social Protection Management
Information System
WASH Water Sanitation and Hygiene
WATSAN Water and Sanitation Data Portal
WCD MIS Women and Children
WHO World Health Organization
26
Now Ministry of Agriculture, Land Management and Cooperatives.
27
Now Ministry of Industry, Commerce and Supplies.
28
Now Ministry of Education, Science and Technology.
29
Now Ministry of Federal Affairs and General Administration
30
Now Ministry of Forest and Environment.
31
See footnote 29.
32
Now Ministry of Health and Population.
33
See footnote 27.
34
See footnote 26.
35
Now Ministry of Labour and Social Protection.
36
Now Ministry of Communication and Information Technology
37
See footnote 26.
38
Now Ministry of Health and Population and Ministry of Forest and Environment.
39
See footnote 27.
40
See footnote 28
41
Now Ministry of Women, Children and Senior Citizens.
42
Now Ministry of Water Supply.
13
Tables and Figures
Page
Figure 1:Five Steps Methodology 17
Figure 2:National Statistical System of Nepal 21
Figure 3: SWOC Analysis of SWOC the NSS of Nepal figure 25
Figure-4: Prevalent digital formats of data dissemination 33
Figure 5: Other platforms for data dissemination 34
Figure-6: Major Sources of Demographic Data 54
Figure-7: Major Sources for Health and Wellbeing Sector Data 55
Figure-8: Major Data Sources for Education Sector 55
Figure-9: Major Sources for Agriculture Data 55
Figure-10: Major Sources of Trade Data 56
Figure-11: Major Sources of Poverty Data 57
Figure-12: Major Sources for Employment Data 58
Figure-13: Major Sources for Gender Disaggregated Data 58
Figure-14: Major Sources for Financial and Economic Data 59
Figure-15: Indicators and availability of data 69
Figure-16 SDG Missing Baselines and Data Sources 70
Table-1: Management Information Systems developed within the GoN 29

Table-2: Use of Key Censuses for SDG Measurement 51
Table-3: Use of MIS for SDG Measurement 53
Table-4: SDG Disaggregation Levels 70
Table-5: Key SDG Data Sources 71
Table-6: Responsible Agencies for SDG Indicators 73
Table-7: SDG Overview Goal 1 75
14
Chapter I: Introduction
1.1 Background
Sustainable development requires smart decision-making and resource allocation at
both national and local levels of government. This requires a sustainable flow of timely and
reliable data that informs national policy making and local level decision-making. This holds
especially true for assessing national capacity, determining financial obligations, and monitoring
and evaluating the government’s performance. The Government of Nepal (GoN) joined other
countries in 2015 in signing up to the Sustainable Development Goals (SDGs), which set out
an ambitious set of 17 goals to end poverty, protect the planet and ensure prosperity for all. The
GoN is currently in the process of aligning its national monitoring and evaluation framework
including its periodic plans with the SDG and its targets. The GoN is also in the process of
finalizing the indicators for the measurement of progress across the sectors. According to
the National Planning Commission (NPC) SDG Monitoring Framework, the 17 goals and 169
different targets of the SDGs will be measured by at least 425 indicators.43 About 10 indicators
are repeated under 2-3 targets and therefore the actual total number of indicators comes down
to 415.44 These cover a broad spectrum of sectors including agriculture, education, health,
environment, social protection, infrastructure and information and communication technology
(ICT).45 One of the lessons learnt from the Millennium Development Goals (MDGs) is that
lack of reliable data can undermine a governments’ ability to set goals, optimize investments
decisions, and measure progress.46 Therefore, successful implementation of policies targeting
SDG outcomes requires strong statistical systems that can measure and incentivize progress
across all relevant goals and indicators at disaggregated levels.
Yet Nepal’s National Statistical System (NSS) is not yet fully developed. There is no
official definition of the NSS. The Central Bureau of Statistics (CBS) is supposed to act as the
independent guardian of the NSS. However, it faces challenges in exercising this role due
to the status of the CBS as a department situated under the NPC and due to the erosion of
its mandate as a result of various laws, which have mandated other government agencies to
collect data. As a consequence, the country’s statistical system in reality is highly decentralized
with a cluster of ministries (and their departments), constitutional bodies, development partners,
and universities, operating at times independently and at other times coordinating with the
CBS in producing various forms of data. Consistent and regular data comes mostly from within
the GoN’s administrative and registry systems and household/individual data are generated
occasionally and at different intervals through surveys and censuses carried out by the CBS,
Nepal Rastra Bank (NRB) and others.
43
NPC. (2017a). Nepal’s Sustainable Development Goals: Baseline Report Available at:
https://www.npc.gov.np/images/category/1__SDG_Report_final_version.pdf
44
Ibid.
45
NPC. (2017b). National Report on the Implementation of the 2030 Agenda for Sustainable
Development. Draft for Discussion. Kathmandu: National Planning Commission, GoN.
Available at www.npc.gov.np
46
A. Jacob. (2017). Mind the Gap: Analyzing the Impact of Data Gap in Millennium
Development Goals’ (MDGs) Indicators on the Progress toward MDGs. World Development
Vol. 93, pp. 260–278.
15
In addition, data generated through government systems are mostly used within the
government itself often focusing on administrative needs and the needs of national
policy makers. These sources do not necessarily address the demands of other user
groups like civil society, private sector, academia and consumer groups. Even then, very little
information exists on the extent and nature of data use outside the GoN. However, anecdotal
evidence suggests that with time, the number of users is gradually increasing and with them the
demand for data is increasing as well.
Another important consideration pertains to the quality of existing data sources. In

many countries, national statistics are based on estimates derived from relatively small
survey samples that hide the true scale of the data challenges facing national and sub-
national planners. In other instances, data are often infrequently generated and are therefore,
extrapolated; or are not disaggregated adequately according to age, sex, caste, ethnicity,
region, and disability. Such data presents a challenge for policymakers in making informed
decisions, especially in the context of SDGs, which demand an extremely rigorous data system.
However, so far, there has been limited analysis of the underlying data infrastructure
to understand the quality of statistical systems and data sources in Nepal. Few studies
have been undertaken to understand Nepal’s NSS’s strengths and weaknesses and even
fewer studies have looked at quality and adequateness of various data sources. This study
aims to address some of these gaps. It aims to examine the strengths, weaknesses and
delivery of Nepal’s statistical system, and to assess if the available data sources fulfil the
demands of existing national and international policy frameworks, especially, the SDGs.
Through examination of secondary information, and selected direct interactions with relevant
stakeholders, the study examines the adequacy and effectiveness of Nepal’s statistical system,
especially against emerging demands of international frameworks like the Partnership in
Statistics for Development in the 21st Century (Paris21)47 and also tries to assess the adequacy
of current data sources against the indicator framework provided by the SDGs. The study is
undertaken with the support of the Data for Development in Nepal Program implemented by
The Asia Foundation in partnership with Development Initiatives funded by the Department of
International Development of the UK Government.
The study aims to achieve two objectives. In the first place, it investigates the overall
organization and delivery of Nepal’s NSS. Secondly, it maps out Nepal’s data sources vis-à-vis
the SDG indicators and identifies gaps in the current data sources used.
47
Established in November 1999 in response to the UN Economic and Social Council
resolution on the goals of the UN Conference on Development, the PARIS21 (Partnership
in Statistics for Development in the 21st Century) consortium was launched to act as
a catalyst for promoting a culture of evidence-based policymaking and monitoring in
all countries, and especially in low income countries. The consortium is a partnership
of policymakers, analysts, and statisticians from all countries of the world, focusing on
promoting high-quality statistics, making these data meaningful, and designing sound
policies. http://www.paris21.org/
16
1.2 Scope and Methodology
A thorough study on Nepal’s data management systems is needed to better understand
evolution of the NSS. With the recent structural transformation of Nepal to a federal structure,
it is necessary to understand how data was managed. The learnings from past practices will
contribute to supporting the GoN to come up with better institutional mechanisms, plans,
policies, strategies, laws; above all invest more in data.
To assess the NSS, a comprehensive review of the status and performance of various
stakeholders of the current statistical system was conducted. This exercise involved
rigorous examination of the legal and policy framework governing data systems in Nepal,
identification of various data producers and their data sources including administrative data
systems functional in the country at present, assessing the adequacy of resources to effectively
sustain data production at regular necessary intervals, and determining the ability of the data
users to absorb data currently being produced. The assessment was done primarily through
review of laws, regulations, policies and strategies governing data and statistics in Nepal;
survey of necessary literature available on data governance in Nepal and GoN websites to
identify in-house data sources; and finally, through one-to-one interviews with some of the key
informants in the sector.
Figure 1: Five Steps of Methodology
In the process, major data-related government stakeholders - including data producers,

data administrators, data users and data administrators – were identified. Thereafter,
concerned websites of the respective stakeholders were visited, which was followed by the
identification of relevant legislation, strategies and policies governing these stakeholders
and processes. Where such documents were not publicly available, representatives of those
agencies were directly contacted. The overarching statistical framework governance system
was identified through major documents like the Constitution of Nepal, the Statistical Act and
other relevant Acts and Regulations.
17
After evaluating the overall capacity of the NSS, the SDG framework was used for the
purpose of reviewing the adequacy of the current data infrastructure against national
development plans. This served two purposes: a) the SDGs require the availability of a
comprehensive set of data on a wide range of development sectors, and therefore, would
serve as an ideal benchmark for this study; and b) SDGs (like the MDGs) provide the main
framework for development planning in Nepal for the next 13 years and their indicators are
largely internalized by the monitoring and evaluation system at the federal level. It is also
expected that provincial and local governments will follow suit. So evaluating data sources
vis-à-vis SDGs would effectively evaluate them against national plans as well. In this context,
to identify relevant and necessary data sources, a thorough review was conducted across the
websites of all government bodies (including ministries, their divisions and departments) and
major development partners. Based on the national SDG monitoring framework with indicators
developed by the NPC, a detailed database of SDG data sources, along with data series
pertaining to the indicators, was developed. Where possible, data dictionaries of the identified
data sources were used to produce the data series generated by those data sources. In cases
where data dictionaries were not available, reports generated by those data sources were used
to impute data series available in those data sources. The national level SDG indicators and
data sources supplied by the NPC Commission were then mapped vis-à-vis the data series
generated to identify data sources that provide the necessary data to track the SDG indicators.
KEY TERMS
Data Sources: The sources from where the user can access the data. For example: Labor
Force Survey produced by Central Bureau of Statistics.
Data Series: The data points that are collected over a period of time for a particular indicator.
For example: GDP growth rate from 1990 to 2018.
Data Indicators: The indicators that indicate a scecnario and can be measured or counted.
For example: GDP is an indicator that indicates overall economy.
Data Quality: Usually data quality is measured by its availability, accessibility, frequency,
timeliness. For example: GDP data produced by the Central Bureau of Statistics annually
following the guidelines of System of National Account prepared by the UN before two months
before of the release of the annual national budget accessible.
Data Dictionary: Set of information on the description and meaning of indicators, via methods
of computation, usage, format and other aspect of relationships.
Finally, a brief overview of the culture of using data in the system for evidence-based
policy making was carried out. A checklist questionnaire was developed to get impressions on
data dissemination practices and sharing among the GoN agencies as well as between the GoN
and other stakeholders are also briefly highlighted in this report.
1.3 Limitations of the study

There are several limitations to this study:
The study primarily evaluates the data systems and infrastructure through the lens of
18
the SDGs, which has several implications. Firstly, while this study has used the latest list of
indicators as outlined in the SDGs: Status and Roadmap 2016-2030 Report48 of the NPC as
the basis for the research, it must be noted that the GoN is still in the process of finalizing its
national SDG monitoring framework including its indicators and that therefore certain findings
may in future no longer be valid. Secondly, as a result of the focus, plans and policies that are
not necessarily directly related to SDGs are not part of the study (for instance the evaluation
of monetary policies cannot be done based on sources identified in the study). Thirdly, data
sources have not been evaluated on the basis of the methodology for their collection, but based
on pre-determined variables like timeliness, level of disaggregation, and representativeness.
The study focuses on the NSS and SDG monitoring framework as of December 2017. As
at the time of conducting the research, the new federal structure was still being rolled out, the
implications of this structure for the NSS are not yet clear. As such, the study focuses on the
NSS and the available data sources at the time of conducting the research. Similarly, the study
uses the SDG indicator framework as outlined in the SDGs: Status and Roadmap 2016-2030
Report, which lists responsible agencies based on the old administrative federal government
structure. Since the report, several of these government agencies have merged, but in order
to avoid confusion with the framework this study has used the old administrative federal
government structure.
While this study has sought to capture the dearth of national literature, data and
information on statistics that are available in Nepal, due to the fragmented and scattered
nature of various data sources this study does not aim to be exhaustive. From the
perspective of policies and legislation, it was interesting to note that apart from the Statistical
Act, 1958, there were very few documents available focusing exclusively on data systems in all
its dimensions i.e. from production through processing to dissemination. The Act is dated and
therefore does not capture much of the recent developments in the field. There is an absence
of a systematic policy to address the sector though national development plans have often
included a separate section on data and statistics. A new Statistical Act and National Statistical
Development Strategy (NSDS) have been prepared, but they are not yet approved by the GoN.
Accordingly, the information on the data system in Nepal remains largely scant, fragmented
and scattered across sectoral policies and legislations. The study has tried to access all the
fragmented information and data to weave them into a consistent story. While the study is not
exhaustive, it has tried to prepare a modest profile of the sector by bringing together all these
dispersed and fragmented information.
1.4 Outline of Report

Chapter I introduces the scope, methodology and limitations of the study. Chapter II provides
an overview of national statistical system, its strengths, weaknesses, opportunity and threats.
It deals with the theme of data governance along with the policy and legislative framework.
Chapter III provides an overview of data infrastructure in Nepal. Chapter IV provides an outline
of the data sources and information they provide in the context of SDG data needs. Chapter V
provides a summary and analysis of the SDG Monitoring Framework based its goals, targets
and indicators along with the proposed data sources for progress tracking.
NPC. (2017e). Sustainable Development Goals and Roadmap:2016-2030. Kathmandu:

48
National Planning Commission, GoN. Available at www.npc.gov.np
19
Chapter II: Governance
This chapter provides an overview of the NSS. It examines the governance of the NSS in terms
of its organization and management and how this impacts the supply of data. It assesses the
NSS’s strengths and weaknesses as well as opportunities and threats for the system. This
chapter starts with an overview of the NSS, followed by an analysis of the legal and policy
framework and the technical and human capacity of the NSS.
2.1 Overview of the National Statistics System

Nepal does not have an official definition of the NSS. The OECD defines an NSS as “the
ensemble of statistical organizations and units within a country that jointly collect, process and
disseminate social statistics on behalf of national government”49. It consists of data producers,
processors, users, and their interactions. In practice, several statistical organizations are found
to be collectively engaged in the production, processing and dissemination of official statistics.
These systems can be centralized or decentralized50 or a blend of both types.
Figure 2: National Statistical System of Nepal
DATA PROVIDERS: DATA PRODUCERS:

Households CBS
Enterprises NRB
Communities Ministries & Departments
Establishments Provincial and Local
Organizations Governments *
USERS: INTERMEDIARIES:
Policymakers Universities and
Students Research Institutions
Private Sectors
NGOs/INGOs
Mediia
In the case of Nepal, the NSS consists of four key actors. In the current NSS of Nepal,
individuals, households, and private and public enterprises are considered as data providers
or data suppliers. According to the NSS of Nepal, data producers, like anywhere else, include
the National Statistics Office (NSO) and government bodies such as the Central Bank,
Election Commission and line ministries. Research centers, academia and universities are
treated as a separate set of actors in the NSS of Nepal. Finally, non-government actors such
as development partners, research institutions, civil society, media and the private sector are
49
OECD. (2002). Measuring the Non-Observed Economy: A Handbook, OECD, IMF, ILO, Interstate Statistical
Committee of the Commonwealth of Independent States, Annex 2, Glossary.
Available at: http://www.oecd.org/dataoecd/9/20/1963116.pdf
50
For details of advantage and disadvantage of centralized and decentralized NSS see United Nations
(1980). Handbook of Statistical Organization: A Study on the Organization of National Statistical Services and
related Management Issues. New York: United Nations. Chapter II.
Available at https://unstats.un.org/unsd/dnss/hb/default.aspx
20
treated as data users. However, there is increasing recognition that some of them are also
important data producers and that therefore there is a need to revise the National Statistical Act
2015.
For the purposes of this study, we will be using the international categorization of data
producers and users to describe the various actors within the Nepalese NSS. Before detailing
the key data producers and users within Nepal’s NSS it is important to reflect upon those whom
the data is about - the primary data providers.
Individuals, households, and private and public enterprises are the primary data
providers by being the focus of censuses, official surveys, civil registries and
administrative records within government information systems. Although incremental
improvements in administrative recordkeeping has reduced the response burden on primary
data providers to a certain extent, in the absence of fully-functional digitised administrative
systems that are able to generate live data and with the emergence of new development
priorities there is still a heavy reliance on official surveys and censuses. Little coordination is
achieved among government and other development organizations regarding the planning of
surveys and until very recently, little consultation was done with key stakeholders and primary
data providers in the design of surveys. This has led to a lot of duplication in the types of
questions that are being asked as well as geographical areas covered. In most cases, survey
results are not communicated back to the people or organizations surveyed. The number
of official and unofficial surveys conducted in Nepal are gradually increasing. Consequently,
survey fatigue is experienced among many primary data suppliers, which was particularly
apparent following the 2015 earthquakes.51 The use of technology to reduce the cost of data
collection and the burden upon primary data providers is still limited in Nepal, although progress
towards digital data collection was made during the post-earthquake need assessment.
2.1.1 Data Producers
The Statistical Act 1958, the main legal instrument of national statistics, envisages
a centralized statistical system. The Act designates the CBS as the sole agency for
production, processing and dissemination of GoN data. It is entrusted with several tasks
including formulating policies and plans; generating and disseminating data; complying with
international classifications and standards; setting national standards and classifications;
carrying out censuses and surveys; developing and operating GIS systems; updating national
accounts; maintaining data archives; and developing human resources for the sector. Based
on this mandate the CBS remains the largest data producer, processer and disseminator in the
country. Apart from preparing the National Account and carrying out censuses and surveys it
compiles and publishes secondary data on education, transport, environment, communication,
newspapers, postal services, sports and others. According to key informants, overall the CBS is
respected as an authority and its data is considered relatively trustworthy by users.
However, as the CBS was not able to fully cater to the increasing data needs of the
country, the statistical system began to decentralize over time. It began with the enactment
of Land Survey and Measurement Act, 1963. In subsequent years the state, through several
legislations and policies, entrusted other ministries, their departments, constitutional bodies
and other organizations like the Nepal Rastra Bank (NRB), the University Grants Commission
(UGC) with the task of knowledge and data production and dissemination. These institutions
generate administrative data and maintain Management Information Systems (MIS).52 At
51
Ibid.
21
different intervals they also are engaged in carrying out surveys. For example, the NRB, the
Central Bank of Nepal, collects monetary, balance of payment and international trade statistics.
It also conducts household budget surveys and generates consumer price indexes. The Election
Commission collects and updates data on voters.53
At the local level, before the completion of the local elections in 2017, District
Development Committees (DDCs) and Village Development Committees (VDCs) served
as the collectors and repositories of local level registration data as well as development
data. These included data on vital registration and beneficiaries of social security schemes. The
DDCs also collected, maintained, and analyzed data on different development sectors within
their jurisdictions. Such data were regularly updated by VDCs and reported to DDCs. The DDCs
in turn compiled and updated all data received from all constituent VDCs and reported these
to the central level agencies including the Ministry of Federal Affairs and Local Development
(MoFALD) and NPC. The DDCs also maintained the District Poverty Monitoring and Analysis
System (DPMAS), which was developed as a part of the Poverty Reduction Strategy Paper
(PRSP) initiative.54 However, even though the Poverty Monitoring and Analysis System (PMAS)
at the central level has now collapsed, at district level it has retained some continuity. In the new
federal set up, data systems at local level are yet to be evolved.
Development partners including the World Bank (World Bank), Asian Development Bank
(ADB), International Labor Organization (ILO) and other UN agencies, multilateral and
bilateral organizations collaborate with the GoN in studies and statistical undertakings
i.e. surveys and censuses. Similarly, donors are involved in preparing nearly all the
substantive analytical reports produced by GoN agencies and are expected to do the same for
the foreseeable future. According to Homer and Abdel-Fattah (2014) such support would have
been more meaningful and impactful if conducted in response to clear GoN demand and under
a coordinated, long-term plan for enhancing GoN data capacity.55 Similarly, civil society and
private sector agencies are also increasingly producing data in different fields though they are
not formally recognized within the NSS.
Unlike development partners, universities maintain a very low research and development
profile attributed to the limited availability of funds and so are not a key data producer
within the Nepalese context. Except for some research centers established within the
university framework in the late 1960s and early 1970s (namely, the Center for Nepal and Asian
Studies - CNAS, the Center for Economic Development and Administration – CEDA, and the
Center for Educational Research, Innovation and Development - CERID), universities have
tended to focus almost exclusively on teaching. Initially these centers attracted the brightest of
the Nepalese professionals; received funds from the GoN and donors; carried out research and
training activities and published journals generally considered to be of respectable academic
standard. However, funding available to these research centers began to decline by 2002
resulting in the decline of the research centers as well.56
52
For details of legislations and agencies see section on Legal Framework and for MISs developed
under different line ministries and departments and the types of data included by them in their MIS
see Table-1 of this Report)
53
N.L. Shrestha. (2017). National Statistical System of Nepal in CBS.2017. A Compendium of
National Statistical System of Nepal. Kathmandu: Central Bureau of Statistics.
54
At the central level there was PMAS under NPC which undertook monitoring at three levels:
implementation, output and impact. It was also expected to streamline resource management
process by prioritizing expenditures to more important and productive sectors based on medium
term expenditure framework (MTEF). It had also developed trimester indicators; initiated immediate
action plans and expenditure tracking systems. See, NPC. (2003). Poverty Monitoring and Analysis
System (PMAS): Framework Document. Kathmandu: National Planning Commission. Retrieved from
http://siteresources.worldbank.org/INTPAME/Resources/Country-studies/nepal_pmas.pdf
22
Of late, several private and non-governmental research agencies have emerged, some
of which have been contracted to support the implementation of official surveys.
The capacities of these agencies vary widely. Some have their own core staff and research
infrastructure (such as the Institute for Integrated Development Studies (IIDS), Martin
Chautari, New ERA, Social Science Baha, Nepal Center for Contemporary Studies (NCCS),
Transparency International, etc.) whereas others are dependent on outsourced consultants,
mainly from the university faculties. All these agencies almost exclusively depend on donor
funding for their survival and activities.57 New Era has been engaged in conducting the
consecutive National Demographic Health Survey (NDHS) in collaboration with the MOHP and
Macro International. Other organizations are engaged in research based on secondary sources
rather than the production of primary data. Many of them undertake micro studies with limited
scope for generalization. The key informants revealed that GoN officials are often not assured
of the quality and validity of the data independently produced by private and non-government
organizations engaging in research and rarely use it as evidence in decision making or in official
documents. According to key informants these non-government and private sector organizations
generally use data from GoN sources for research while maintaining a critical stance.58 They
also use, to a limited extent, the data and information from primary sources. Of late, there are
other organizations, which are more focused on data archiving, processing and dissemination
such as Bikas Udhyami with its Nepal in Data initiative.59
The fragmentation of statistical functions has led to the poor coordination in planning
and duplication of efforts60 with inefficiencies on the one hand and conflicting statistics
on the other. Realizing this problem, the National Statistical Council61 (NSC) was established
in 1988 to facilitate the development of an integrated and standardized statistical system for
national development. The NSC is expected to coordinate with all the governmental and non-
governmental organizations engaged in data collection, processing, analysis and publication
activities.62 However, according to key informants, there is a general feeling among the
stakeholders that the visibility and effectiveness of the NSC has not improved over the years
and its contribution to the NSS has been negligible.
Overall, a significant amount of data is produced in Nepal through censuses, surveys,

registry and administrative systems, but there is considerable room for improvement
in ensuring these meet the needs of the NSS. Very little work has been done for the
improvement of the data value chain. Often the focus has been on catering for the needs of
national policymakers while the needs of other data users such as consumer groups and the
private sector remain unexplored and unmet. It was also suggested by key informants that the
data collection process largely focuses on international reporting obligations and comparability.
According to key informants, the concepts, classifications, and standards used by data
production agencies are not adequately geared to capture Nepal’s highly diverse and unique
national realities.
55
D Homer, and D Abdel-Fattah . (2014). Understanding Government Data Use in Nepal.
Development Gateway, Inc.
56
Social Science Research Ad hoc Council. (2014). Strategic Plan for the Proposed Social Science
Research Council in Nepal. Kathmandu: Social Science Research Ad hoc Council.
57
Ibid.
58
The perception of key informants was that the research outcomes of these organizations often
tended to allude that GoN data underestimates the problems.
59
See www.nepalindata.com
60
CBS. (2001). Nepal: Consolidated National Statistics Plan. Unpublished document Available at:
http://www.cbs.gov.np
23
2.1.2 Data Users
The users of the NSS are policymakers, planners, administrators, I/NGOs, development
partners, academia, research institutions, activists, media, students and the public. The
awareness and size of the users is gradually increasing and with them the demand for data as
well. Yet the size of the critical mass is very small.63 There has not been any systematic survey
or study to gauge the types and number of users, but it is estimated that their number is still
limited. Apart from the cases of policymakers and administrators, no systematic efforts have
been made so far to explore the needs of other users and plan statistical activities to cater
those needs.64 Nor have any strategic efforts been made to improve the statistical processes
and products to create value for users. The Figure-1 sums up the strengths, weaknesses,
opportunities and constraints facing the Nepalese NSS.
The interfaces among different elements of the NSS are weak, even though the data
producers have started to consult a wider range of stakeholders to make the NSS
more inclusive and consultative. The state of cooperation among the GoN agencies with
other professional organizations, universities and scholars is far from satisfactory. Over the
years, donors have also provided considerable assistance for building the statistical capacity
of the GoN. However, they have failed in fostering long-term capabilities for data production,
processing, analysis and use within the GoN. Donors have tended to support activities that
address their immediate, program-specific data needs. This has resulted in datasets that without
further donor support are unlikely to be continued.65
Regular consultations on data needs do not take place between data produces and
data users. On the one hand, the number of data users is very small and on the other data is
produced without mapping users and without assessing their needs. An important improvement
would be for data producers adopt a more user-centric approach in planning and implementing
statistical operations. Overall, the Nepalese NSS is largely decentralized and fragmented even
though the Statistics Act envisaged a highly centralized statistical system.
61
Currently chaired by Vice Chair of NPC, other members of the NSC include: one designated
member of NPC, Governor, NRB, secretaries from GoN (NPCS, MoF, MoIC, MoE, MoH, MoA), Chair
of Central Department of Statistics (TU), and Executive Director CEDA. The Director General of CBS
serves as Secretary of NSC. Other ministries like Ministry of Population and Environment; Ministry of
Energy, Ministry of irrigation; Ministry of Land Reform and Management; Ministry of Physical Planning
and Works; Ministry of Forest and Soil Conservation; Ministry of Science and Technology; and
Ministry of Federal Affairs and Local Development are engaged in the generation of official statistics
through administrative sources but are not represented in the Council. For details see CBS (2001).
62
Ibid.
63
Ibid.
64
The actors in the NSS design studies or surveys on regular or periodic basis. Sometimes they also
conduct studies and survey to meet specific needs of the policymakers like the Post-Disaster Need
Assessment (PDNA), and baseline surveys and environmental impact assessments and the like.
65
Homer and Abdel-Fattah, 2014.
24
Figure 3: SWOT Analysis of the NSS of Nepal66
66
Adopted with modifications from Shrestha, 2017.
25
2.2 Legal framework
2.2.1 Constitution and Statistics Act
The Statistics Act, 1958 provides the CBS with the exclusive responsibility for collection,
consolidation, publication and analysis of statistics. According to the Act, no other GoN
agency or other individuals or organizations has the mandate to collect and publish data
without permission and authentication by the CBS. Section 7a of the Act requires that any
government office, government owned other organizations, foreign nationals or any other
institution desiring to collect any detail, information or data for professional purposes shall have
to obtain permission from the CBS by providing detailed information on the purpose, area and
the methodology to be applied. If the request is deemed reasonable or justified, the Act states
that the CBS shall give permission for collection, publication and use of data with or without
conditions.
Meanwhile, the enactments of a number of sectoral legislations has enabled other

GoN departments and ministries to develop their own MISs. Some examples are the
Land Survey and Measurement Act 1963, Civil Registration Act 1976, Local Self Governance
Act 1999, Electoral Rolls Act 2006, and Nepal Rastra Bank Act 2002 among others. These
institutions generate and publish their own data. For instance, the Nepal Rastra Bank Act
2002 allows the NRB to produce monetary statistics including the consumer price index
(CPI). Similarly, the Ministry of Federal Affairs and Local Development (MoFALD) produces
disaggregated data on civil registration and infrastructure at the local level; and the Election
Commission holds the right and obligation to collect and produce data on voters.67
Regarding access to data and information, Article 27 of Constitution guarantees the right
of every citizen to demand and receive information on any matter of her or his interest
or of public interest. However, the same article of the Constitution mandates that no one shall
be compelled to provide information on any matter of which confidentiality must be maintained
in accordance with the law. Annexes 5, 6, 8 and 9 of The Constitution of Nepal, 2015 have
explicitly indicated the statistical rights and responsibilities of the federal, provincial and local
governments. The Constitution recognizes the right to information (RTI) as a fundamental
right of citizens. Citizens can demand and receive information insofar as the information is not
classified as ‘confidential’ by any other law. In the context of Nepal, the provision on RTI applies
only to the citizens of Nepal.
There are other laws that have tried to regulate and facilitate the dissemination of data
and information in Nepal. The Good Governance (Management and Operation) Act, 2007
makes it mandatory for all GoN offices to designate a spokesperson to provide information to
relevant stakeholders on the role and functions of the organization.68 Based on the Act, the
GoN in 2011 also issued directives on Government Agency Website Design and Management
which require all ministries, departments and central level offices to design and operate
their own websites to inform people.69 According to Section 5 of the Directive such websites
should contain the following information amongst others - vision, goals and objectives of the
agency; officials (including contact number and email id) and their responsibilities; policies and
67
Shrestha, 2017.
68
See http://www.mopit.gov.np/links/susasan-ain-english.pdf
69
https://doit.gov.np/en/resources/3
26
legislation governing the functions of the agency; type of services provided by the agency along
with the details of processes to be followed; activities carried out by the organization including
ongoing programs, progress and achievements; and notices, tenders and press releases.
Notably, there is no mention within these Directives about the sharing of data on government
websites. However, some government agencies do have internal policies regarding the sharing
of data publically.
The Right to Information (RTI) Act, 2007 aims to ensure the right of citizens to be well-
informed by enhancing their access to information of public importance while protecting
sensitive information. The RTI act mandates the proactive disclosure from public bodies
agencies of information pertaining to the structure and nature of the body, the description of
functions performed, the name and designation of the Chief and Information Officer and the
list of Acts, Rules, By Laws or Guidelines. Similarly, the RTI Rules, 2009 provide for the public
disclosure of further details regarding the public body. Both the Act and Rules do not contain
specific provisions related to the proactive or reactive disclosure of open data. The Act has
mandated the National Information Commission (NIC) with processing appeals against public
bodies that refuse to provide information, ordering them to release information and take other
necessary actions to fulfil their obligations under the law.
2.2.2 Privacy
The right to privacy is an internationally recognized human right according to Article

12 of the Universal Declaration of Human Rights (UDHR), 1948 and Article 17 of the
International Covenant on Civil and Political Rights (ICCPR). Nepal is a signatory of the
UDHR. It has ratified the ICCPR, which under Nepalese law means that its provisions should
prevail over Nepalese statutes. Article 27 of the Constitution of Nepal, 2015 guarantees the
privacy of any person, his or her residence, property, document, data, correspondence and
matters relating to his or her character unless required otherwise by law. This provision is also
upheld by the RTI Act. Section 3 (e) of the RTI Act explicitly states that any piece of information
which interferes on individual privacy and security of body, life, property or health of a person
shall not be disseminated. Section 31 (1) of the Act also protects against misuse of personal
information. It states that a person cannot use any data for purposes other than stated in the
application. This has restrictive implications on the use of RTI as a process for opening data
for broader consumption. Section 28 clearly maintains that a public body shall protect any
information of personal nature. In practice, this is not always maintained70, primarily because in
most cases only senior officials are aware about the distinction between public and private data.
Section 8 of the Statistical Act, 2015 prohibits the disclosure or publication of data and
information pertaining to the individual citizens, families, firms or companies without
prior written approval of the concerned individual or authorized representative. The Act
however does not prohibit to submit such data or information to court in cases related with this
Act. Unauthorized disclosure or publication of such information is punishable under the law.
These provisions clearly show that public bodies in Nepal cannot use or disclose any personal
information of individuals, families, or firms or companies held by them except with express
authorization of the concerned persons under existing laws.
70
Dennison, L. & Rana, P. (2017). Nepal’s Emerging Data Revolution. Background Paper. Development
Initiatives available at http://devinit.org/wp-content/uploads/2017/04/Nepals-emerging-data-revolution.pdf
27
2.2.3 Data Protection
Nepal lacks a systematic policy and legislation for the protection of data, though various
provisions have been introduced in different acts, rules and policies. The RTI Act has
protected the rights of citizen to information. However, it acknowledges the need to protect
certain categories of sensitive information. This includes information which risks any of the
following - jeopardizing the sovereignty, integrity, national security, public peace, stability and
international relations of Nepal; affecting the investigation, inquiry and prosecution of crimes;
having serious impact on the protection of economic, trade or monetary interest or intellectual
property; jeopardizing the harmonious relationship among various castes or communities; or
interfering with individual privacy and security of body, life, property or health of a person. The
RTI Act also prohibits the disclosure or publication of data and information about a person
without her or his written approval unless it is required by law or action against corruption.
Certain categories of classified information or documents also cannot be disclosed.
Other policies that deter data sharing through provisions on data protection include
the Civil Services Act 1993, the Electronic Transaction Act 2006, and the Prevention
of Corruption Act 2002. The Civil Service Act, 1993 requires civil servants not to directly
or indirectly provide confidential information in her or his possession in the course of official
duty to any other unauthorized government or nongovernment employee or press without
GoN’s authorization. The Electronic Transaction Act 2006 forbids unauthorized access to
electronic data. Any person accessing any program, information or data from any computer
or performing any act contrary to authorization without the permission of the owner is liable to
punishment. The Prevention of Corruption Act, 2002 makes it punishable if a public servant
or any unauthorized person, corrects, adds or makes changes in documents belonging to a
government or public institution.
2.2.4 Access to information
Many of the government agencies still follow traditional ways of data dissemination. Most
of the GoN agencies including ministries, departments, local government bodies, NRB and
the CBS produce administrative data to meet the needs of national and international reporting
requirements, national and local planning and monitoring systems and to facilitate international
comparison.71 Many government agencies do not share data their data and when they do it
is mostly not in open format. The traditional way of data dissemination is through hard copies
or PDF versions of reports available at GoN offices in limited numbers or HMTL publishing
with derived tables and graphs of a survey and census results or with an aggregated table of
administrative records. There is a lack of consistency in when reports are published and to
whom hard copies are shared with.
With the development of ICT there has been an increasingly perceptible shift towards
spreadsheet dissemination in Excel sheet formats and web-based data portals and MIS.
According to Subedi (2017) a growing number of MISs have been developed over the years as
a decision support system and to cater the needs of reporting obligations at the national and
international levels (Table-1). Also, several public portals sharing government information and
data have been established. Below is a non-exhaustive list of existing MIS systems and portals
within the GoN.72
71
The study team would like to acknowledge that this section has considerably benefitted from the work
of Dr. M.K. Subedi, Director, CBS particularly the information about different data portals. For details see
M.K. Subedi (2017). Data Dissemination System in Nepal: Data Portals and Management Information
Systems in CBS, 2017.
72
Based on Subedi, 2017.
28
Table-1: Management Information Systems developed within the GoN73
Ministry Department MIS Description and Link

Ministry of Department of Health The HMIS collects and processes data
Health (MoH) Health Services Management and information in the health sector.
Information Though not directly accessible to the
System (HMIS) public, most of the data is made public
through the Annual Report of the
Department.
http://dohs.gov.np/information-systems/
health-management-information-
section/
Health HIIS is a computer-based data system
Infrastructure designed to support the management of
Management Nepal’s public health infrastructure.
Information http://nhsp.org.np/health-infrastructure-
System (HIIS) information-system-version-3-2/
Logistic LMIS collects essential data
Management about health stocks, status, as
Information well as consumption and ensures
System (LMIS) accountability and cost effectiveness in
the supply chain.
http://dohslmd.gov.np/#
Ministry of Department of Education The EMIS collects and reports data on
Education (MoE) Education Management various aspects of schools, teachers,
Information students and staff. These are published
System (EMIS) as Flash Reports.
http://www.doe.gov.np/category/flash-
reports.html
University Grant University The University Grant Commission
Commission Grant (UGC) EMIS, brings together the
(UGC) Commission data pertaining to institutions, student
Management enrolment, courses offered, teachers
Information etc at higher education level
System (UGC
EMIS)
Ministry of Agriculture The ICT based Agriculture Management
Agriculture Management Information System under MOAD
Development Information collects and provides data on
(MoAD) System (AMIS) agriculture, weather, and climate.
www.namis.gov.np/ne/
Ministry of Labor Department of Labour The LMIS under the DoL aims at
and Employment Labor (DoL) Management improving the system of information on
(MoLE) Information the labor market and the skill make-up
System (LMIS) of the population.
www.dol.gov.np/site/cms/14
73
Ibid.
29
Ministry of Home Natural A NDRR portal is operational under
Affairs (MoHA) Disaster Risk the MoHA, which provides information
Reduction on casualties and losses caused by
(NDRR) portal disasters.
ddrportal.gov.np
Department Prison The web-based PMIS provides
of Prison Management information on prisons, prisoners, and
Management Information their distribution among others.
System www.dopm.gov.np/en/content.
(PMIS). php?id=120
Ministry of The Department Environment The web-based Environment
Environment of Environment Management Management Information System
(MoE) (DoEn) Information under DoEn provides information on
System environmental indicators.
http://doenv.gov.np
Department of Climate Data The DoHM provides daily updates on
Hydrology and Portal weather and temperature data based
Meteorology on monitoring.
(DoHM) http://www.dhm.gov.np/dpc/
Ministry of Department of Highway A web-based Highway Management
Physical Roads (DoR) Management Information System providing updates
Infrastructure Information on the progress in roads and bridges.
and Transport System http://dwss.wat-san.com
(MoPIT)
Ministry Department Building The online BMIS provides information
of Urban of Urban Management on the condition of government
Development Development Information buildings in terms roofs, doors/windows
(MoUD) and Building System (BMIS) and other different utility services etc.
Construction http://dudbc.gov.np
(DoUDBC)
Ministry of Tourism The TMIS collects, processes and
Culture, Management provides information on various aspects
Tourism and Information of tourism activities.
Civil Aviation System (TMIS) http://tourism.gov.np/category/tourism/
(MoCTCA) tourism_mis
Ministry of Smart The online SAMART MIS provides
Industry (MoI) Management industry sector data.
Information http://project.focusone.com.np/
System Samarth/auth/login
(SAMART MIS)
Department of DoCSI’s MIS provides small and
Cottage and cottage industry sub-sector data.
Small Industry
(DoCSI)
30
Ministry of Department of Water and The WATSAN provides water and
Water Supply Water Supply Sanitation sanitation sector data.
and Sanitation and Sewerage Data Portal http://dwss.wat-san.com/
(MoWSS) (DoWSS) (WATSAN)
Ministry of Department Women The WCD MIS is an online MIS for data
Women, of Women and Child on women and children
Children and and Children Development http://dwd.gov.np/mis.login.php
Social Welfare (DOWC) Management
(MOWCSW) Information
System (WCD
MIS)
Ministry of Line Ministry The LMBIS was established to manage
Finance (MoF) Budgetary budget claims and allocations for all line
Information ministries.
System http://lmbis.gov.np
(LMBIS)
The Inland Taxpayer The web based Taxpayer Portal
Revenue Portal provides detailed information on types
Department of tax that government collects.
(IRD) http://it.ird.gov.np/taxpayer/app.html
Financial Integrated The IFMIS collects activity-based
Comptroller Financial reporting of expenditure, revenue,
General Office Management budget and other financial data.
(FCGO) Information http://fcgo.gov.np/old/fmis/
System
(IFMIS)
National Project The NPC has developed a web based
Planning Performance PPIS. This provides for systematic,
Commission Information efficient and speedy reporting on
(NPC) System (PPIS) project performance from across the
sectors.
http://ppis.gov.np
Nepal Nutrition This is intended to be an open access
and Food “One-Stop-Shop” for all the resources,
Security Portal. information and updates related to
nutrition and food security in Nepal.
www.nnfsp.gov.np/NNMap/DataDV.html
Ministry of Department Vital Events The VERSPMIS provides data on
Federal Affairs of Civil Registration vital registration and social security
and Local Registration and Social beneficiaries
Development (DoCR) Protection http:/docr.gov
(MoFALD) Management
Information
System
(VERSPMIS)
31
Ministry of Financial Financial MoF has developed various MIS
Finance (MoF) Comptroller Information from budget tracking, revenue to aid
General System (FMIS) management.
(FCGO) Treasury CGAS: http://www.fcgo.gov.np/cgas/
Single Account TSA: http://www.fcgo.gov.np/tsa/
(TSA) RMIS: http://www.fcgo.gov.np/rmis/
District FMIS: http://www.fcgo.gov.np/fmis/
Treasury and AMP: http://amis.mof.gov.np/portal/
Controller LBMIS: http://lmbis.gov.np
Officer (DTCO) PEMIS: http://pemis.mof.gov.np/
Revenue
Management
System (RMIS)
Budget
Management
Information
System (BMIS)
Aid
Management
Platform (AMP)
Computerized
Government
Acounting
System
(CGAS)
Public
Enterprise MIS
(PEMIS)
A review of websites of the official GoN agencies in the NSS show that most agencies
lack an organized online data dissemination platform. The websites and portals that do
exist often do not disseminate information in timely manner or in a format that enables easy
access and use. Conventional methods of sharing information via hardcopy publication remain
popular. There are three main digital formats of data dissemination prevalent in Nepal. These
are as follows:74
71
The study team would like to acknowledge that this section has considerably benefitted from the
work of Dr. M.K. Subedi, Director, CBS particularly the information about different data portals.
For details see M.K. Subedi (2017). Data Dissemination System in Nepal: Data Portals and
Management Information Systems in CBS, 2017.
72
Based on Subedi, 2017.
73
Ibid.
74
Ibid.
32
Figure 4: Prevalent digital formats of data dissemination
A 2014 study by Homer and Abdel-Fattah into government data found informal data
sharing mechanisms within the GoN are common.75 However, for data users external to
the GoN, the limitations in formal data sharing mechanisms make it challenging to obtain
and analyze government data. Unpredictable data release schedules also create problems,
particularly for donors and other users outside the GoN. Despite some accessibility challenges,
the study, concluded that there are no serious “competitors” to official government data in
Nepal. Among both government and donors, GoN-produced data, with all its caveats, is still
the primary source of development data. But opportunities exist to disseminate this information
more effectively to a community of non-government development stakeholders.76
Overall, much of the administrative data and MIS are not directly accessible to public
users. Not all accessible information is uploaded onto GoN websites. Hard copy dissemination
is limited. Key informants revealed that many officials are not aware which information are
classified as there is no clearly articulated policy or guidelines on data sharing. Neither is there
an integrated and commonly shared system within the GoN for data dissemination. There are
no uniform and comparable formats for data collection and dissemination across statistical
agencies. Interview respondents admitted that the prevalent administrative culture militated
against sharing. The key informants believe that poor capacity of statistical agencies; limited
statistical processing and products; inadequate IT infrastructure; limited coordination and
integration of various sectoral portals; absence of a national framework for data sharing; ever
increasing numbers of indicators; limited disaggregation of data; limited and weak demands also
leaves the system less prepared for dissemination.
75
76
Ibid.
33
Figure 5: Other platforms for data dissemination
The CBS is disseminating data by generally allowing users to purchase raw data for selected
surveys, whereas for others only reports are released. However, there is no systematic
dissemination policy.
2.3. National policies

2.3.1 Consolidated National Statistical Plan
The Consolidated National Statistical Plan (CNSP), formulated in 2000, was the first
systematic plan for the reorientation and restructuring of the NSS. The main objective of
the Plan was “to ensure that the data requirements in the preparation and implementation of
the Government’s Plan are available....”.77 Overall, it intended to develop a decentralized and
dynamic statistical system to respond to the changing data needs of the GoN. It was based on
four guiding principles: enhanced coordination to minimize data gaps; reduced duplication and
incoherence in data; efficient and effective allocation of responsibilities among data producing
agencies; and timely release of statistics. Its emphasis in terms of implementation was on the
establishment of National Steering Committee (NSC) as a strong and efficient coordination
mechanism; the development of CBS as the major data producing agency as well as the
development of strong statistics units in all data producing GoN agencies with enhanced
skills and competencies. It also proposed several inter-agency technical working groups for
improving the data system across the major sectors. Although, the recommendations of CNSP
77
CBS, 2001.
34
have remained largely unimplemented, it has still succeeded in setting the tone for incremental
reforms.78
2.3.2 Periodic Development Plans
The periodic development plans have also from the very beginning consistently
placed emphasis on the need for a more improved database for development planning,
monitoring and reporting. The first five-year plan (1956-61)79 explicitly acknowledged the
critical and ever broadening role of vital statistics, health statistics, prices, export/import
statistics and meteorological data. The Third Plan (1965-70)80 added a separate chapter on
statistics. The Fourth Plan (1970-75)81 recognized that there was a lack of coordination in the
production of data across the system and reliability of available statistics was questionable.
It underscored the need for coordination, standardization and mechanization in statistical
works. The Tenth Plan (2002-2007)82 highlighted the need for reliable statistics to monitor and
evaluate the performance of development policies, programs and projects. For that reason,
it called for a more scientific, standard and practical methods of data collection, processing,
analysis and presentation while avoiding duplication. It has emphasized the need for institutional
strengthening and human resource development within all the agencies involved in national
planning and statistics in general and within the CBS in particular.
The Eleventh Plan (2007/8-2009/10)83, Twelfth Plan (2010/11-2013)84 and Thirteenth Plan
(2013/14-2015/16)85 have all consistently emphasized the need for the development of an
evidence based planning and effective monitoring system based on a strong, reliable and
state of the art NSS. The current Fourteenth Plan (2016/17-2018/19)86 places emphasis on a
more robust statistical system. The chapter on statistics focuses on using data for planning and
policymaking purposes from national, sectoral, to local levels by generating quality data. The
plan has twin objectives: to address the data needs and demands of all the users at different
levels of government; and to develop relevant policies, practices and capacities in the system.
For this purpose, the Plan calls for using all possible resources and methods and capacity
enhancement at different levels of government in the new federal set up.
In summary, all periodic plans repeatedly express concerns over various aspects of
the NSS. These concerns include issues of inadequate databases, weak enabling legislation
for data management, poor state of coordination between data producing agencies, modest
institutional as well as human resource capacity, continued duplication of data production
efforts, limited IT infrastructure, limited data disaggregation, the low level of priority accorded
to the NSS resulting in insufficient allocation of resources, and inadequate compliance with
international data standards and methods among others. Collectively, their objectives have
been to develop a reliable, user-friendly, time-relevant and standard NSS capable enough to
78
R. Silwal. (2017). Statistical Plans and Framework in Nepal. in CBS. 2017.
79
NPC. (1956). First Plan (1956-1961). Retrieved from http://www.npc.gov.np/en/category/periodic_plans
80
NPC. (1965). Third Plan (1965-70). Retrieved from http://www.npc.gov.np/en/category/periodic_plans
81
NPC. (1970). Fourth Plan (1970-1975). Retrieved from http://www.npc.gov.np/en/category/periodic_plans
82
NPC. (2002). Tenth Plan (2002-2007). Kathmandu: National Planning Commission. Retrieved from
http://www.npc.gov.np/en/category/periodic_plans
83
NPC. (2007). Three Year Interim Plan (2007-2010). Kathmandu: National Planning Commission. Retrieved from
84
NPC. (2010). Three Year Plan (2010-2012). Kathmandu: National Planning Commission. Retrieved from
85
NPC. (2013). Thirteenth Plan (2013-2015). Kathmandu: National Planning Commission. Retrieved from
86
NPC. (2017b). Fourteenth Plan (2016-2018). Kathmandu: National Planning Commission.
35
contribute to an effective, result oriented and sustainable system of development planning
and monitoring. The strategies adopted by these plans for achieving this were: institutional
strengthening and capacity enhancement of NSS agencies; maximum utilization of ICT and
GIS, formulation of a national strategy for the development of the NSS, as well as improved
coordination and cooperation among national, bilateral and multilateral agencies for the
development of the NSS.
2.3.3 National Strategy of Development of Statistics
The NSDS is a global initiative of PARIS21 to strengthen national statistical systems.

It emphasizes evidence-based policymaking, good governance and aid effectiveness.
PARIS21 calls all low-income and lower middle-income countries to design, implement, and
monitor NSDSs with short, medium and long-term goals for their NSSs. The NSDS provides
a comprehensive and unified framework to assess data needs of the users on a continuous
basis and build capacity to cater those needs in more coordinated and synergistic ways by
continuously improving institutional, financial and human resource profiles. Such national
strategies should build on experience, follow the international standards and cater to the
national, regional, and international needs of the country concerned.87
Accordingly, in 2014, the GoN established a NSDS Task Force and the CBS was assigned
to develop a draft of the NSDS. The CBS organized a workshop on the Strategy Elements and
Action Plans of NSDS in early 2015. Based on the inputs received from different stakeholders
the CBS developed a final NSDS in 2015. The details are not yet made public as it is awaiting
the approval of the GoN. The NSDS among others aims at improvements and modernization of
data dissemination by the CBS and other members of NSS.88 The draft emphasizes the need
to meet the needs of national and international users in terms of data quality and quantity; the
need for better alignment with international classification, formats and standards; the need
for maintenance of an integrated data base of indicators; the need for improved statistical
infrastructure; the need for a comprehensive data dissemination strategy; and the need for
improved capacity of the system to deliver a range of services. According to key informants,
Nepal’s draft NSDS is aligned with national and international development frameworks and has
been prepared keeping in view of all the national and international reporting needs.
However, there are many risks surrounding the NSDS. It may not receive government
priority and has taken longer than expected for approval. Even after approval, the NSS agencies
may not have adequate financial, physical and human resources for effective implementation.
The limited level of government funding allocated to development of the NSS over the
years indicates the relatively low priority afforded to this agenda when compared with other
government priorities. It is likely to be challenging to ensure genuine ownership of the NSS
by all stakeholders and collaboration between the various stakeholders. Coordination failure
between actors within the NSS has been a persistent problem. In addition, attracting highly
qualified human resources, retaining them and maintaining a high level of motivation is also a
challenge.
According to interviewees, there is no systematic investment plan developed by relevant

agencies to streamline and strengthen the NSS. While some respondents feel the NSS
suffers a lack of funding, others feel that the allocations are adequate and that there is scope
to do more within the given budget if planned effectively. The interviews revealed that the CBS
87
National Strategies for the Development of Statistics PARIS21.0rg.
88
Subedi, 2017.
36
has not yet thought seriously on the investment requirements in the context of SDGs’ indicators.
In addition, according to one key informant, the CBS does not have sufficient human resources
to design and implement large scale surveys and at the same time does not seem to have a
systematic plan for developing human resources.
2.3.4 National Development Plans
Generally, the GoN formulates three types of plans. Firstly, the long-term sectoral
perspective plan, secondly, the medium term (3-5 years) periodic development plan and thirdly,
the annual plan (NPC 2017 draft).89 The long-term perspective plans are reviewed periodically,
medium term periodic development plans are reviewed annually, and annual plans are reviewed
on a trimester basis. The practice of the GoN is to integrate and mainstream major international
development frameworks and commitments into national development plans, policies and
programs. Global development trends have always influenced Nepal’s governance and
economic development strategies (NPC, 2016:3).90 The Millennium Declaration, 2000 which
distilled all development themes drawn from UN global conferences of the 1990s - such as
human development, human rights, governance and environment - was adopted by Nepal as “a
guiding development framework”.91 Accordingly, the MDGs and SADGs (SAARC Development
Goals)92 were all mainstreamed in successive national development plans, sector strategies,
annual development programs and budgets. Their targets and indicators formed the core of
the overall national development targets, indicators and the national monitoring framework.
Similarly, the recently adopted SDGs have become the basic framework for GoN development
planning and monitoring for the next 13 years.93
2.3.5 Commitment to Regional and International Frameworks
Nepal has tried to follow international standard classifications in statistics. These include
the Standard Industrial Classification of All Economic Activities (ISIC), International Standard
Classification of Occupations (ISCO), Central Product Classification (CPC), Harmonized
Commodity Description and Coding System (HS), and Classification of Individual Consumption
According to Purpose (COICOP), International Classification of Diseases (ICD), etc. The CBS
as a custodian of national statistical activities follows international guidelines and applies
standard classifications, definitions, concepts, statistical units, coding processes, derivation
procedures, and questionnaires with national adaptation wherever possible.94 The MoF has
developed and updated the classification system of revenue line items and budget expenditure
heads. Since 2011, it has introduced new line item codes and classification schemes in
government income and expenditures to make it internationally comparable. The Framework
for the Nepal National Health Accounts, published in 2004 was based on the OECD – SHA
model, which provides classifications of health expenditure, financing sources and healthcare
functional classifications among others. The NRB also follows the standards and classifications
in collection, processing of financial statistics like capital fund, borrowing, deposits, liabilities,
investment, loans and advances as well as other assets.95
89
NPC. (2017). National Report on the Implementation of the 2030 Agenda for Sustainable Development.
Draft for Discussion. Kathmandu: National Planning Commission, GoN. Available at www.npc.gov.np
90
NPC. (2016a). Nepal and Millennium Development Goals: Final Status Report (2000-2015).
Kathmandu: National Planning Commission.
91
ibid.
92
SAARC Development Goals had evolved from the efforts made by South Asian countries to localize
MDGs. It consists of 22 goals and 75 indicators essentially aligned with MDGS.
93
For the details of SDGs please see under the Chapter 4, 5.
94
M.C. Pradhan (2017). Statistical Classification and Standards in the International and National Context.
in CBS.(2017).
95
Ibid.
37
Nepal participates in the International Monetary Fund (IMF) Enhanced General Data
Dissemination System (e-GDDS), which is aligned with the IMF’s Dissemination
Standards Bulletin Board (DSBB). The NRB has developed a webpage called the National
Summary Data Page (NSDP), where it uploads the summary of macroeconomic and financial
data along with DSBB metadata and selected demographic and socio-economic indicators.
This can be downloaded in Statistical Data and Metadata Exchange (SDMX).96 The e-GDDS is
also helpful in improving quality and dissemination. One aspect of the GDDS is the issuance of
Advance Release Calendars for the major statistical series such as monetary statistics, price
statistics, government finance statistics, trade statistics and balance of payment statistics.97
Such calendars help to promote predictability and trust in the statistics.
The CBS has developed the Nepal Standard Industrial Classification (NSIC-2000)
based on ISIC which is used in population censuses, manufacturing establishment
censuses, and other surveys. It is also being used in deriving the price index of industrial
products and GDP. This classification is also applied by the Office of Company Registrar in
assigning the industry code to the registered companies. The CBS has developed the National
Standard Classification of Occupations based on ISCO-88 used in the population census,
NLSS and NLFS. Likewise, the Department of Customs (DoC) is using the fifth version of
the harmonization system (HS) approved by World Customs Organization. The Office of
Comptroller General publishes the government expenditure data based on the Classification
of Functions of Government (COFOG) which is comparable with international standards. The
Department of Health (DoH) uses International Classification of Diseases (ICD) codes to obtain
data on morbidity by age group and sex.98
Statistics for National Accounts and macro indicators are derived based on the
System of National Accounts making them comparable internationally. The census of
manufacturing establishments is carried out following UNIDO’s manual, while definitions,
concepts and classification schemes of the FAO and UNFDES are being used in the agriculture
census and in environment statistics.99 Similarly, the Labor Force Survey and NLSS also use
their respective international manuals and guidelines. Regarding statistical classifications and
standards Nepal faces several issues and challenges. This challenge is likely to be exacerbated
in the country’s new federal structure, where uniform classifications and standards will be
essential for ensuring interoperability of data across over 761 governments.
2.3.6 Fundamental Principles of Official Statistics
The NSS has tried to abide by the ten fundamental principles of statistics (FPOS)100 and
their professional norms and standards. The CBS and NRB are relatively autonomous
organizations and can make choices pertaining to methods, procedures and standards and
other matters of statistical considerations. Other line ministries also enjoy freedom in the
statistical sphere. Some produce and disseminate data as a public good catering the various
data needs of the public. However, many agencies are constrained in terms of financial, human
and physical resources. Major statistical events are planned and executed strictly adhering to
96
For details visit: https://nrb.org.np/red/nsdp/
97
However, the last update available on the website is of June 2008. See
https://www.nrb.org.np/red/gdds/arc/arc.php
98
Pradhan. (2015).
99
Ibid.
100
United Nations General Assembly (2014) Fundamental Principles of Official Statistics.
Resolution adopted by General Assembly on 29 January 2014 Retrieved from
https://unstats.un.org/unsd/dnss/gp/FP-New-E.pdf
38
professional standards, scientific principles and data ethics. Data production and dissemination,
data collection methodologies, data analysis procedures, and data sources are often shared
in the interest of transparency.101 According to those interviewed, generally the data produced
by the CBS and NRB are preferred by users over other GoN sources. Collaboration with
development partners has also been instrumental in improving the quality of data along with
dissemination methods.
However, there is no regular mechanism for data validation to resolve the issue
of conflicting data. Different data sources tend to give incompatible information due to
different data collection methodologies and parameters. Generally, standard conceptual and
methodological frameworks are followed in defining variables and in the documentation of
collection and processing techniques. However, this study could not assess the extent to
which scientific principles are adhered to in the production of administrative data due to the
confidential nature of administrative registers and records. The part of national coordination
appears weak with duplication of works and conflicting data. One example can be drawn
from data on literacy rates produced by the CBS and NFEC as these were found inconsistent
(Ghimire, 2014).102 Similarly, there are inconsistencies in the data from NDHS and HIMS with
regards to numbers of vaccinations given maternal mortality rate (MMR). Overall, international
concepts, definitions, indicators and standards are largely followed.
2.3.7 Open Data Policies
According to Acharya and Park (2017), the open data idea entered Nepal in 2012 with The
World Bank and the Global Facility for Disaster Reduction and Recovery in partnership
with the GoN103. The GoN facilitated the World Bank supported Open Cities Kathmandu
Project. This project aimed to build seismic resilience of education and health infrastructure, and
as part of this made data on education and health infrastructure available to the public from the
CBS and other relevant line ministries.
The Constitution, RTI Act and Good Governance Act provide a foundation for more
open government data. Several policy statements from the GoN clearly emphasize improved
transparency and accountability. The Tenth Plan underlined the need to enhance the access
of the public to ICT as a means to improved governance and service delivery and support
the establishment of a knowledge based enterprise and society. The GoN also initiated
the e-Government Plan and based on the 2010 IT Policy, and established the Government
Integrated Data Centre (GIDC). Under the High Level Information Technology Commission and
National Information Technology Centre a number of Community Information Centers have been
established at community schools and community buildings around the country.
All GoN ministries, departments and offices now have websites and quite a good
number have uploaded information in an effort to inform citizens about their functions,
procedures and activities. For example, the Nepal Law Commission maintains a library of
Acts and Regulations on its website accessible in both Nepali and English languages.104 In
101
R. Suwal. (2017). Introduction to Official Statistics and Its System, in CBS.2017.
102
B. Ghimire. (2014). Fighting Illiteracy: Incredible! Nepal ‘total literate’ next year. The
Kathmandu Post. September 1, 2014. Available at: http://kathmandupost.ekantipur.com/
news/2014-09-01/fighting-illiteracy-incredible-nepal-total-literate-next-year.html
103
S. Acharya, & H.W. Park. (2017). Open Data in Nepal: A Webometric Network Analysis.
Qual Quant (Springer) 51:1027–1043 DOI 10.1007/s11135-016-0379-1. n
104
See http://www.lawcommission.gov.np/en/
39
some cases, they also provide data on several thematic areas such as macro-economics,
agriculture, industry, trade, demographics, social, geospatial, infrastructural, environmental
and so on. However, the data provided by these agencies is often incomplete, fragmented
and outdated. Most of the information are not in machine readable formats and amenable to
machine processing.
A shift to open data105 means a shift to open governance, which requires a shift from
mechanical control to an evolutionary perspective.106 It also calls for new infrastructure,
mechanisms, capabilities and processes and necessitates a significant departure from
traditional business as the usual mode of work. While making data open actually can
significantly reduce the burden on officials in terms of having to respond to requests of
individuals for the sharing of data, in Nepal there is a fear that it will increase the workload
of public officials as they may have to handle and respond to various questions of a range of
stakeholders simultaneously in relation to the data and the methodologies for collecting the
data. As such, this perception often acts as a barrier for government officials to make data open.
In the last decade, a vibrant community of young organizations outside government

have been working to advance the Open Data Agenda. Civil society organizations and
development partners have been advocating for open government to enhance transparency,
accountability, and citizen participation. They have worked to increase awareness and
strengthen the demand for open data, to improve the country’s supply of open data and to
build capacity to use that data.107 In 2013, selected members of this community, organized the
first ‘‘Open Data Day’’, a tradition which has been continued since.108 According to Dennison
and Rana (2017) Nepal’s open data community includes groups such as Accountability Lab,
Bikas Udhyami, Center for Data Journalism, Code for Nepal, Freedom Forum, Kathmandu
Living Labs, Local Interventions Group, NGO Federation of Nepal, Open Knowledge Nepal
and Young Innovations, among others, many of whom collaborate as part of the Open Nepal
network.109 In addition the Freedom and Open Source Software (FOSS) Nepal Community has
been observing Software Freedom Day since 2005 which brings together various actors from
government, civil society, educational institutions and international organisations and serves
as a platform to campaign for open data. Because of the work of some of these organizations,
various GoN datasets have been made open and in some instances the GoN has been willing
to share their data with these groups.
Despite the efforts of the open data community, there remains a lot to be done to build
demand for open data and increase the regular supply of government data in open
format. Nepal with a score of 15 (out of 100) ranks 83rd among 115 countries included in
the fourth edition of the Open Data Barometer Global Report released in 2017. In terms of
readiness for open data, it scored 23 out of 100.110 There are several barriers in the way of an
open data ecosystem in Nepal. For example, Nepal lacks a coherent and clearly articulated
policy and legislative framework on open data. While there are several GoN data portals they
provide just partial information and often in pdf formats because they lack basic infrastructure
and a well-planned architecture. The GoN still relies heavily on hard-copy reports and data
105
Open data is data that can be freely used, re-used and redistributed by anyone - subject
only, at most, to the requirement to attribute and sharealike. Retrieved from:
http://opendatahandbook.org/guide/en/what-is-open-data/
106
M. Janssen et. al. (2012). Benefits, Adoption Barriers and Myths of Open Data and Open
Government. Information Systems Management (ISM), vol. 29, no.4, pp. 258-268.
107
Ibid.
108
Ibid. See for more information on the recent Open Data Day:
109
Dennison, L. & Rana, P. (2017). Nepal’s Emerging Data Revolution. Background Paper.
Development Initiatives.
40
catalogues which are easier to share with officials in rural districts with limited connectivity.
Hard-copy data reports are circulated annually by CBS, MoF, and most of the sector
ministries.111 There is no institutional mechanism to validate data and regulate the process
for the large volume of competing information of dubious quality.112 The line ministries have
designated information officers, but they are not oriented about open data and they lack
resources, skills, and capacities. According to interviews, due to very low statistical literacy
the number of users is limited, and to have impact, open data needs to have a critical mass of
users, or it needs to be adequately processed and developed into the products to make them
understandable and meaningful to citizens.
The recent submission of the Open Government Data (OGD) Action Plan in 2017 by the
NIC to the Prime Minister’s Office for adoption constitutes an important milestone and
a possible opportunity for the increased sharing of government data in open format.
The OGD Action plan foresees the initiation of an Open Government Data Working Group; the
nomination of an OGD contact person in each ministry and agency; public consultations and
events on open data, and sensitization. However, the focus of the plan remains on information
and awareness raising rather than on data. It is expected if the Action Plan is adopted, a unit is
likely to be established under the Office of the Prime Minister and Council of Ministers that will
oversee implementation and it is likely that this will be linked to a possible joining of Nepal to the
Open Government Partnership (OGP).
The joining of Nepal to the Open Government Partnership would provide another push
for the opening of GoN data. Nepal currently is eligible to join the OGP with a score of 13
out of a possible 16 points based on OGP’s assessment framework, which looks at fiscal
transparency, access to information, public officials’ asset disclosure and citizen engagement.113
To join the OGP, Nepal must endorse the Open Government Declaration, develop a National
Action Plan (NAP) through consultations across the country, and commit to the independent
monitoring of progress against commitments over time. Members of the GoN attended the
OGP summits in Mexico in 2015 and Paris in 2016 but have yet to sign up to the initiative.
Upon joining of the OGP, Nepal will need to identify a lead Ministry or Agency, adopt an open
government action plan, implement the commitments over a two year timeframe, and provide an
annual self-assessment to track progress, and facilitate independent reporting of progress on
the National Action Plan by the Independent Reporting Mechanism.114
110
Open Data Barometer. (2017). Global Report Fourth Edition. Worldwide Web Foundation. Available
at: http://opendatabarometer.org/4thedition/ accessed on 1 September 2017. It would be interesting
to compare the Nepalese situation with the findings of Open Data Barometer Global Report Fourth
Edition (2017). The report found that globally 9 out of 10 government datasets are not open. Only 7
percent of the data is fully open; only one of every two datasets is machine readable and only one
in four datasets has an open license. The data of Governments is usually incomplete, out of date,
of low quality, and fragmented. In most cases, open data catalogues or portals are manually fed as
the result of informal data management approaches. Procedures, timelines, and responsibilities are
frequently unclear among government institutions tasked with this work. This makes the overall open
data management and publication approach weak and prone to multiple errors. Open data portals
often do not contain the data people really want and need. Accordingly, it calls the governments to
invest in opening up the datasets that people do need (e.g., data on budget, spending, contracting,
and company registers).
111
112
Of late data generation is no longer a function limited to CBS and other GoN agencies. Many private
sector and civil society organizations are also producing data which are often based on relatively
small samples using different methodological tools that are less comparable and consistent with the
standards and formats adopted by CBS, NRB and other GoN agencies.
113
Accountability Lab and the Center For International Private Enterprise, (2017). Nepal: Open
Government Partnership Readiness Assessment.
114
Ibid.
41
2.4 Technical and Human Capacity
The World Bank’s statistical capacity index (SCI) has three major components. These
are: statistical methodology (adherence to international recommended methods and standards),
source data (frequency of obtaining statistical data through surveys and censuses), and
periodicity and timelines (periodicity of key socioeconomic indicators). Nepal’s overall SCI score
(the composite score of all 25 indicators and three components) for 2016 was 72.22.115 The
scores for other South Asian neighbors i.e. Afghanistan, Bangladesh, Bhutan, India, Pakistan
and Sri Lanka for the same year are 51.11, 76.67, 68.89, 77.78, 75.56, and 73.33 respectively.
Though not formally acknowledged by the World Banks’s diagnostic framework,

technological capacity is one of the major predictors of national statistical capacity.
The use of information technologies can affect the operations of a variety of organizations
in a variety of contexts.116 In the case of the statistical system, it can improve the entire
process of collection, processing, validation and dissemination. Secondly, appropriately
skilled, motivated and an adequately sized workforce can be considered another important
constituent of statistical capacity. Poorly trained and coordinated field workers cannot comply
with the norms, protocols and sampling procedures resulting in inaccurate and misleading
estimates. Poor monitoring capacity can result in arbitrariness compromising the integrity of
data collection processes and quality of data. Thirdly, the fact that data users are not well
informed about its quality and importance is a serious problem. Weak demand for quality data
from its stakeholders also contribute to this weakness. In a country like Nepal, few experts are
reasonably able and willing to probe into and challenge data quality. Fourthly, the willingness
and capacity to disseminate data is also considered to be weak.
Nepal shares a number of threats identified by The World Bank to national statistical
capacity. These threats include limited budget, over-dependence on donor financing, lack of
appropriate training for statistical personnel, inadequate feedback from users, and reluctance
among government bureaucracies to embrace transparency.117 Similarly, difficult-to-monitor
informal or unregistered enterprises also threaten the capacities of national statistical
systems.118
Largely due to lack of interest on the part of policymakers in investment in statistics, the
organizational and human resource profile of the CBS has remained virtually unchanged
for decades whereas its tasks have multiplied. Many of the functions exclusively entrusted
to it by the Statistical Act have been taken over by other organizations. This have created
a decentralized system operating independently. There is no provision of coordination and
monitoring for this decentralized system often resulting in the problems of inconsistency and
lack of standardization. Additionally, one can sense a general indifference by the political
115
World Bank. (2016). Statistical Capacity Country Profile. Available at:
http://datatopics.worldbank.org/statisticalcapacity/CountryProfile.aspx accessed on 29 August 2017.
116
D.M. Anderson and A.B.Whitford (2017). Developing knowledge states: Technology and the
enhancement of national statistical capacity. Review of Policy Research. Volume 34, Number 3
10.1111/ropr.12230
117
World Bank. (2002). Building statistical capacity to monitor development progress. Report prepared
by the Development Data Group in the Development Economics Vice-Presidency of the World Bank.
Washington, DC: The World Bank.
118
M. Jerven. (2013). Comparability of GDP estimates in Sub-Saharan Africa: The effect of revisions in
sources and methods since structural adjustment. Review of Income and Wealth, 59(S1), S16–S36.
42
establishment towards the NSS giving credence to the observations of some experts that the
political nature of statistics often makes them targets of budget cutting.119 Underfunding and
poorly paid staff make statistical organizations weak as they fail to attract the best human
resources from the labor market. Existing technical and human capacities will be far from
enough in the context of SDGs.
With a view to strengthening the planning and statistical functions within government
systems, the GoN has made a provision of Nepal Economic Planning and Statistics
Service Group within the Civil Service. But for the reasons not known it has not yet been
materialized. The CBS has one department level office and 33 local offices. There have been
little changes if any, in the situation of these local offices and staff since they were established
in 1993. The total approved staff positions are 532 out of which only 284 are from the statistical
service. The total number of officer level staff stands at 126. The largest number of staff (186)
belong to junior staff (Non-gazetted Second Class) category and 82 staff are office assistants
and drivers. The department is organized in three divisions: Planning and Human Resource
Management; Economic Statistics Division and Social Statistics Division. It is expected that in
the upcoming federal set up the data collection and processing function will be devolved to the
provincial and local levels along with the planning and monitoring functions.
119
S. Devarajan. (2013). Africa’s statistical tragedy. Review of Income and Wealth, 59(S1), S9–S15.
43
Chapter III: Infrastructure
This chapter provides a brief overview of the infrastructure available in Nepal for the collection,
processing, analysis and dissemination of data and information. The chapter first examines the
state of ICT governance in Nepal. In addition, it looks at ICT capacity in Nepal.
3.1 ICT Governance

Information and communication technologies are assuming an increasingly important
role in the collection, processing, analysis and dissemination of data and information. In
this context, the development, management and continuous upgrading of the ICT infrastructure
has become an integral part of the NSS. Such ICT infrastructure includes computers,
connectivity, networks, and various software that enable the system to cater the diverse and
changing needs of the users in an effective and efficient way. Identification and analysis of the
needs of the system is a crucial phase in ICT planning for data management. To be functional, it
also requires a good number of competent and skilled human resources to fill a variety of jobs.
Information and communication technologies are increasingly popular in Nepal. The

telephone service has reached all VDCs of the country.120 Wireless systems like Global Systems
for Mobile (GSM), Code Division Multiple Access (CDMA), Third/Fourth Generation Mobile (3G),
and the Worldwide Interoperability Microwave Access (WiMax) are operating along with wired
technology like Ethernet Cable, Cable Modem, Digital Subscriber Line (DSL) and fiber.121 Nepal
now has a backbone network with two optical fiber networks having been laid along the East
West Highway and a third network currently being put in place by Nepal Electricity Authority as
a part of electricity transmission infrastructure.122 Six companies are providing fixed and mobile
services and over 40 are providing internet email services123 leading to modestly competitive
telecom services enabling the consumers to choose from the providers.
Nepal embarked on partial deregulation of the telecommunications sector in the early

2000s, which relaxed the monopoly of Nepal Telecom and facilitated the entry of private
operators. Nepal Telecom retains its monopoly in public switched telephone network (PSTN)
though it faces competition in mobile services. The intensity of competition has increased
with increased penetration of telecom services. Over the years, the ICT sector has grown
impressively particularly the uptake of mobile telephone and internet services.124 The GoN is
planning to transform all post offices across the country into community information centers
which can be developed into conduits for information flow to community levels.
The GoN has expressed its commitment to ensure effective access to wireless
broadband services, and to encourage a content-rich environment that will facilitate a
growing online community (ITU 2012).125 Broadband service is being provided through the
deployment of ADSL 2+ technologies in different packages. Nepal Telecom has introduced 4G/
long term evolution (LTE) services to its GSM mobile subscribers in Kathmandu and Pokhara
120
MoIC. (2015). Broadband Policy, 2071. Kathmandu: Ministry of Information and Communications.
121
Ibid.
122
Ibid.
123
Ibid.
124
MoIC-NTA. (2010). Ten-Year Master Plan (2011– 2020 A.D.) for the Development of
telecommunications sector in Nepal. Kathmandu: Ministry of Information and Communication-Nepal
Telecommunication Authority.
44
and intends to expand it throughout the country. Globally broadband service has become the
basic infrastructure of a modern society as it enables a range of services and applications
including e-commerce, e-banking, e-government, e-education, and e-health. Its impact in socio-
economic development is increasingly being recognized.126 However, demand for broadband
services in health, education, agriculture, forestry, trade and economic sectors is still low in
Nepal. Realizing the transformative potential of ICT, the GoN has launched the ICT Master
Plan, 2015 which adopts a two-pronged approach both on the demand and supply side.127
The Master Plan focuses on five key components: (i) policy and regulation, (ii) technology,
(iii) spectrum management, (iv) international connectivity, and (v) content and application. It
promises to design and execute the National Broadband Development Program (NBDP) as
the key vehicle for the implementation of the master plan. A national optic fiber network will
be a key component of the program which is expected to improve internet access, e-services
and wireless connectivity infrastructure. Nepal’s land locked position, underdeveloped fix-
line infrastructure and difficult mountain topography makes the case for the expansion of
wireless broadband network. It is also important in view of its position next to the emerging
Asian economic powerhouses of China and India. To step into an ICT economy and to take
advantage from economic integration and trade, the GoN needs to harness the full potential of
the new paradigm of converged ICT services. This is possible through a wireless broadband
infrastructure (ITU, 2012). However, Nepal continues to face economic and social barriers to
effective absorption of ICTs in general and broadband in particular.128
Overall, the broadband infrastructure and internet penetration is limited. The sector calls
for a more explicit policy about frequency distribution for mobile broadband that reframes 900
and 1800 MHz band used in GSM technology to enable effective technology-neutral spectrum
management. There is the need to initiate reform in the broadband licensing regime and
to ensure availability of radio frequency spectrum required for more advanced information
management technology. There need to be improvements in international connectivity and in
power supply to ensure it is uninterrupted. There is a need for infrastructure sharing to eliminate
the duplication of investment in infrastructure and improve the regulatory framework.129
3.1.1 National Authorities
The GoN has established the Department of Information Technology, under the Ministry
of Science and Technology (MoSCT) to promote ICT as a means to good governance,
poverty reduction, and socio-economic transformation.130 Its objectives are many including
playing a catalytic role in implementing e-governance and good governance; minimizing the
digital divide by ensuring access of digitally deprived rural people to ICT; developing ICT
125
ITU.(2012). Wireless Broadband Master plan for the Federal Democratic Republic of Nepal. Geneva:
International Telecommunication Union.
126
A World Bank study highlights the importance of broadband penetration and concludes that every 10
per cent increase in broadband penetration results in GDP growth by 1.21% in developed economies and
1.38 per cent in developing economies. See Christine Zhen-Wei Qiang and Carlo M. Rossotto with Kaoru
Kimura.2009. Economic Impacts of Broadband, in World Bank, Information and communication for devel-
opment: Extending reach and increasing impact (IC4D2009) (Chapter 3).
127
NPC. (2017).
128
Nepal Telecommunication Act, 1997, Telecommunications Regulations 1998, Rules on Licensing
Telecommunication Services, General Licensing Guidelines, Interconnection Guidelines, 2008, Quality of
Service Parameters for Basic Service, 2007, Quality of Service Parameters for Internet, 2007, Radio Act,
1957, Radio Communications (License) Regulation 1992, Telecommunication Service Radio Frequency
(Distribution and Pricing Related) By-law 2066, Radio Communications (License) Regulation 1992, Tele-
communication Service Radio Frequency (Distribution and Pricing Related) By-law 2066, Infrastructure
Sharing Guideline, 2015 together provide a framework for the regulation of different aspects (i.e. licensing,
spectrum management, access to interconnection, retail and tariff, competition and universal service
obligations) of telecommunication sector in Nepal.
129
MoIC. (2015). Broadband Policy, 2071. Kathmandu: Ministry of Information and Communications.
45
as a sector of employment and revenue generation; initiating policy, legal and regulatory
reform along with a national portal for information sharing; developing appropriately skilled
human resources; and promoting cost effective technology for sustainable development.
The Department also hosts the Government Integrated Data Center – a government owned
server that hosts government websites, portals, MIS and others. As of September 2017, the
Department has a total of 30 staff out of which 9 positions are vacant.
The Section 3 of Nepal Telecommunication Act, 1997 provides for a Nepal

Telecommunications Authority (NTA) to manage, regulate, and systematize
Telecommunications Services and ensure that the service is reliable and easily available
to the public. The NTA is an autonomous corporate body that aims to create enabling
conditions for the development of telecommunications sector in Nepal. As part of this, the NTA
works to make the telecoms service reliable and easily available in all rural and urban areas;
undertake research on the development and use of new technology in the sector; and expand
telecoms services in a way that protects the interests of consumers. Clarity is needed in the
roles of NTA and DoIT to ensure synergy.131
3.1.2 Control of Social Media
Article 19 of the Constitution of Nepal, 2015 provides for the right to communication.
According to the Article, no publication, broadcasting, dissemination or printing of any news
item, editorial, feature article or other material through any means shall be censored. However,
the same Article also states that the GoN can impose “reasonable restrictions” on any act which
may undermine sovereignty, territorial integrity, nationality of Nepal or harmonious relations
between Federal Units or between various castes, ethnic religious communities.132 Restrictions
on communication are also imposed by Section 2 of the Some Public (Offence and Punishment)
Act, 1970 which prohibits the publication or sale of materials by using obscene words or images.
Similarly, copyrighted materials cannot be uploaded without following due procedures to obtain
the permission of those holding the rights. Otherwise, all academic materials and development
data can be freely uploaded on online media. With limited financial and human resources, the
monitoring of social media is far from comprehensive.
Social media is a relatively new, but an increasingly expanding phenomenon in Nepal.

According to Social Aves (2017) there are 8 million Facebook users and 3.2 million twitter
users in Nepal.133 An increasing number of people are using YouTube. Generally, access to the
content in internet is unrestricted and unregulated. Nepal lacks a strong and coherent policy
framework to ensure safe and proper use of social media. The laws consider online media as
part of the larger media system and do not treat it as a specific form of media.134 In absence of
such policies and legislations states are more likely to take arbitrary decisions. The procedures
130
See www.doit.gov.np
131
There are four divisions in the Department: electronic governance; infrastructure and
regulation; training, research and development; and admin, planning and monitoring) and
a number of sections (system development, infrastructure development, human resource
development, research and development, administration, planning and monitoring, coordination
and promotion, financial administration, PLUS protection section).
Source http://www.doit.gov.np/index.php/en/staffs (assuming that the website is updated).
132
MoLJPA. (2015). The Constitution of Nepal, 2015. Available at:
http://www.lawcommission.gov.np/en/documents/2016/01/10272.pdf
133
Social Media Landscape Nepal.
https://socialaves.com/social-media-landscape-nepal accessed on 10 August 2017.
134
U. Acharya. (2012). Online media in Nepal: Need for policy interventions. unpublished Policy
Discussion Paper-1/2012. Kathmandu: Alliance for Social Dialogue.
46
followed by NTA to block the sites are arbitrary so are the procedures followed by Nepal Police
to gain information about internet users.135 For example, in October 2010 the MoHA and the NTA
started the practice of content regulation. The ministry issued a public notice to internet service
providers to stop transmitting or publishing contents prohibited by Section 47 of Electronic
Transaction Act, 2006.136 Similarly, the NTA amended the terms of licensing requiring the service
providers to block websites and content that is prejudicial to sovereignty, integrity and national
interest. As per the provision made by Section 15 of Nepal Telecommunication Act, the NTA can
initiate measures to block websites and content deemed objectionable.137 However, during this
review process no such incidence was reported in the case of development data.
Recently, the MoIC has come up with the Online Media Operation Guidelines, 2016, to
make online journalism responsible and bring it within the jurisdiction of Nepal Press
Council. It requires all online media operators to register with Department of Information (DoI)
and renew registration every year. Online journalists are also required to obtain a user ID from
the DoI. The Guideline prohibits the online media to publish contents that are a) prohibited by
the Constitution and prevalent national laws; and b) against the code of conduct of Journalists. It
also holds the publisher accountable for all the content published in their publication. The DoI is
tasked with the responsibility to monitor online media operators.138 However, the Guideline is not
appropriately designed to adequately capture the nuances of social media in all dimensions.
135
Ibid.
136
The Section 47 restricts the publication or display of ‘any material in the electronic media
including computer, internet which are prohibited to publish or display by the prevailing law or
which may be contrary to the public morality or decent behavior or any types of materials which
may spread hate or jealousy against anyone or which may jeopardize the harmonious relations
subsisting among the peoples of various castes, tribes and communities shall be liable to the
punishment.’
137
NTA for the first time sent a list of dozens of websites it deemed objectionable to be blocked
in October 2010. See Acharya, 2012.
138
MoIC.(2016). Online media operation guidelines, 2016. Kathmandu: Ministry of Information
and Communication. Available at: www.moic.gov.np
47
3.2 ICT Capacity
3.2.1 Electricity
Reliable and widespread coverage of electricity is a fundamental capacity requirement

for the effective generation, storage, sharing and accessibility of online development
data. Nepal has a huge potential for generating hydroelectricity, yet it has been suffering from
power shortages for long. The per capita energy consumption is as low as 151 kWh which is
among the lowest in the world. The total installed capacity of hydroelectricity is 851 megawatts
and 74 percent of people have access to electricity. The total length of transmission lines above
66 KV has reached 2970 km and 2892 former VDCs were connected by electricity.139 However,
supply is not dependable and often interrupted due to low capacity with long formal load
shedding hours. Energy poverty has therefore, been a major development issue. The current
Fourteenth Plan identifies several challenges facing the Nepalese energy sector. This include
meeting the increasing demand for energy, completing ongoing power production projects within
stipulated timelines; improving coordination among key agencies; streamlining the regulatory
and distribution systems; and attracting investment into power production from the private
sector. Since 2016, there has been some improvement in the situation of power supply, yet time
and again services are interrupted impacting the flow of ICT enabled information and data.
3.2.2 ICT Networks
Nepal is trying to expand access and improve the quality of ICT services particularly
focusing on rural areas by aspiring to become a digital economy and a broadband
nation by 2022. The NTA’s Nepal Broadband Forum held in early 2017 specifically focused on
this theme. The NTA is implementing a project to expand broadband facility across all village
administration, health and educational institutions, and GoN offices by 2020. Yet, at present
Nepal’s position is far from satisfactory. Nepal ranked 136th in the ICT Development Index,
2015 among 170 member countries of International Telecommunications Union (ICT). But a
year later, it ranked 142nd in the ICT Development Index, 2016.140 Improving access and the
quality of telecom services; improving competitiveness, technology and professionalism among
government owned media; monitoring of electronic media; expanding the services throughout
the country; and delivering information products online after digitizing all information are the
challenges identified by the Fourteenth Plan in the information and communication sector.141
Most of the services and subscribers are in urban areas though, of late, penetration
of mobile phones in rural areas has been significant. As envisaged by the Section 30
sub section (4) of Nepal Telecommunication Act, 1997 the NTA has established a Rural
Telecommunication Development Fund. The NTA for this purpose has formed a separate rural
telecommunication section and has procured the services of private internet providers including
Mercantile Communications Pvt Ltd and WorldLink to expand broadband services in remote
rural areas.
Overall, from the perspective of the digital agenda, much needs to be done to improve
access, affordability, cyber security provisions, digitization of content, and synergies
in infrastructure and institutions. Similarly, a greater emphasis and focus on e-governance,
e-education, e-health, e-agriculture, and e-commerce is warranted.
139
NPC. (2017a). Nepal’s Sustainable Development Goals, Baseline Report, 2017. Government of
Nepal, National Planning Commission, Kathmandu, Nepal.
140
ITU.(2016). Measuring the Information Society (2016). International Telecommunication Union.
141
48
Chapter IV: Data Sources in
Nepal
This chapter examines the key data sources and data producers in Nepal. It specifically looks at
development data sources available in the areas of demography, health, education, agriculture,
extractives, trade, poverty, employment, gender, financial and economic data. Furthermore,
it assesses the sources for their accessibility and quality of the data looking at aspects of
frequency and timeliness, disaggregation, interoperability, survey design and duplication and
accuracy.
4.1 Major Data Sources

As outlined in chapter 1, the Statistical Act considers the CBS as the main data producer in
Nepal, but over time other legislation has been adopted that has also has given data production
functions to other government agencies. In this section, some of the key data producers and
data sources are examined with a specific focus ones that are relevant to monitor and measure
progress towards the achievement of the SDGs.
4.1.1 Civil Registration
Civil registries are some of the most reliable and accurate sources of data on births,
deaths, marriages and divorces. Civil registration is defined by the United Nations as
“Universal, continuous, permanent and compulsory recording of vital events provided
through decree or regulation in accordance with the legal requirements of each country.”142
Civil registration and Vital Statistics (CRVS) is a combined form of i) Civil Registration that
captures the significant moments in people’s lives, and ii) generation of vital statistics on the
demographics and health of the population.143 Accurate collection, storage and use of official
records can inform policy development and play an important role in targeting service delivery in
various social sectors including health and education.144 For instance, a strong civil registration
system can play an important role in planning and monitoring immunization, tracking education
enrolments, and tracing incidences of diseases.145
In Nepal, the Department of Civil Registration (DoCR) under the Ministry of Federal
Affairs and General Administration146 maintains the Vital Events Registration and Social
Protection Management Information System (VERSPMIS). The MIS keeps a daily record
of the number of deaths, births, marriages, divorces and location transfers registered all over
Nepal. Besides maintaining a database on these events, the DoCR is also responsible for
distributing the GoN’s social security benefits. These include the senior citizen allowance, child
nutrition benefit, disability based allowances, single women allowances, and the endangered
tribe and ethnicity allowances among others. Previously, vital registration data and social
protection data were not interlinked, but with the support of development partners a combined
MIS has been established.
142
Principles and Recommendations for a Vital Statistics System: Revision 3 (United Nations publication,
Sales No. E.13.XVII.10).
143
http://hidrnepal.com/images/publications/reports/crvs-in-nepal-5-jan-2016.pdf
144
https://unstats.un.org/unsd/vitalstatkb/KnowledgebaseCategory5.aspx
145
http://www.who.int/healthinfo/civil_registration/crvs_report_2013.pdf?ua=1
146
Previously the Ministry of Federal Affairs and Local Development.
49
VERSMIS is not the only database of VERS in Nepal and has various limitations. Firstly,
it is not a centralized database as there are various other data producers in Nepal that produce
vital registration statistics i.e. the CBS, the Ministry of Health, the Election Commission147, the
Ministry of Home Affairs and the National Identity Card Management Center (NIMDC). The
Election Commission has its own database and coding and also the NIDMC has moved ahead
with a separate codification. Although a coordination committee is set up under the DOCR, in
practice this is still limited and the VERS is not integrated with MIS systems of other government
agencies. As a result, there are issues of duplication, inconsistency, standardization in data.
Secondly, there are issues pertaining to the accuracy of the data because many people do not
register vital events such as births, a lot of the vital registrations are conducted by hand due
to a lack computer literacy, infrastructure and connectivity and a backlog of entry of previously
hand recorded data into the system. Third, whatever data is generated by the VERSPMIS
is not publicly available. While statistical information, production of vital information broadly
comes under the Statistics Act 2015, the legal requirements for publication of vital statistics from
civil registration data is not covered by this law. The DoCR website maintains and publishes
province based annual statistics in its website, but the information is neither downloadable nor
disaggregated by gender, disability, or any other criteria. The website also provides a restricted
set of indicators limiting its usefulness for data users.
The VERSPMIS could constitute an important source that could be used to track various
SDG indicators. VERSPMIS could contribute to tracking all population related SDG indicators
as a reliable source of population statistics. Thus, unlike Nepal, many countries use VERS as
an important source to generate and update population data in a regular manner.148 Specifically,
VERSPMIS could contribute to tracking SDG 16- indicator 16.9.1 Proportion of children under
5 years old whose births have been registered with a civil authority. The SDG report has listed
the MIS of MoFALD as one data source without specifying the specific MIS. In addition, it has
also listed CRVS and a Survey as data sources and has included both MoFALD and CBS as
responsible agencies. VERSPMIS could also contribute to tracking indicators related to mortality
indicators under SDG 3 target 3.4. However, the GoN has opted to use the CRVS as data
source and has listed the MOH in relation to the mortality rate due to communicable diseases
and the MOHA in relation the indicator related to suicide mortality. Furthermore, presumably,
VERSPMIS could contribute to tracking social protection expenditure under SDG 1, target 1,
indicator 1.3.1.1 “social protection expenditure in total budget (%)”, but the data sources listed
for this indicator is a MIS with as responsible agencies CBS and the MoWCSW.
4.1.2 Census
The core system of censuses in Nepal consists of three censuses. These are the ‘Nepal
Population and Housing Census’ (NPHC), the ‘National Sample Census on Agriculture’
(NSCA), and the ‘Census of Manufacturing Establishments’. The censuses provide
information on three different statistical sectors:
• The NHPC provides information on the total population size of Nepal; the population
profile based on age, sex, ethnicity/caste, religion and other social variables; type of
147
More recently, the GoN with assistance from the Election Commission has been attempting
to provide a biometric based national ID to all Nepalese citizens. The IDs at the onset would
include details on the citizenship, voter credentials, driver’s licenses, and can further be used by
policymakers for biometric authentication and registration. This will support digitized data collection
and storage in the future.
148
Ibid
50
housing; distribution of various household amenities; ownership of assets; occupation
and migration; and disability among others. It is the most reliable and comprehensive
population based database produced in Nepal.
• The NSCA is a misnomer. It is a survey, albeit an extremely large one, that covers entire
Nepal. It gathers information on landholding size, nature of tenure, types of (cash) crops,
fruits and vegetables cultivated during various seasons, use of chemical and organic
fertilizers, ownership of livestock and poultry, and access to inputs and infrastructure
(including financial) among agricultural households.
• The CME collects information on 17 different areas of manufacturing establishments

including (but not limited to) employment, inputs and outputs, taxes paid, details of fixed
assets, cost of environment protection, and revenue.
All three censuses are conducted every 10 years by the CBS. They follow rigorous
guidelines and their quality is monitored by experienced statisticians. As a result, the NHPC
is now extensively used and cited by policy makers and development partners. It forms the
basis of several demography related indicators including total national population, and quality
of housing facilities. Unfortunately, except for the NHPC, data from two other censuses are
not often used. Annual district-wise data generated by the Ministry of Agriculture Development
(MOAD) is the primary source of agriculture data149 and very little demand exists for
disaggregated data on manufacturing establishments. The CBS itself notes that analysis on the
CME database is thoroughly lacking.
All three Censuses are used in tracking the SDGs. Below an overview is given of the
different Censuses and the respective SDG goals, targets and indicators that they are used for.
Table 2: Use of Key Censuses for SDG Measurement
SDG Disaggregation SDG Goal Target Indicator

NPHC (referred 4 4.3 4.3.1 Participation rate of youth and adults
to as Census in in formal and non-formal education and
SDG Monitoring training in the previous 12 months, by sex
Framework) 4.6 4.6.1.1 Literacy rate of 15-24 years old
(%) and 4.6.1.2 Literacy rate of 15-24
years old (women) (%)
5 5.a 5.a.2 Women’s ownership of property
(land and house)
6 6.1. 6.1.1 on the proportion of the population
using safely managed drinking water
services including sub-indicators 1-3;
7 7.1 7.1.1 Proportion of the population with
access to electricity and 7.1.2.2 People
using liquid petroleum gas (LPG) for
cooking and heating (%).;
8 8.6. 8.6.1.1 Youth underemployment rate (%)
149
NPC. (2017c). SDG Costing and Financing Strategy, Kathmandu: National Planning Commission.
51
11 11.1.1.1 Population living in slum and
squatters;11.2.1 Proportion of population
that has convenient access to public
transport, by sex, age and persons with
disabilities and 11.3.1 ration of land
consumption rate to population growth
rate and 11.3.2 Household residing with 5
and more persons.
NSCA (referred to 2 2.3 2.3.1 on the volume of production per
as Agri Census in labor unit by classes of farming/pastoral/
SDG Monitoring forestry enterprise size
Framework) 5 5a.1 5.a.1 (a) on proportion of total agricultural
population with ownership or secure rights
over agricultural land, by sex and (b) share
of women among owners or rights-bearers
of agricultural land by type of tenure.
CME 2 2.3 2.3.2 on average income of small-scale
food producers, sex and indigenous status
7 7.3 7.3.1.1 Commercial energy use per unit
of GDP (ToE)/mRs) and 7.3.1.2 Energy
efficiency in Industry (MJ per 1000 rupees
of product).
4.1.3 Administrative Data
Administrative data form the most important sources of development data in Nepal.
Accordingly, harnessing these sources is critical for tracking the progress of SDGs. Of the total
sources used in this study, around 65 percent of the data come from administrative sources.
The most and reliable sources of data among the administrative sources are the MIS’s of
various government bodies150. Other administrative data forms are either generated within
government bodies (like trade data from Department of Customs or foreign exchange data from
NRB) or are collected by the concerned agencies from relevant stakeholders (e.g. financial
reports of the banking sector and insurance sector are collected by NRB and the Insurance
Board respectively). In other instances, administrative data are also produced in the form
of annual progress reports, periodic sector reviews, monitoring reports and occasionally as
evaluation reports.
Administrative data by their very nature tend to be non-transparent. The concerned

authorities only publish what they deem to be necessary for public use. Information, in turn, is
published in the form of annual or periodic reports and status updates. For instance, the MoE
publishes Flash Reports and the Financial Comptroller General’s Office (FCGO) publishes
annual income/expenditure details of the various bodies of the GoN. Data sources, data entry
and metadata are very rarely made available to the public.
The SDGs use administrative data as the primary data source to track progress. Below
an overview is given of the various MIS’es that are used to track respective SDGs, targets and
indicators.
150
For details of MISs see section 1.2.4. Access to Information).
52
Table 3: Use of MIS for SDG Measurement
TYPE OF MIS SDG Goal Responsible Agencies

MIS 1 CBS, MoCSW, MoLRM, MoHA, MoF and MoWSW.
MIS 2 MoAD,MoH, MoFSC,NARC MoF and MoS
HMIS & LMIS 3 MoH
EMIS 4 MoE
MIS 5 MoHA, NEC, MoWCSW,MoLRM, MoIC, MoF and CBS
MIS 6 MoI, MoWSS, CB, MoEN,MoIR, MoWSS and MoF
MIS 7 MoEN, MoF, MoPE.
MIS 8 MoE, MoYS ,MoLE, MoCTA,MoPIT, NRB, MoPE
MIS 9 MoPIT, CAAN, NRB, MoF, NPC, MoE, MoI
MIS 10 EMIS of the MoE and the MIS of the MoF and NRB and
MoI, MoLE, MoC, MoHA and MoFA
MIS 11 MoF, MoCTCA, MoHA,NPC, MoFALD/MoUD, MoPE,
MoFALD
MIS 12 MOF, MOCTCA, MOHA,NPC, MoFALD/MoUD, MoPE,
MoFALD
MIS 13 MoHA, MoFALD, MoPE
14 Not Applicable
MIS 15 MoFSC, MoLRM, MoAD, MoPE
MIS 16 MoHA, MoLJPA, NHRC, OPMCM,MoGA, MoFA
MIS 17 MoF, MoI, MoFA, MoIC, MoST, MoPE, MoFALD
4.1.4 Surveys
After administrative sources, surveys are the second most important sources of data for
planning and resource allocation in Nepal. The CBS is considered to be the most reliable
and official source of surveys in Nepal. Its major surveys include the Nepal Living Standard
Survey (NLSS), the Multiple Cluster Indicator Survey (MICS), the Annual Household Survey
(AHS), and the NLFS. The Nepal Demographic Health Survey (NDHS) is carried out by the
MoH. These five surveys together form the basis of data for the majority of socio-economic and
household-based indicators of the SDGs.151
Various multilateral organizations (and development partners) also conduct periodic or

ad hoc surveys. Some of these are very popular and influential. The Doing Business Surveys,
and Country Policy and Institutional Assessments of World Bank, and Executive Opinion Survey
for Global Competitiveness Report of World Economic Forums produce globally comparable
results ranking countries on various aspects of governance, infrastructure and macroeconomic
stability. These surveys generate enormous policy interests and, according to key informants, at
many times they influence policies to be aligned to signify improving performances.
151
CBS also conducts several other surveys including agricultural surveys, commercial
surveys and consumer-based surveys, but because they are not directly related with
Sustainable Development Goals (SDGs) these do not form part of this study.
53
The SDGs use a combination of the standard surveys as well as more adhoc surveys.
SDGs 1, 2, 3, 4 and 10 uses the NLSS as a data source. The MICS is used as data source
primarily for indicators relating to children under SDG 2, 3, 4, 5, 6, 10 and 16. The AHS is not so
widely used as a data source and features only in relation to SDG 3. The NLFS also is not very
widely used as a data source features only in relation to measure employment indicators under
SDG 5, 8 and 9. The SDGs do use a high volume of surveys as data sources and most of these
identify the CBS as the responsible agency, which raises questions as to the capacity of CBS
to collect such large of volumes of data. While the SDG monitoring framework in many cases
does not specify the type of survey that will be conducted, specific examples include the Rolling
Survey of Enterprises by CBS, the HDU survey by MOH and MOHA and the Times User Survey
by CBS.
4.2 Development Data Sources

In this section, we discuss the available development data sources by major sectors.
4.2.1 Demography
The NPHC is the most important and reliable source of demographic data in the country.
The Census is conducted once every 10 years and provides an extensive series of data on
fertility, age, sex, ethnicity/caste, religion, and geographic locations of households in Nepal.
The NPHC is widely used and cited by various international demography based indices used to
measure global SDG indicators, including the multidimensional poverty index, the human assets
index and the gender development index among others. Besides the NPHC, the NLSS, the
MICS, NDHS, and the Health Management Information System (HMIS) are other important and
reliable sources of data on demography. Of these, data and metadata on the NPHC, MICS and
NLSS are publicly available.
Figure 6: Major Sources of Demographic Data
DEMOGRAPHIC
NPHC NLSS MICS NDHS
DATA
4.2.2 Health
The two primary sources of information that are most relied upon and used in health
research are the data generated by the HMIS and the NDHS. Both sets of data are
generated by the MoH, and the public has access only to the published reports provided by the
MoH. These two data sources almost cover the entire data series necessary to monitor SDG
3’s indicators and certain aspects of SDG 1 and SDG 2. Certain aspects of health like food and
nutrition, access to health facilities and expenditure on health care are covered by the NLSS as
well. Meanwhile, the Nepal Health Facility Survey (NHFS), STEPS Survey (also conducted by
the Ministry of Health) and MICS cover various aspects of mental and physical health related to
non-transmittable diseases. These include lifestyle, consumption of alcohol and tobacco, among
others. The MICS also provides information on child immunization, nutrition, and mother’s
health.
54
Figure 7: Major Sources for Health and Wellbeing Sector Data
HEALTH SECTOR
NDHS HIMS MICS NHFS STEPS
DATA
4.2.3 Education
The Education Management Information System (EMIS) maintained by the Department

of Education and the Higher Education Management Information System (HEMIS)
maintained by the University Grants Commission together provide administrative data
sources on primary, secondary, and tertiary education in Nepal. Together, the two MISs
provide updated information on overall enrolments at various levels, performance of students
in various subjects, completion rates at various levels, availability and quality of teachers,
and the provision of scholarships at higher levels of education. Neither data source provides
access to its data system and the users must rely on annual reports published by the concerned
departments.
Figure-8: Major Data Sources for Education Sector
EDUCATION
EMIS HEMIS NPHC NLSS MICS
DATA
Regular updates on education are complemented by findings of various surveys. These
include the NPHC, NLSS, MICS and NDHS among others. The NPHC provides a snapshot
on the overall literacy rate of the entire population. Meanwhile, the NLSS provides information
on education expenditure incurred, types of schools enrolled in by children, and the reasons
for leaving schools. Overall, the available data sources cover most of the SDG indicators
concerning education.
4.2.4 Agriculture
The administrative data generated by the Ministry of Agriculture Development (MOAD)

forms the basis of data on agriculture in Nepal. It annually updates information on
acreages of various food and cash crops, total production quantity of these crops, extent of
irrigation, and use of chemical and natural fertilizers. The data for the Statistical Information on
Nepalese Agriculture come from the District Agriculture Development Offices and are therefore
disaggregated at the district level. Meanwhile, information from other concerned agencies such
as the Agriculture Inputs Corporation, National Seed Company, and the Nepal Agricultural
Research Council maintain information on various aspects of agriculture, but do not update
information regularly. Meanwhile, information required for to monitor the SDG indicators related
to food aid, food loss, seed replacement rates, soil erosion, establishment of DNA and seed
banks, are not available or are of extremely poor quality.
Figure-9: Major Sources for Agriculture Data
STATISTICAL AGRICULTURAL
NLSS MIS INFO ON NEP
NSCA
DATA
AGRICULTURE
55
Some forms of agricultural data are also generated from surveys. The NLSS for instance,
has an excellent database on land ownership, agricultural employment (in terms of hours and
income) and ownership of agricultural enterprises. Similarly, the NSCA also provides information
on similar headings with additional information on crops cultivated, fertilizers used and
therefore, land productivity.
4.2.5 Extractives
Due to the paucity of resources, the mining and extractive sector is poorly developed
in Nepal. Therefore, very little attention is paid by policymakers to data production and use in
this area. The Department of Mines and Geology periodically releases selected data on gas
and petroleum exploration, cement and stone related industries, and the extraction of precious
stones.
4.2.6 Trade
Three separate sources of data exist on trade. One is produced by the Automated System
for Customs Data (ASYCUDA) owned and operated by the Department of Customs. The
ASYCUDA system keeps a record of all declarations filed during imports and exports and
generates information on the total size of exports/imports, products being exported/imported,
sources/destinations of imports/exports, and total value of exports/imports. While these data are
generated and recorded every day, information on exports/imports are made available annually
by the Department of Customs as well as the Trade and Export Promotion Centre.
Figure-10: Major Sources of Trade Data
Another source of information is the trade in foreign currency and the resulting balance of
payment (BOP) data which is maintained by the NRB. Each trade transaction requires payment/
income in foreign currency which is solely handled by the NRB. Therefore, the NRB tracks the
changes in foreign currency reserves and determines the volume of trade conducted by Nepal.
IMF’s Direction of Trade Statistics (DOTS) is another source, which presents current figures on
the value of merchandise exports and imports disaggregated according to a country’s primary
trade partners. While various multilateral organizations like the ITC, World Bank, UN Comtrade
and UNCTAD also maintain databases of international trade, data for these are primarily taken
from the data generated by Nepal’s ASYCUDA system.
56
4.2.7 Poverty
Nepal does not have information systems that regularly track people’s income and
expenditure. The most reliable estimates on income data come from tax records maintained by
the Inland Revenue Department. However, since most poor people would not fall under taxable
income brackets, reliable and regular estimates on income are hard to come by.
Figure-11: Major Sources of Poverty Data
The NLSS provides the only source of disaggregated data on estimated income and
expenditure of Nepalese households. The survey classifies income received from several
sources like agriculture, livestock, enterprises, rent, interest, and income from assets, and
expenditure incurred on food items, non-food regular items and non-food irregular items. While
the Household Budget Survey also has data on household income, it is not disaggregated
to the extent that NLSS data is. As a result, data from NLSS is the primary source of both
expenditure and income based poverty measures. The survey also provides a poverty estimate
based on consumption where household with per capita calorie count of less than 2200 a day is
considered as poor.
4.2.8 Employment
Three major sources of data are available on employment, all of which are only
periodically updated. The most important and comprehensive source of data on employment
is the NLFS. It provides data on sector of employment, number of days of employment, the
nature and extent of underemployment, and wages provided. The NLFS is complemented
by the NLSS, which provides similar information along with additional information on self-
employment (especially in areas of entrepreneurship), time use of household members
including time spent doing household chores, and wages provided by the employers and hirers
of agricultural labor. The NPHC also provides information on areas of employment. While all
three data sources together provide a comprehensive picture of employment in Nepal, surveys
for these are conducted once every 6-10 years. Therefore, regular and updated information on
employment in Nepal is currently missing.
57
Figure-12: Major Sources for Employment Data
4.2.9 Gender
Most data sources, except where the unit of measurement are not individuals or house-
holds, have gender disaggregated data. These include data generated from management
information systems like EMIS, HMIS, censuses like NPHC, and NSCA, and individual and
household surveys like NLSS, MICS, NDHS, and Annual Household Surveys. These also in-
clude information on women’s ownership of assets, education and qualification of mothers and
time use not only in a working space but also within household premises.
Figure-13: Major Sources for Gender Disaggregated Data
58
Special attention is given in various education and health surveys to generate data on mother’s
health before, during and after pregnancy and childbirth. The DOWC has developed an online
MIS (WCD MIS) for data on women and children development. However, it does not provide
access to the contents to the MIS or publish any reports based on the MIS. Therefore, the
present system of data provides adequate information to cover all SDG indicators concerned
with gender equality and provides sufficient information to examine the extent of safe
motherhood.
4.2.10. Financial and economic data
The Ministry of Finance (MoF) is the most dependable source of financial data. The
MoF under its various divisions maintains several MISs including the Financial Management
Information System (FMIS) and the Treasury Single Account (TSA) at the Financial Comptroller
General’s Office that track the expenditures incurred at various government units officially
approved by the District Treasury and Controller Offices (DTCOs); the Revenue Management
Information System (RMIS) and Computerized Government Accounting System (CGAS)
that track revenue generated by various government bodies, and keep records of the paying
offices of the GoN respectively; and finally budgeting MISs including the Line Ministries
Budget Information System (LMBIS) where each Ministry must submit the details of their
annual planned income and expenditure details (program wise), and the Budget Management
Information System (BMIS) which processes information gathered from various ministry-wise
budgets from LMBIS and past year’s expenditure details from the FMIS. Additionally, the Aid
Management Platform (AMP) is also maintained by the MoF for tracking foreign aid and its
performance within Nepal. While much of this information is not publicly available, the MoF
annually publishes a Red Book on the annual planned income and expenditure of all ministries
according to the programs detailed in the budget. The NPC publishes details of programs and
activities along with budget in Annual Development Programs (Red Book). Similarly, the FCGO
produces a review of the budget performance of each ministry (also district wise) each year. All
three documents are publicly available.
Figure-14: Major Sources for Financial and Economic Data
FINANCIAL AND
RMIS FMIS LMBIS AMP BMIS
ECONOMIC DATA
Annual economic data is published by two separate sources, the CBS and the NRB. Both
use secondary information available from various sources including trade figures, the consumer
price index, information on agriculture production, balance of payment figures, and basic
surveys of various industries and service sectors to arrive at macroeconomic data which are
modelled based on existing parameters. Various multilateral organizations like ADB, World Bank
and IMF also utilize similar mechanisms to produce annual macroeconomic data.
59
4.3 Data Access
Of all the data sources available and used during this study, only those produced by
the CBS are both publicly available and are machine readable. 152 These include various
surveys like the NLSS, NLFS, MICS, and data on censuses. While most of these data need to
be purchased, they are made available at an affordable price by the agency and therefore, can
be classified as publicly available. Most other data generated are either not machine readable
or not publicly available. As previously mentioned, the MIS systems of most government bodies
remain inaccessible. These include HMIS, EMIS, HEMIS, and the MISs of MoF. Meanwhile,
data generated from these MISs are synthesized and produced in a report form annually,
which are not machine readable. Development data produced by development partners such
as INGOs, bilateral and multilateral agencies also suffer from a similar fate. For example,
the metadata on Access to Financial Services, Doing Business Reports and Solid Waste
Management Survey are not made publicly available by the World Bank and the ADB. Other
data forms generated through administrative sources by the GoN are also either not available/
accessible, or if available are not machine readable. These include agricultural data, data on
infrastructure, tourism, environment and forestry. Therefore, only a tiny fraction of development
data is publicly available and machine readable at the same time.
More recently, several efforts have emerged that have attempted to synthesize GoN
publications and present it in a single platform. Within government, some efforts include
the Visualizing Development Initiative153 by the National Planning Commission which provides
district level disaggregated data along with visual aid on various MDG based indicators, and the
National Data Archive154 (NADA) of the CBS which is effectively a systematic catalogue of all
data produced by the organization, along with their methodologies, and data dictionaries. Both
these depositories however, are extremely limited in their scope and content.
Non-government initiatives have primarily been undertaken by development partners

and civil society. Multilateral agencies and other development partners regularly maintain and
update Nepal’s development data and provide access to them free of cost. Some of the most
popular platforms include the Databank of World Bank155, Macroeconomic Data and Statistics
of the IMF156, CountrySTAT of FAO157, the Human Development Database of UNDP158, the
Population and Development Database of UNDESA159, and trade data from UN Comtrade160 etc.
Most of these platforms utilize data series generated from data sources identified during this
study, standardize them to make them internationally comparable, and allow users to access,
compare (across countries) and download data in machine readable formats along with their
visual interpretations.
At the national level, various non-governmental organisations and private sector

businesses have also emerged that provide open access to data. These include
152
Except two other data sources, the Macroeconomic Statistics produced by the NRB and the trade data
generated by ASYCUDA. However, metadata for both these sources are not available.
153
https://www.npc.gov.np/en
154
http://cbs.gov.np/nada/index.php/home
155
https://databank.worldbank.org/data/home.aspx
156
http://www.imf.org/en/Countries
157
http://www.fao.org/in-action/countrystat/national-countrystat-sites/en/
158
http://hdr.undp.org/en/content/database
159
http://www.un.org/en/development/desa/population/publications/database/index.shtml
160
https://comtrade.un.org
60
OpenNepal161, Open Knowledge Nepal162, Code for Nepal163 and Bikas Udhyami’s Nepal in Data
initiative.164
4.4 Data Quality

4.4.1 Frequency and Timeliness
Most data generated through MISs are updated either daily, bi-weekly or at most annually.
Fiscal and financial data produced by various MoF MISs for instance, are updated daily.
Similarly, the HMIS as well is updated daily. Therefore, statistics and information generated
through the MISs can be deemed regular and timely. These cover indicators related to
government finance and public-sector statistics, health, education, agriculture, public sector
employment, crime and accidents, and infrastructure. Most of the MISs are methodologically
designed according to the specifications, expertise and technical support provided by inter alia
development partners and therefore, are expected to provide internationally comparable data of
good quality.
The problem with the frequency and timeliness lies with data generated from surveys and
censuses. Data for some of the most important household-based indicators in the SDGs come
from surveys. For instance, data on income comes from the NLSS, data on occupation comes
from NLSS and NLFS, data on population comes from the NPHS and so on. Often surveys run
late and data arrives past their due deadlines. For instance, the NLFS was last conducted in
2007/08 and has not been conducted since. The NLSS was last conducted in 2010/11. As a
result, policy makers have had to rely on information that is at least 7-8 years old to determine
important policy variables like unemployment, income and poverty. Similar is the case with the
Census which is updated once every ten years, and hence data related to population, and living
amenities are generated once in a decade and after which they must be extrapolated. In the
absence of a national registry of individuals for tracking their income and employment activities,
such problems are likely to persist in the future.
Many surveys that are conducted on an ad hoc basis cannot be expected to be repeated
at all. There seems to have been a general lack of a long-term vision and perspective in
planning data systems. With the exception of some censuses (i.e. NPHC, Agricultural Census)
and surveys (i.e. Annual Household Survey, NDHS, NLSS, etc.) there is no data calendar. The
review of development data found that, in many cases, surveys are conducted haphazardly- a
finding that was backed up by key informants. For instance, according to an informant interview,
if the GoN requires information on hospitals the CBS would carry out a census of hospitals.
Nobody can say when the next survey on hospitals will take place. The STEPS Survey of the
Ministry of Health, and Energy Survey of the Water and Energy Commission Secretariat at
the government level, and other surveys conducted by development partners present similar
cases. This clearly points to the need for a) providing more authority and resources to the CBS
to generate regular surveys on a more frequent basis; and b) to institutionalize the CBS as the
sole body for conducting regular surveys of other government bodies in order to prevent ad hoc
data generation.
161
http://opennepal.net/
162
https://np.okfn.org/
163
http://codefornepal.org/en/
164
http://nepalindata.com
61
4.4.2 Disaggregation
Depending on the nature of data generated, most information sources provide

disaggregated information to the extent possible. Data that can be disaggregated by
geography, age, gender, disability and income quintile has increased value for decision-
making and SDG monitoring. In Nepal, the federal restructuring is resulting in a change to
the country’s administrative units, so data that can be disaggregated to the district level and
reaggregated at the new provincial level has particular value. Social attributes such as caste
is another important metric for disaggregation as this can help indicate target audiences for
development programs. For instance, all financial MISs provide data disaggregated at the
level of government units producing those data. The HMIS and EMIS provide data at the level
of districts disaggregated by gender and age. Similarly, agriculture production related statistics
can also be disaggregated till the level of districts. In fact, most of the data series identified
during the review of development data can be disaggregated at least till the district level, and
many data series can be further disaggregated at municipality, ilaka, or to the actual location of
the primary data provider. Individual data can further be classified based on age and gender,
although classification according to disability is not clearly visible in many of the data sources.
One important data source, and the consequent data series, that cannot be disaggregated is the
national accounts. Till present, both the CBS and the NRB produce macroeconomic indicators
at the national level. These cannot be accurately classified on the basis of geographical
location, which puts a big constraint on the development of regional policies of Nepal. Similarly,
survey data produced by development partners like the Doing Business Surveys (DBS), and
Executive Opinion Surveys (EOS) too cannot be disaggregated and only primarily cover
Kathmandu.
4.4.3 Interoperability
There are significant gaps in Nepal when it comes to interoperability. Interoperability is
“the ability of two or more systems or components to exchange information and to use the
information that has been exchanged.”165 It calls for common definitions, formats and standards
along with a degree of data integration, data exchange and mutual understanding in the use of
data among collaborating partners. The concept of interoperability is not yet well understood
and practiced, because there are no joined-up standards.166
4.4.4 Survey Design and Duplication
The most useful surveys that have been identified by the development data study for
measuring the SDG indicators are either designed by the CBS (the NLSS, NLFS, MICS),
or the Department of Health (DHS), or by development partners (DBS and EOS). The
methodology adopted by the CBS normally follows methodology development by international
development partners. For instance, the NLSS is based on the Household Income and
Expenditure Survey methodology developed by the World Bank. Similarly, the NLFS follows
ILO’s Labor Force Survey methodology and the MICS follows UNICEF’s MICS methodology.
These are therefore surveys generally considered to be of high quality and are frequently
cited across policy reports, and academic publications. Similarly, the DHS conducted by
the Department of Health follows the internationally accepted DHS format used by USAID.
165
A. Geraci. (1991). IEEE standard computer dictionary: Compilation of IEEE standard computer
glossaries. IEEE Press.
166
L. Dennison & P. Rana. (2017).
62
Sometimes, these surveys overlap with each other. For example, the NLSS, the MICS and
the DHS all cover topics related to maternal and child health, fertility, and nutrition. The NLSS
further overlaps with MICS in areas related to education, employment, wealth and income,
time use, and household facilities; and with NLFS in areas related to employment. However,
since these studies are often conducted infrequently and use comparable methodologies, their
findings often complement each other at different periods of time rather than competing.
Often international surveys with their emphasis on country-wise comparability tend to

be the ones with questionable methodology. The DBS for instance, include respondents
primarily from private sector based in Kathmandu, who tend to underreport the achievements
of the GoN. Similarly, the EOS have on average a mere 98 respondents per country on a wide
range of subject areas.
4.4.5 Accuracy
Accuracy is the degree to which data correctly describes the phenomena it was designed
to measure. This accuracy depends on the extent of systemic and random errors.167 As
exact measurement is often prohibitively expensive and sometimes impossible, the issue is
whether an acceptable margin of error has been achieved.168 The accuracy of data is often
influenced by the available budget and time, survey design, response rate as well as quality
of human resources and integrity of implementation process. It also depends on the design
and implementation of accuracy assessment measures.169 Seen from this perspective different
datasets and surveys can bring in different degrees of accuracy. The same system and
process may produce data of differing quality due the trade-offs between different measures
and variables. Due to their rigorous methodologies Nepal’s official surveys and censuses are
considered to be reasonably accurate as are administrative data.
The overall impression from the development data review and key informants regarding
data quality is that there is much room for improvement. This is particularly important for
administrative data. For example, data generated by the flash reports and consolidated flash
reports in the education sector do not match. Key informants were concerned that if that is the
case within the same ministry, such problems are likely to multiply across different government
bodies gathering information on same variables. However, CBS data are generally held to be of
respectable quality.
4.4.6 Data Use
Quality data is an invaluable asset in 21st century.170 However, data are only important
when they are relevant, useful and of high quality. As elsewhere, data collection activities
continue to increase in Nepal and more sophisticated analytical techniques are being used
to process the datasets. In the Nepalese context, though the demand for and the use of data
is increasing it is still in a formative phase. Anecdotally Nepal’s policymakers, legislators,
administrators, students, teachers, professionals, entrepreneurs and even the public are
167
G. Brackstone.(1999). Managing data quality in a statistical agency. Survey Methodology Vol.25,
No. 2 pp. 139-149. Retrieved from https://unstats.un.org/unsd/dnss/docViewer.aspx?docID=194#start
168
Ibid.
169
Ibid.
170
“The world’s most valuable resource is no longer oil, but data.” The Economist. 6 May 2017.
Available at: https://www.economist.com/news/leaders/21721656-data-economy-demands-new-
approach-antitrust-rules-worlds-most-valuable-resource
63
increasingly demanding and using data, however no systematic studies have been carried
out on the usage of data. Neither has the NSS been able to take a more strategic approach
that prioritises the needs of data users when planning for data collection, processing and
dissemination. Most of the surveys and censuses are designed based on national and
international reporting obligations. There has been no effort in the past to systematically
map different groups of users, their needs and potential uses. Recently the CBS has been
undertaking a demand and satisfaction survey of data users and they plan to publish the
findings and results of the survey.171 Nepal’s data ecosystem needs to be realigned to the needs
of different groups of users so that decision makers and accountability actors have access to
data they need.
Until very recently, the culture of sharing and using data among the government, private
sector, academia and civil society had not evolved in Nepal. Data were collected regularly
through administrative channels to prepare progress reports and occasionally cited during
meetings and discussions or while preparing official documents. Information was rarely shared
between organizations. According to key informants, few officials would go as far as to analyze
it to derive policy recommendations. A 2014 study by Homer and Abdel-Fattah put on record
some senior government officials as suggesting that “data use is a formality” in the planning
process. The authors commented on the Nepalese situation as follows:
“Though GoN officials spend a great deal of time collecting and reporting data, much more effort
goes into report production than goes into actual data use. Current cultural and managerial
incentives within the GoN do not encourage robust use of data for planning and decision-
making. Still, many laudable data collection and dissemination efforts are currently taking place
within key government departments – like Health and Education – but they need more clear
incentives to conduct analysis, promote evidence-based planning and have a greater impact on
resource allocation.” 172
The norm of focusing on production of reports rather than use of data is reinforced by
the culture of political pressures as the basis of programs and budget allocations. In
such a climate there will be little use of data, evidence and analysis. But even in such conditions
there are ministers, parliamentarians and other professionals who are consistently striving to
make points based on data and evidence and trying to impress them in policy and programs.
Homer and Abdel-Fattah’s report noted that many interviewees expressed their support for
the development and use of statistics. They concluded that data production, by itself, does not
necessarily promote evidence-based decision-making it is equally important to enhance the
ability of government officials to use data effectively.173
It must be acknowledged that of late, particularly during and after the implementation
of the MDGs, there has been an increasing awareness towards the importance of data.
The performance of ministries and departments are being reviewed and assessed based on
indicators and data. The discourse of evidence-based policymaking is gaining momentum.
Recent documents from the GoN, development partners, private sector, I/NGOs and civil
societies are increasingly calling for evidence-based policies and programs. Administrative
memos, journal essays and academic write ups are also using these terms more frequently.
This can change the rules of game in the near future and contribute towards a more conducive
environment for data use and evidence-based policymaking.
171
NPC, 2017d.
172
Homer and Abdel-Fattah (2014).
173
Ibid.
64
Having said that there are a few issues, which should be given serious thought by the
actors within NSS. In the first place, it is necessary to map the needs of users and uses
before conducting surveys and censuses or designing an MIS. Unless the users and uses
are identified, there is no guide for processing and product development. This situation can
lead to, as often has been the case, the mismatch between the demand and supply of data.
Similarly, there have been little attempts, if any, to assess the requirements of different users
in terms of granularity, frequency, and quality. These factors have important bearings upon
the use and non-use of data. Secondly, where data are available, quite often they are not
processed into products that are valuable for the users. Thirdly, it is important to realize that
data have relevance when they are available at the right time and the needs of the users often
changes with time. Fourthly, to make the data useful it is important to ensure that the data is
easily accessible and are presented in user-friendly and easily understandable formats. Limited
products and inadequate processing and analysis make it less useful. Fifthly, the majority of
people are not informed about the existence and potential uses of data. This is especially the
case in a country like Nepal, where very few people are literate in data and statistics. They need
to be informed about the methods of approaching and using it. Often it becomes a necessity
to take stock of and leverage existing dissemination mechanisms to reach the targeted users.
Finally, it is important that the NSS be more intensively engaged with stakeholders to assess
their needs and receive feedbacks. This will lead to a more dynamic and user and utilization-
focused ecosystem.
65
Chapter V: Sustainable
Development Goals and Data
This chapter analyses the SDG monitoring framework and data sources used by the GoN to
monitor and track progress against SDG goals, targets and indicators. It looks at specific data
gaps in term of the missing baseline data, data sources and disaggregation levels of data.
The chapter also look as the resources needed to implement the SDGs and strengthen data
collection as well as the financing strategies available.
5.1 Sustainable Development Goals

Nepal joined the world in adopting the new 2030 Agenda for Sustainable Development
along with the SDGs at United Nations Sustainable Development Summit on 25
September 2015. The 17 SDGs which are also known as Global Goals, are built on the MDGs
but have a more ambitious agenda which aim at eliminating rather than reducing poverty. The
SDGs put forward more challenging targets on education, health, gender, and environment
sectors. Some of the major departures from MDGS are its emphasis on infrastructure, climate
change, sustainable consumption, innovation, and peace and justice for all. The Goals also
promotes governance, strong institutions and partnerships.
As with the MDGs, the SDGs have begun to play an important role in national
development planning and monitoring in Nepal. While the GoN considers all the 17
SDGs and 169 targets as ‘legitimate development objectives seen through a global lens’,
the National Planning Commission’s 2018 ‘Sustainable Development Goals: Status and
Roadmap:2016-2030 states that ‘a resource-strapped country like Nepal needs to prioritize,
localize and motivate a bottom-up path towards greater progress.’ The report also states the
need for ‘a home-grown roadmap that is consistent with the SDGs, yet rooted in quintessentially
Nepali events and milestones’174 The report notes the various issues pertaining to the SDG
goals, targets and indicators. Firstly, the targets are highly ambitious for several goals and
need to be negotiated to make them more realistic. Examples given include ending poverty,
hunger and malnutrition, ending preventable new-borns and under five child mortality, ending
all forms of gender discrimination, and ending deprivations in basic services like safe water,
sanitation and modern energy. Secondly, SDGs targets are found to be less relevant for Nepal
and in case of some others there is a need for additional targets to address national realities
(e.g. Chhaupadi). Thirdly, the report finds that global targets for some indicators are insufficient;
only proximate; they rely more on markets than state interventions and they may not work
properly for LDCs like Nepal. Fourthly, some SDGs are found to be less relevant (e.g. SDG 14)
for Nepal; some require action that is more dependent on other countries (e.g. SDG 13) while
others (SDG 12) concern more developed countries. Finally, as the goals and targets overlap,
one indicator may serve more than one target leaving the possibility of duplication.
Against this backdrop, the GoN has started to mainstream the SDGs into the national
level planning and budgeting systems.175 In the process, the NPC reviewed sixteen medium-
term and long-term sector plans and strategies with a view to examine their alignments with the
174
NPC, 2017e.
175
NPC, 2017.
66
SDGs and found that they were aligned with two overarching goals of the nation i.e. achieving
graduation to middle income country status and achieving SDGs by 2030, though many of
them would require further alignments.176 Even though some of the policies like the National
Adaptation Program of Action (NAPA) 2010, Climate Change Policy 2011 and Local Adaptation
Program of Action (LAPA) 2011 were formulated before the formal adoption of the SDGs, their
content and spirit were found to be consistent with SDGs.177
Three high-level committees have been formed to help implement the SDGs. Firstly,
a national steering committee has been formed that is chaired by the Prime Minister, which
serves as the apex body that will guide the country towards achieving the SDGs. Secondly, a
coordination committee has been formed chaired by the Vice Chairman of the NPC, which will
make institutional arrangements to achieve the SDGs, approve programs to enhance capacity
at local and regional levels, mobilize financial resources to implement programs that achieve
the SDGs, coordinate with stakeholders, and frame indicators to measure and monitor progress
of development programs. Furthermore, nine thematic committees have been set up to support
the two high-level committees, which are headed by NPC Members. These nine thematic
committees focus on economic development; industrial development; urban development;
social development; employment management; agriculture, climate and environment;
physical infrastructure; energy development; and peace, justice and inclusive institutions. The
membership of the thematic committees is broadly representative of the public and private
sectors, as well as civil society and development partners.
A SDGs need assessment has been conducted that also investigates the gaps and
bottlenecks regarding implementation. The Fourteenth Plan (2016/17-1018/19) has
integrated the essential elements of the SDGs and the two annual development programs and
budgets (FY 2016/17 and 2017/18) have been aligned with the SDGs. Projects within these
are coded based on their contribution to individual SDGs.178 At the same time it is also being
emphasized that existing sectoral plans, long-term strategies and the perspective plans of the
sectoral ministries need revision and further alignment with the SDGs. Second, some of the
SDGs and targets are found to be less relevant (e.g. SDG 14) for Nepal and in case of some
others there is a need for additional targets to address national realities.
Currently, Nepal is in the process of provincial and local government restructuring. The
new Constitution of Nepal (2015) has decentralized important legislative, executive and judiciary
functions to local governments along with the authority to plan and implement development
programs at their respective levels. Therefore, a strong commitment and active contribution
on the part of Provincial Governments (PGs), District Coordination Committees (DCCs),
Municipalities and Rural Municipalities (Gau Palikas) will be crucial for effective implementation
176
Ibid. These plans and strategies included: School Sector Development Plan (2016-23), Nepal
Health Sector Strategy-NHSS (2015-2020), Zero Hunger Challenge National Action Plan of Nepal
(2016-2025), Agriculture Development Strategy (ADS) of Nepal (2014-2034), Information and Com-
munication Technology (ICT) Broadband Master Plan of Nepal (2016-2020), Forest Sector Strategy
(FSS) of Nepal (2015-2025), Nature Conservation National Strategic Framework for Sustainable
Development (2015-2030), Water Supply, Sanitation and Hygiene Sector Development Plan of Nepal
(2016 – 2030), 20 Years Road Plan (2001-2020) and Five Years Road Sector Strategy of Nepal
(2016-2020), National Urban Development Strategy (2017-2031), Nepal’s National Tourism Strategic
Plan (2016-2025), National Energy Strategy of Nepal (2013-2030) and Nepal’s Energy Sector Vision
2050 (2013-2050), National Adaptation Program of Action (NAPA) to Climate Change 2010, Climate
Change Policy of Nepal 2011 and Local Adaptation Program of Action (LAPA, 2011).
177
Ibid.
178
Ibid.
67
of the SDGs. Accordingly, limited steps have been taken so far for the localization of SDGs at
the provincial and local level and their respective planning and budgeting systems. Following
the assumption of responsibility by the provincial governments, municipalities and rural
municipalities, localization and mainstreaming of SDGs will now need to take place.179 Indeed,
the NPC envisages the lack of data localization, weak databases and unavailability of data
disaggregated by sex, age, social groups, disability status, geography, and income level as key
challenges for progress monitoring.180 Key informants revealed that other ministries feel it to be
the responsibility of the NPC to define indicators and spell out the data needs for the SDGs. The
NPC, MoFALD and other line ministries have issued directives to mainstream the SDGs into
their local development plans and programs.181 In addition, MoFALD has a plan for orientation
of village and municipal authorities on the SDGs.182
5.2 SDG Monitoring Framework

There have been ongoing efforts to develop a strong monitoring system for the SDGs.
As noted by the NPC in its report, the GoN has a fairly robust monitoring and evaluation system
in place to track the progress of policies, programs and projects. However, it has made special
efforts to create an enabling policy environment for tracking and evaluating the SDGs. The GoN
has drafted the Monitoring and Evaluation Act, which is expected to be ratified by the Parliament
in 2018. In addition, the NPC is amending the National M&E Guidelines to makes these SDG
friendly and has internalized a results-based approach in its planning processes. The NPC will
play a crucial role in ‘institutionalizing the culture of using evidence in the SDG-friendly planning
and policy-making processes’. Apart from the NPC, the high level National Development Action
Committee (NDAC) which currently reviews the implementation of programs and projects and
establishes inter-ministerial coordination on development related issues is also expected to play
an important role in SDG monitoring. Similarly, Ministerial Development Action Committees will
fulfil a similar role within the federal Ministries. Furthermore, the EvalSDGs Group of Nepal has
prepared a five-year (2016-2020) integrated gender and equity focused SDGs monitoring and
evaluation action plan for Nepal. Finally, subnational systems will also be developed to track
local achievement of SDGs.
The GoN has identified 415 indicators as relevant for Nepal. The Inter-Agency and Expert
Group on Sustainable Development Goal Indicators has identified 244 indicators to measure the
SDGs. However, since nine indicators repeat under two or three different targets (see below),
the actual total number of individual indicators in the list is 232.The NPC in its Baseline Report
noted that ‘overall, all the global SDG targets and indicators are not fully applicable to Nepal’s
country condition; nor are they sufficient to depict the country specific SDG issues.’However, the
NPC decided to retain them for global comparison, while also identifying additional indicators
to serve the national context and to proximate the targets. As a result, 425 indicators were
identified as relevant for Nepal, but as 10 indicators were found repeated under two or three
different targets the actual number of indicators currently stands at 415.
The GoN has opted not to disaggregate all indicators separately. The limited ability of
the GoN to understand how people of different sex, age, capability, geographic location or
income levels are affected under the development process could hamper the design and
179
Ibid.
180
Ibid.
181
Ibid.
182
Ibid.
68
implementation of strategies to tackle discrimination and ensure achievement of SDGs for all.
The UN has decided that SDG indicators have to be disaggregated where relevant by income,
sex, age, race, ethnicity, migratory status, disability and geographic location.183 The NPC notes
in its 2017 baseline and roadmap report that ‘if the SDG indicators were to be disaggregated,
by income, sex, age, race, ethnicity, migratory status, disability and geographic location, the
230-plus global indicators would result in more than 600 indicators’.184 Accordingly, for practical
purposes, it has kept the list of national indicators rather small at an aggregated level. At the
same time, at working level it encourages each ministry or agency to craft disaggregated
indicators and report to the national agency responsible for monitoring.’185
5.3 Data Gaps

5.3.1 Availability
The NPC after mapping the SDG data requirements, at the end of 2015, found large data
gaps for monitoring the targets. This finding was reconfirmed in its updated baseline report
in which the NPC found that out of 425 indicators, data for only 249 indicators are regularly or
intermittently available whereas the data for 76 indicators were partially available and data for
100 indicators are not available at all.186
Figure 15: Indicators and Availability of data
No. of Indicators
for Which Data
are More or Less
Available
249
No.of Indicators No. of Indicators

For Which Data Are For Which Data Are
Not Yet Partially
Available Available
100 76
183
UN General Assembly Resolution 68/26, United Nations.
184
NPC, (2017e).
185
Ibid.
186
Ibid.
69
Our own assessment of the NPC’s SDG monitoring framework found that 178 of the SDG indi-
cators have no base year statistics. SDG 1,2,4,5,6,8,10,11,12.15,16 and 17 have 10 or more in-
dicators for which baseline data is missing187. A total of 25 indicators do not have a data source
listed in particular SDG 4 and 17.
Figure 16 SDG Missing Baselines and Data Sources
In addition, in our assessment 110 of the indicators are not disaggregated, while other indicators
are disaggregated by subnational level, gender and social group. Unless the indicator itself
already is target group specific, most indicators do not have available disaggregated baseline
data. Furthermore, in our assessment, the SDG monitoring framework does not disaggregate
any of the indicators based on age and disability.
Table 4: SDG Disaggregation Levels
SDG Disaggregation No. of Disaggregated Indicators

Subnational 369
Social Group 103
Gender 77
Rural-Urban 16
Provincial 8
Local 3
National 3
Level of Schools 1
187
Ibid.
70
5.3.2. Quality of the Data
As for quality of available data, out of the 425 indicators assessed, an unpublished version
of the NPC ranked data for 216 indicators as good, and data sources for 106 indicators as
moderate in quality. However, it did not specify the criteria as to what constituted good or
moderate in quality.
5.4 Data Sources

One of the primary objectives of this study was to examine and trace the adequacy of existing
available data sources against the indicator frameworks of the SDGs.
5.4.1 Major Data Sources for monitoring the SDG indicators
The SDG indicators proposed by the NPC use sectoral data published in the Fourteenth
Plan of the GoN, administrative data of GoN agencies, publications by non-governmental
organizations188 and some indicators related to governance, international sources are also
referred to where national data are not available.189 The most frequently cited data source for
the SDG indicators are administrative data especially MISs of various responsible agencies
as identified in the monitoring framework. As noted in the previous chapter, the MIS has as
an advantage that it is more regularly available, but unfortunately most of the MIS data is not
published in an open format. The second most frequently used data source are surveys. Three
types of surveys are mentioned i.e. general surveys (not specified), specific surveys such as the
Transport Survey and longitudinal surveys such as the NMICS and the NLSS. The third most
cited data sources are Censuses. As noted in the previous chapter, the problem with Censuses
is that they are not regularly conducted. Hence, the baseline data using Censuses tends to be
not very recent and it is unlikely that the data will be updated soon. As a consequence, progress
data may not be available on time to measure SDG progress in the intervals specified in the
framework A total of 10 SDGs (SDG 14 not included) are measured by a total of 25 indicators
that not have any data source listed. Thus, only 6 SDGs have all data sources listed. Thus, it is
recommended for the government, civil society and development partners in coordination with
each other to particular focus on addressing these data gaps.
Table 5:Key SDG Data Sources

Type of Data Specific Data Source SDG Goals No. of SDG
Source Indicators
Administrative Management Information 1-17 248
Data System (MIS)
Health Management 3,5 19
Information System (HMIS)
Education Management 4, 10 25
Information System (EMIS)
Civil registration and vital 3, 16 6
statistics (CRVS)
Insurance Management 3 1
Information System( ISIS)
Logistics Management and 3 1
Information System (LMIS)
188
NPC, (2017e).
189
Ibid.
71
Survey Nepal Multiple Indicator Cluster 1,2,4,6 42
Survey (NMICS)190
Nepal Living Standards Survey 1,2,3,4,5,6,10,11 33
(NLSS)
Nepal Demographic Household 2,3,4,5 23
Survey (NDHS)
Household Survey (HS) 1,2,8 10
Governance Survey191 16 5
Nepal Labor Force Survey 5,8,9 8
(NLFS)
Transport Survey 11 4
Stepwise Approach to 3 3
Surveillance (STEPS)
Time use Survey 5 3
Annual Household Survey 3,5,11 3
(AHS)
Crime Survey 16 3
Rolling Survey 1, 8 2
High Dependency Unit (HDU) 3 1
Survey
Other Surveys 1-12. 14-17 65
Census Census 192
1,4,5,6,7,8,10,11,16 19
Economic Census 2,3,5,8,9 8
Agri Census 2,3,5 3
Manufacturing Census 7 3
Other Statistics National Accounts 8,9,17 7
Environment Accounts 9,13 4
National Health Accounts 3 4
(NHA)
Balance of Payment (BoP) 10 1
190
The SDG Roadmap uses two abbreviations for the Nepal Multiple Indicator Cluster Survey
NMICS (33 times listed) and MICS (9 times listed). This report uses the abbreviation NMCIS and
has added the listings under both abbreviations up to arrive at the total number of 42.
191
The SDG Roadmap list both a Governance Survey (listed 4 times) as well as Thematic Study
(Governance Survey listed 1 time) as source. This report uses Governance Survey and has
added the listings under both references up to arrive at the total number of 5
192
The SDG Roadmap refers to the Nepal Housing and Population Census as Population
Census (1time listed) as well as Census (18 times listed). This report uses the abbreviation
NPHS and has added the listings under both references up to arrive at the total number of 19.
72
Studies National Assessment of 4 7
Students Achievement (NASA)
National Human Development 5
Report (NHDR)
Global Burden of Disease 3 5
(GBD) Study
Study 6,7 3
Thematic Study 6 3
Post Disaster Needs 1,2 1
Assessment (PDNA)
Assessment Report (WHO) 3 1
Other Data Panel 2 8
Sources Global Food Safety 2 1
Initiative(GFSI) Website
Global Reports 10 1
No Data Source 1,2,3,4,5,9,12,15,16,17 25
Listed
A total of 43 different agencies are responsible for data production under the SDG framework.
Out of these, 41 are government agencies and 2 non-government i.e. the United Nations
Development Programme (UNDP) and the World Health Organization (WHO). Hence, there is a
strong need for coordination between these different data producers especially in cases where
multiple agencies are responsible to produce data for one indicator. In terms of responsible
agencies for the production of these data sources, CBS is agency responsible for the production
of data for most indicators. It is followed by the Ministry of Health and the Ministry of Education.
For 19 indicators, no responsible agency is listed in the SDG Monitoring Framework.
Table 6: Responsible Agencies for SDG Indicators
Responsible Agency SDG Goals Indicators

CBS 1-12, 16-17 160
MoH 2,3,5,10 65
MoF 1,2,5,6,7,8,9,10, 11,12,16,17 53
MoPE 7,11,12,13, 15,17 46
MoFSC 2,12,15 41
MoE 4,8,9,10,12,13 40
MoHA 1,3,5,10,13,16 31
MoAD 2,12,15 25
NPC 4,5,9,10,11,17 24
MoEN 6,7,12 14
MoI 4,5,6,9,10,12,17 11
MoGA 5,16 9
73
MoTCA 8,11,12 8
MoWCSW 1,5 8
NRB 2,8,9,10 8
MoFALD 11,13,16,17 7
MoLRM 1,5,15 7
MoIC 4,5,9,17 6
MoWSS 6 6
NARC 2 6
MoC 8 10,17 5
MoUD 11 5
UNDP 5,10 5
MoFA 10,16,17 4
MoLE 8,10 4
MoPIT 9 4
NEC 4 4
OPMCM 4 4
MoIR 6,15 3
MoLJPA 16 3
MoYS 8 3
MoS 2,12 2
MoWSW 1 2
NHRC 16 2
CAAN 9,16 1
ERO 4 1
MoCP 5 1
MoGA 5, 16 1
MoLD 2 1
MoST 17 1
NoHA 16 1
WHO 3 1
5.4.2 SDG Summary
In the following section a summary has been provided for each of the SDGs with the key global
targets as well as national targets and indicators as contextualized in Nepal. It also provides
sources of data as identified by the GoN.193
SDG 1: End poverty in all its forms everywhere: SDG 1 proposes to accomplish the
following, among others, by 2030: i) eradicate extreme poverty (measured as people living on
less than $1.25 a day); ii) reduce at least by half the proportion of men, women and children
193
As it was not feasible to present all those targets and indicators in the summary, a short list of major
targets and indicators have been selected based on authors’ discretion. Although efforts were made to
come up with comprehensive set of targets and indicators to reflect the SDGs, it will fail to satisfy many
readers. Also, summaries, by definition, cannot be expected to capture the whole. For entire set of
indicators please refer to annex. The sources of data are those identified by the NPC. In rare cases one
or two sources are added by the authors.
74
of all ages living in poverty as defined nationally; iii) implement nationally appropriate social
protection systems and measures including floors to achieve substantial coverage of the
poor and the vulnerable; iv) ensure that all men and women have equal rights to economic
resources, control over land, technology and other forms of resources, as well as access to
basic services; v) build the resilience of the poor and those in vulnerable situations by reducing
their vulnerability to economic, social and environmental shocks and disasters. It also calls
for significant mobilization of resources from a variety of sources, including through enhanced
development cooperation, to provide adequate and predictable means for developing countries,
in particular least developed countries, to implement programs and policies to end poverty along
with sound policy frameworks at the national, regional and international levels.
There are altogether 5 targets under SDG 1 measured by 30 indicators. Data for
measuring these SDG 1 indicators primarily comes from the MIS of the MoWCS, MLRM,
MoHA) and the MoF. In addition, various indicators use the NLSS produced by the CBS as data
source. The survey contains information on income and expenditure details on households
and therefore forms the basis of evaluating poverty for households across Nepal. However, the
last NLSS took place in 2011 and therefore the data is dated e.g. indicator 1.4.1.2 ‘Households
covered by formal financial services relies at present on the NLSS and a Household Survey
but needs to be updated’. The Multidimensional Poverty Index is measured via indicators from
the Multiple Indicator Cluster Survey. Other important sources of information for SDG 1 that
are currently not being used could include the Vital Events Registration and Social Protection
Management Information System for tracking distribution of social security, and the Budget
Management Information System for recording budget expenditures. There is baseline data
missing for 11 indicators and 1 indicator also does not have a data source i.e. 1.5.2 “direct
economic loss attributed to disasters in relation to global gross domestic product”. Of the 30
indicators, 27 indicators are disaggregated at the sub-national level, 13 based on urban-rural
and 17 are disaggregated based on social group. Only 5 are disaggregated based on gender.
The CBS, the MoHA and the MoF are the main responsible data producers.
Table 7: SDG Overview Goal 1
SDG 1 Indicators
Total Number of Indicators 30
Baseline Data Missing 11
Data Sources MIS 15
NLSS 9
HS 7
Survey 5
MICS 1
Panel 1
PDNA 1
Rolling Survey 1
Not Listed 1
Disaggregation Subnational 27
Urban-Rural 13
Social- Group 12
Gender 5
No Disaggregation
75
Responsible Agencies CBS 16
MoHA 6
MoF 5
MoWCSW 3
MoLRM 2
MoWSW 2
Not Listed 1
SDG 2 - End hunger, achieve food security and improved nutrition and promote
sustainable agriculture: There are 5 targets and 9 sub-targets associated with SDG 2. The
SDG 2 targets to i) end hunger and ensure access by all people to safe, nutritious and sufficient
food all year round; (ii) end all forms of malnutrition and achieve internationally agreed targets
on stunting and wasting; (iii) doubling agricultural productivity and incomes by among others
securing equal access to land, other productive resources for value addition and non-farm
employment; iv) ensure sustainable food production systems and implement resilient and
productivity enhancing agricultural practices that help maintain ecosystems and strengthen
capacity for adaptation to climate change; and (v) maintain the genetic diversity of seeds,
cultivated plants and farmed and domesticated animals and their related wild species, including
through soundly managed and diversified seed and plant banks at the national, regional and
international levels while promoting access to and fair and equitable sharing of benefits. It also
calls for increasing investment, correction of trade restriction and distortions in agriculture and
food commodity markets.
SDG 2 has 32 indicators and utilizes data from a wide range of sources. Baseline data is
not available for 11 indicators related to agriculture such as the volume of production per labour
unit by classes of farming (2.3.1) and seeds such as the number of plant and animal genetic
resources for food and agriculture secured in either medium or long term conservation facilities
(2.5.1). However, data sources are listed for all indicators. The MIS of the Ministry of Agricultural
Development (MoAD), Ministry of Forestry (MoFSC), National Agricultural Research Centre
(NARC), Nepal Rastra Bank (NRB) and Ministry of Supplies (MoS) are the primary data sources
used for most indicators under SDG 2. The NLSS forms the basis for the indicators related
to target 2.1 on undernourishment and adequacy of consumption combined with the NMICS
and the Global Food Security Index. The NDHS combined with the NMICs provides the data
under target 2.2 for indicators related to undernourishment like stunting, underweight children
and anaemia. Other data sources used are a Panel, the Agri Census, the HS, NLSS, Survey,
Economic Census, GFSI website, Manufacturing Census and MICS. Of the 32 indicators, 26
can be measured at sub-national level, 6 can be disaggregated on the basis of social group and
5 on the basis of gender. The main responsible agencies for the data are MoAD, CBS and the
MoH
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SDG 2 Data Sources Indicators

Total Number of Indicators 32
Data Sources MIS 21
NDHS 5
NMICS 5
Panel 5
Agri Census 2
HS 2
NLSS 2
Survey 2
Economic Census 1
GFSI website 1
Manufacturing Census 1
MICS 1
Not Listed 1
Social Group 6
Gender 5
Not disaggregated 5
Responsible Agencies MoAD 16
CBS 10
MoH 6
NARC 6
MoFSC 4
MoF 3
Not Listed 2
SDG 3 - Ensure healthy lives and promote well-being for all at all ages: There are a total
of 13 targets under SDG 3. The major global targets are to: i) reduce the global maternal
mortality ratio to less than 70 per 100,000 live births; ii) end preventable deaths of new-borns
and children under 5 years of age while reducing neonatal and under-5 mortality to at least
as low as 12 and 25 per 1,000 live births respectively; iii) end the epidemic of AIDS, TB,
malaria and neglected tropical diseases and combat hepatitis, water-borne diseases and other
communicable diseases; iv) reduce by one third premature mortality from non-communicable
diseases; v) strengthen the prevention and treatment of substance abuse, including narcotic
drug abuse and harmful use of alcohol. It also intends to halve the number of global deaths and
injuries from road traffic accidents by 2020; ensure universal access to sexual and reproductive
healthcare services, and achieve universal health coverage, among others.
SDG 3 is measured by 60 indicators and 17 different data sources. There are only 6
indicators that do not have any baseline data. The HMIS, the NDHS and the NMICS form
the main data sources. The HMIS contains an array of information including maternal
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mortality rates, infant and under-five mortality rates, and incidences of communicable and
non-communicable diseases. Some of these indicators also derive their information from
the NDHS. More personal information related to contraceptive prevalence, vaccination, and
access to health facilities comes from the NLSS and NDHS. The Goal among others also uses
STEPS Survey for indicators related to prevalence of non-communicable diseases and use of
hazardous consumption items like narcotics, alcohol and tobacco products. Only for 2 indicators
is there no data source i.e. Mortality rate between 30 and 70 years of age from cardiovascular
disease, cancer, diabetes or chronic respiratory disease (3.4) and proportion of health services
that have a core set of relevant essential medicines available and affordable on a sustainable
basis (3b.3). For 55 indicators, disaggregated data at subnational level and for 31 according to
social group. However, only for 14 indicators is gender disaggregated data available.

Total number of indicators 60
Baseline data missing 6
Data Sources HMIS 18
NDHS 15
NMICS 14
CRVS 5
GBD Study 5
NHA 4
Survey 4
STEPS 3
MIS 2
AHS 1
Annual Household Survey 1
Assessment Report (WHO) 1
HDU survey 1
HRH Profile 1
IMIS 1
LMIS 1
NLSS 1
No data source
Social Group 35
Gender 31
Social Group 4
No disaggregation 4
Responsible Agencies MoH 53
CBS 4
MOHA 4
WHO 1
Not listed 2
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SDG 4 - Ensure inclusive and equitable quality education and promote lifelong learning
opportunities for all: There are a total of 10 indicators under SDG 4. The major global targets
are to: (i) ensure that all girls and boys complete free, equitable and quality primary and
secondary education leading to relevant and effective learning outcomes; (ii) ensure that all girls
and boys have access to quality early childhood development, care and pre-primary education
so that they are ready for primary education; (iii) ensure equal access for all women and men
to affordable and quality technical, vocational and tertiary education, including university;
(iv) increase substantially the number of youth and adults who have relevant skills, including
technical and vocational skills, for employment, decent jobs and entrepreneurship, and (v)
eliminate gender disparities in education and ensure equal access to all levels of education and
vocational training for the vulnerable, including persons with disabilities, indigenous peoples and
children in vulnerable situations. It also intends to promote literacy and numeracy along with
the knowledge and skills for sustainable development; build and upgrade education facilities
to make them child, disability and gender sensitive; and substantially increase the supply of
qualified teachers among others. SDG 4 contains 22 indicators that measure 7 targets and 8
sub-targets.
There are a total of 47 indicators under SDG 4 and 8 different data sources. There are 13
indicators for which baseline data is missing and 7 indicators that do not have data sources.
The EMIS (for school and higher education) forms the backbone of most indicators associated
with SDG 4. These include school enrolment rates, completion rates, gender and ethnic equality
in the aforesaid rates, and coverage of scholarships. Surveys such as MICS, NASA and NLSS
are used in combination with each other for indicators relating to enrolment and completion
rates. The NPHC provides information on overall participation rates in formal and non-formal
education, numeracy and literacy rates. Out of 47 indicators, 35 can be sub-classified and
measured at district and regional levels using existing data sources. Similarly, the same data
sources can further provide information on 28 indicators that can be classified as per social
groups as well (except data on internet users) and 14 indicators that can be classified as per
gender. The MoE, CBS and the NPC are the main responsible agencies.

Total no. of indicators 47
Data Sources EMIS 23
NASA 7
NLSS 6
MISC 5
Survey 5
Census 3
MICS 2
Panel 2
No data source 7
79
Social Group 28
Gender 14
Provincial 2
Level of schools 1
No disaggregation 7
Responsible Agencies MoE 34
CBS 15
NPC 7
ERO 1
MoIC 1
Not listed 7
SDG 5 - Achieve gender equality and empower all women and girls: SDG 5 has 9 targets
with global ones including: (i) ending all forms of discrimination against all women and girls
everywhere; (ii) eliminating all forms of violence against all women and girls in the public and
private spheres, including trafficking and sexual and other types of exploitation; (iii) eliminating
all harmful practices, such as child, early and forced marriage and female genital mutilation;
(iv) recognizing unpaid care and domestic work through services, infrastructure and social
protection policies; (v) ensuring women’s full and effective participation and equal opportunities
for leadership at all levels of decision-making in political, economic and public life; and (vi)
ensuring universal access to sexual and reproductive health and reproductive rights. Similarly,
underlines the need to initiate reforms to ensure equal rights to women to productive resources
including land and other forms of property, financial services, inheritance and natural resources;
sound policies and enforceable legislation; as well as enhanced use of enabling technology to
promote the empowerment of women.
There are 36 indicators under SDG 5 and 16 different data sources. There are 18 indicators
that do not have baseline data and only 1 indicator that does not have a data source i.e.
Proportion of girls and women aged 15-49 years who were married or in union before age
15 and before age 18 (5.3.2). The MIS of the MoWSCW, MoH, MoHA, CBS, NEC, MoCP,
MoGA, MoLRM, MoIC and MoF, NMICS, NDHS and NEC provide the bulk of evidence for
the indicators. The NLSS has detailed information on sectors, wages, and non-pecuniary
benefits provided to working men and women. The NDHS provides additional information
on domestic work and use of computers. It also provides additional information on sexual
abuse, psychological aggression, and physical violence against women. The NHPC provides
information on ownership of assets by women. Data related to women’s ownership of
enterprises, and women in managerial positions are not readily available at present. Only 1
indicator of SDG 5 has disaggregated data based on gender i.e. Proportion of individuals who
own a mobile telephone, by sex (5.b.1), which can be explained by the fact that most indicators
focus on women. Similarly, only one indicator can be disaggregated based on social group i.e
women’s ownership of property (land and house) (5.a.2). Interestingly, SDG 5 disaggregates
data geographically into four categories i.e. national, provincial, subnational and local. The
main responsible agencies are the CBS, MoSWC and NEC.
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Total No. of indicators 36
Data Sources MIS 13
NMICS 7
NDHS 3
NEC 3
Time Use Survey 3
Economic Census 2
NHDR 2
NLFS 2
Survey 2
Agri Census 1
AHS 1
Census 1
HMIS 1
MICS 1
NHRC 1
NLSS 1
Time use Survey 1
No data source 1
Provincial 6
National 2
Gender 1
Local 1
Local 1
Social Group 1
No disaggregation 3
MoWCSW 5
NEC 4
MoH 3
NPC 3
MoH 2
MoLRM 2
UNDP 2
MoCP 1
MoF 1
MoGA 1
MoHA 1
MoIC 1
Not listed 18
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SDG 6 - Ensure availability and sustainable management of water and sanitation for all:
There are 8 targets under SDG 6 with as global targets: (i) achieving universal and equitable
access to safe and affordable drinking water for all; (ii) achieving access to adequate and
equitable sanitation and hygiene for all along with the end of open defecation with special
attention to the needs of women and girls; (iii) improving water quality by reducing pollution,
eliminating dumping and minimizing release of hazardous chemicals and materials, as well as
increasing recycling and safe reuse; (iv) substantially increasing water-use efficiency across
all sectors and reduce the number of people suffering from water scarcity; (v) implementing
integrated water resources management at all levels; and (vi) protecting and restoring water-
related ecosystems, including mountains, forests, wetlands, rivers, aquifers and lakes. In
addition, it also intends to promote cooperation internationally and support and strengthen the
participation of local communities in improving water and sanitation management.
Altogether, 25 indicators measure the 5 targets of Goal 6 using 8 data sources. There are
12 indicators without baseline data, but none without a data source. The MIS of the MoWSS,
MoI, MoEN, MoIR and MoF are the main data sources. They are followed by Surveys conducted
by CBS and the MICS. Unfortunately, the indicators under SDG 6 can only be disaggregated
based on subnational level and 4 have no disaggregation. The main responsible agencies are
the CBS and the MoWSS.

Data Sources MIS 11
Survey 8
MICS 4
Census 3
Study 3
Thematic Study 3
No disaggregation 4
MoWSS 6
MoEN 2
MoF 2
MoI 2
SDG 7 - Ensure access to affordable, reliable, sustainable and modern energy for all:
There are 5 targets under SDG 7 which aim at: (i) ensuring universal access to affordable,
reliable and modern energy services; (ii) increasing substantially the share of renewable energy
in the global energy mix; and (iii) doubling the global rate of improvement in energy efficiency.
To achieve these targets, it also lays emphasis on enhanced international cooperation to
facilitate access to clean energy research and technology and promote infrastructure and
technology for supplying modern and sustainable energy services for all in developing
countries, in particular least developed countries, small island developing states and landlocked
developing countries.
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There are a total of 15 indicators under SDG 7 and only 4 different data sources. Baseline
data is missing for 4 indicators, but all data sources are listed. The main data source is the MIS
of MoEN and also the MIS of MoPE and the MoF are used. Other data sources are the Census,
the Manufacturing Survey and surveys conducted by CBS where relevant in partnership with
MoEN. The Census of Manufacturing Establishments provides a wealth of information on the
eco-friendliness of Nepal’s industries. Indicators are only disaggregated at subnational level.

Total No. of Indicators 15
Data Sources MIS 11
Census 2
Manufacturing Survey 2
Survey 1
No disaggregation 2
Responsible Agencies MoEN 11
CBS 5
MoPE 3
MoF 2
SDG-8. Promote sustained, inclusive and sustainable economic growth, full and
productive employment and decent work for all: There are 10 targets under SDG 8. The
global targets for SDG 8 include: (i) sustaining per capita economic growth with at least seven
percent GDP growth per annum; (ii) achieving higher levels of economic productivity through
diversification, technological upgrading and innovation focusing on high value added and labor-
intensive sectors; (iii) promoting development-oriented policies that support productive activities,
decent job creation, entrepreneurship, creativity and innovation; iv) improving global resource
efficiency in consumption and production and decoupling economic growth from environmental
degradation; and v) achieving full and productive employment and decent work for all women
and men including young people and persons with disabilities. Similarly, it also calls for
substantial reduction in youth unemployment, promotion of labor rights, eradication of forced
labor, modern slavery, human trafficking, elimination of all form of child labor among others.
There are 30 indicators under SDG 8, which are measured by 9 different data sources.
A total of 13 indicators do not have baseline data, but none lack data sources. Critical areas
where baseline data is missing include economy e.g. the contribution of micro, small and
medium-scale enterprise in GDP (%) (8.3.1.1) and in areas related to inclusion e.g. access to
financial services (8.3.1.2), workforce safety and enforcement and compliance of labor rights
e.g. frequent rates of fatal and non-fatal occupational injuries, by sex and migrant status (8.8.1)
and tourism e.g. tourism revenue USD (million) (8.9.1.1). These data gaps can negatively
impact Nepal economically in terms of investment and result in adequate measures are not
taken to ensure financial inclusion and work force protection. The most important data source
used is the MIS of the MoF and the MoTCA. Other data sources used include the NLFS, which
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provides information on hourly earnings and unemployment rates. For access to financial
services data, the NLSS and Economic Census are listed , which is also supplied by the
financial reports prepared by various banking and financial institutions and compiled by the
Nepal Rastra Bank. However, these are are not listed as data sources and no baseline data is
available. Indicators are disaggregated based on national and subnational level, social group
and gender. The CBS followed by the MoF and MoTCA are the main data producers.

Data Sources MIS 14
Survey 7
NLFS 5
Economic Census 4
Census 3
National Accounts 3
NLSS 2
HS 1
Rolling Survey 1
Gender 1
National 1
Social Group 1
No disaggregation 6
MoF 5
MoTCA 5
MoYS 3
MoE 2
NRB 2
MoC 1
MoLE 1
SDG 9 -Build resilient infrastructure, promote inclusive and sustainable industrialization

and foster innovation. There are 5 targets under SDG 9: (i) developing quality, reliable,
sustainable and resilient infrastructure to support economic development and human well-
being with a focus on affordability and equity; (ii) promoting inclusive and sustainable
industrialization to significantly raise industry’s share of employment and GDP (double in case
of LDCs); (iii) increasing the access of small-scale industrial and other enterprises to financial
services and their integration into value chains and markets; (iv) upgrading the infrastructure
and retrofit industries to make them sustainable and resource efficient by adopting clean and
environmentally sound technologies and industrial processes; and (v) enhancing scientific
research, upgrading technological capabilities and encouraging innovation. It also intends to
facilitate sustainable and resilient infrastructure development in developing countries through
enhanced financial, technological and technical support as well as domestic technology
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development, research and innovation. Moreover, it underlines the need to significantly increase
access to information and communication technology.
There are 20 indicators listed under SDG 9 and 9 data sources to measure these. A total
of 7 indicators do not have baseline data and 1 does not have a data source. Baseline data is
missing in various areas including on road proximity i.e. the proportion of the rural population
who live within 2 km of an all-season road(9.1.1), the proportion of small scale and high-tech
industries in total industry value added (9.3.1) and the proportion of medium and high-tech
industry value added in total value added. The indicators of the SDG 9 are primarily measured
via various government-based MISs. The main MIS is the Highway Management Information
System of the MOPIT. The Highway MIS provides information on road density.Other sources
include surveys, the NLFS, Economic Census and Census. SDG 9 only has disaggregated
indicators in terms of subnational level. The CBS, MOPIT and MOI are the main data producers.

Data Sources MIS 11
Survey 3
Transport Survey 3
National Accounts 2
Census 1
Economic Census 1
Environment Accounts 1
NLFS 1
NLSS 1
No data source 1
No disaggregation 2
MoPIT 4
MoI 2
CAAN 1
MoE` 1
MOF 1
MoIC 1
NPC 1
NRB 1
Not listed 1
SDG 10 - Reduce inequality within and among countries: There are 10 targets under SDG
10. The global targets of SDG 10 aim at: i) progressively achieving and sustaining income
growth of the bottom 40 per cent of the population at a rate higher than the national average;
(ii) empowering and promoting the social, economic and political inclusion; (iii) ensuring equal
opportunity and reduce inequalities of outcome among others by eliminating discriminatory
85
laws, policies, and practices; (iv) adopting policies, especially fiscal, wage and social protection
policies to progressively achieve greater equality; and v) improving the regulation and
monitoring of global financial markets and institutions while simultaneously strengthening the
implementation of such regulations. It also aims at ensuring enhanced representation and voice
for developing countries in international economic and financial institutions; facilitating orderly,
safe, regular and responsible migration and mobility of people; and implementing the principle of
special and differential treatment for developing countries in accordance with WTO agreements,
among others.
There are 27 indicators under SDG 10 and 9 different data sources. Baseline data is
missing for 10 indicators, but all indicators have data sources. The most common used source
is the MIS of MoF. The NLSS is the major source of information on income and expenditure.
It has been used to calculate inequality coefficients on consumption and income. It also
forms the core for information required to calculate various inequality indices like the PALMA
Index, Social Empowerment Index, and Economic Empowerment Index. The NHDR, NPHC,
NDHS, EMIS and LFS are other important sources of data to be used by these indices.SDG
10 only disaggregates indicators at subnational level. The main responsible agencies for data
production are CBS, the MoF and NRB.

Data Sources MIS 12
NLSS 9
NHDR 3
EMIS 2
Survey 2
BOP Statistics 1
Global Reports 1
National Accounts 1
NMICS 1
No Disaggregation 12
MoF 8
NRB 4
MoLE 3
NPC 3
UNDP 3
MoC 1
MoE 1
MoFA 1
MoH 1
MoHA 1
MoI 1
Not listed 1
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SDG 11 – Make cities and human settlements inclusive, safe, resilient and sustainable.
There are 10 targets under SDG 11.The targets under SDG 11 focus on: (i) access for all to
adequate, safe and affordable housing and basic services including those in the slums, (ii)
access to safe, affordable, accessible and sustainable transport systems for all, improving
road safety, notably by expanding public transport with special attention to the needs of those
in vulnerable situations; (iii) inclusive and sustainable urbanization as well as capacity for
participatory, integrated and sustainable human settlement planning and management; (iv)
protecting and safeguarding the world’s cultural and natural heritage; (v) significant reduction in
the number of deaths and people affected by disasters with focus on poor and vulnerable; and
(vi) reduction in the adverse per capita environmental impact of cities; and vii) provide universal
access to safe, inclusive and accessible, green and public spaces, in particular for women and
children, older persons and persons with disabilities. It also underlines the need to support
positive economic, social, and environmental links between urban, peri-urban and rural areas by
strengthening national and regional planning among others.
There are 30 indicators under SDG 11 and 8 data sources. There is a significant gap in
availability of data required to measure SDG 11. For 16 indicators no-baseline data is available,
but data sources are available for all indicators. Information on pollution (except for Kathmandu)
and sustainability of cities is missing. The main data source are the MIS’es of agencies
including MoHA, MoPE, MoUD, MoF, and MOFALD. Other data sources include the NPHC,
which provides information on the extent of people living in safe houses and the number of
people living in a household. The NLSS provides information on access to roads. The District
Development Offices are responsible for recording deaths and damages due to disasters, which
is in turn published by the Nepal Disaster Risk Reduction Portal. A total of 28 indicators are
disaggregated for subnational level, 1 for local level and 1 for gender.

Data Sources MIS 20
Census 4
NLSS 2
NMICS 2
Survey 2
AHS 1
Population Census 1
Transport Survey 1
Gender 3
Local 1
No disaggregation 1
87
MoF 8
NRB 4
MoLE 3
NPC 3
UNDP 3
MoC 1
MoE 1
MoFA 1
MoH 1
MoHA 1
MoI 1
Not Listed 1
SDG 12 – Ensure sustainable consumption and production patterns: There are 11 targets
under SDG 12. The targets for SDG 12 include: (i) implementing a 10- year framework of
programs on sustainable consumption and production; (ii) achieving sustainable management
and efficient use of natural resources; (iii) halving per capita global food waste at the retail and
consumer levels and reduce food losses along production and supply chains; (iv) achieving
environmentally sound management of chemicals and all wastes throughout their life cycle;
(v) substantially reducing, the waste generation through prevention, reduction, recycling and
reuse, and (vi) promoting sustainable public procurement practices; and vii) ensuring relevant
information and awareness to all for sustainable development and lifestyles in harmony with
nature. It also intends to provide support to developing countries to strengthen their scientific
and technological capacity, develop and implement tools to monitor sustainable development
impacts for sustainable tourism and rationalize inefficient fossil fuel subsidies that encourage
wasteful consumption.
There are 27 indicators under SDG 12 and only 3 data sources. A total of 16 indicators do
not have baseline data and targets remain unquantified. Only 1 indicator does not have a data
source. Very little reliable information exists on indicators related to responsible consumption
and production. For instance, regarding consumption, data on post-harvest loss, food loss,
re-cycle and reuse of materials are all missing in Nepal. Similarly, with regard to production, no
data exists on waste disposal, or quality of soil, or the total national carbon emissions. Data on
energy consumption, is provided by the Water and Energy Commission (though irregularly).
The MIS’es of MoFSC, MoPE, MoAD and MoI are the main data sources. Indicators are
disaggregated at subnational level only.
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Table 18:SDG Overview Goal 12

Data Sources MIS 24
Survey 2
Not Listed 1
No disaggregation 8
Responsible Agencies MoFSC 8
MoPE 8
MoAD 6
MoI 3
CBS 2
MoE 1
MoEN 1
MoF 1
MoS 1
MoTCA 1
OPMCM 1
Not listed 1
SDG 13 –Take urgent action to combat climate change and its impacts: There are 5 targets
under SDG 13. The targets for SDG 13 among others are: (i) strengthening resilience and
adaptive capacity to climate-related hazards and natural disasters in all countries; (ii) integrating
climate change measures into national policies, strategies and planning; and (iii) improving
education, awareness, as well as human and institutional capacity on climate change mitigation,
adaptation, impact reduction and early warning. It also calls for developed countries to mobilize
resources to address the need of developing countries for meaningful mitigation actions and to
promote mechanisms for raising capacity for effective climate change related planning in LDCs.
There are 24 indicators under SDG 12 and only two data sources. As with SDG 12, data
on environment and sustainability and especially climate change is severely lacking. Baseline
data and target data is missing for 8 indicators, but no data sources. The Goal relies almost
exclusively on MIS’es of MoPE, MoFALD, MoHA and MoE for information, with the exception of
Environment Accounts of the MoPE. Of the indicators required to measure performance in SDG
12, information on only 1 is available publicly and is updated regularly. Information on deaths
and damages from disaster (13.1.1) come from the local DDCs and is published by the National
Disaster Risk Reduction Portal. The GoN does not have any reliable sources of information
on carbon or greenhouse emissions. While the GoN has developed local adaptation plans
of action (LAPA), the status of their implementation or their relative impact evaluation is not
available (at least publicly). Consequently, data at sub-national level is also missing.194 There
is disaggregation at subnational level for 7 indicators and on gender and social inclusion for 1
indicator.
194
Relevance of SDG 13 indicators classified for various social groups is limited.
89

Data Sources MIS 24
Environment Accounts 1
Gender 1
Social Group 1
Responsible Agencies MoPE 21
MoFALD 2
MoHA 2
MoE 1
SDG 14 – Conserve and sustainably use the oceans, seas and marine resources for
sustainable development: The SDG 14 is focused on conservation and use of oceans, seas
and marine resources by: i) preventing and significantly reducing marine pollution of all kinds;
ii) managing and protecting sustainably marine and coastal ecosystems to avoid significant
adverse impacts by strengthening their resilience; iii) minimizing and addressing the impacts of
ocean acidification including through enhanced scientific cooperation at all levels; iv) effectively
regulating harvesting and implementing science-based management plans, in order to restore
fish stocks in the shortest time feasible; v) conserving at least 10 per cent of coastal and marine
areas, consistent with national and international law; and vi) prohibiting certain forms of fisheries
subsidies which contribute to overcapacity and overfishing, recognizing that appropriate and
effective special and differential treatment for developing and least developed countries should
be an integral part of the World Trade Organization fisheries subsidies. Moreover, it also
emphasizes on increased economic benefits for small island developing states and LDCs;
increased scientific knowledge, research capacity and transfer of marine technology among
others.
Nepal being a landlocked country, this goal is not directly relevant for Nepal and therefore, no
national targets and indicators are set for this goal.
SDG 15 – Protect, restore and promote sustainable use of terrestrial ecosystems,

sustainably manage forests, combat desertification, and halt and reverse land
degradation and halt biodiversity loss: There are 12 targets under SDG 15.The global
targets of SDG 15 cover among others: (i) ensuring the conservation, restoration and
sustainable use of terrestrial and inland freshwater ecosystems and their services, in particular
forests, wetlands, mountains and dry lands; (ii) promoting sustainable management of all types
of forests halting deforestation; iii) combatting desertification restoring degraded land and soil;
iv) ensuring the conservation of mountain eco-systems, including bio-diversity; v) initiating
urgent and significant actions to reduce the degradation of natural habitats, halt the loss of
biodiversity and, protect and prevent the extinction of threatened species; and vi) promoting
fair and equitable sharing of the benefits arising from the utilization of genetic resources. There
are 20 indicators measuring 9 targets for the Goal. SDG 15 also urges governments to take
urgent action to end poaching and trafficking of protected species of flora and fauna and illegal
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trade of wildlife products; to prevent and reduce impact of invasive species on land and water
ecosystems; to integrate ecosystem and biodiversity values into national and local planning,
development processes, poverty reduction strategies; and to increase financial resources from
all sources to conserve and sustainably use biodiversity and ecosystems, etc.
There are 32 indicators under SDG and 2 data sources. A total of 12 indicators do not have
baseline data. SDG 15 largely relies on Forest Management Information System for information
complemented by surveys. However, the MIS is not publicly available, nor is any reliable
publication available from the Ministry of Forest and Soil Conservation. As such, information
on status of forests, reforestation, plantation of trees, and other such information are not
available. Also, the Department of Wildlife and National Parks, which is responsible for providing
information on threatened fauna does not provide any information on number of animals or
plants in its annual publication. As such, information on SDG 15 is not publicly shared on
regular basis. However, considering information for the MIS is generated at district level, there
are reasons to believe that sub-national data for the indicators are available (although not
publicly).195

Data Sources MIS 28
Survey 10
Not Listed 2
Not Listed 3
Responsible Agencies MoFSC 29
MoPE 8
MoAD 3
MoLRM 3
Not Listed 2
MoIR 1
SDG 16 – Promote peaceful and inclusive societies for sustainable development, provide
access to justice for all and build effective, accountable and inclusive: There are a total of
12 targets. SDG 16 is more focused on governance and targets among others to: (i) significantly
reduce all forms of violence and related death rates everywhere, ending abuse, exploitation,
trafficking and all forms of violence against and torture of children; (ii) promote rule of law at
the national and international levels and ensure equal access to justice for all; (iii) significantly
reduce illicit financial and arms flows; (iv) strengthen the recovery and return of stolen assets
and combat all forms of organized crime;(v) substantially reduce corruption and bribery in all
their forms; and (vi) develop effective, accountable and transparent institutions at all levels. It
also emphasizes on: responsive, inclusive, participatory and representative decision-making at
all levels; broader and enhanced participation of developing countries in the institutions of global
governance; public access to information and protection of fundamental freedoms; and capacity
building at levels to prevent violence and combat terrorism and crime etc.
195
See 200.
91
There are altogether 31 indicators and 9 different data sources under SDG 16. A total of 20
indicators do not have baseline data.The main source are the MIS’ es of MoHA, MoGA, MoLPA,
OPMCM, NHRC, MoFA and NoHA. The Crime and Criminal Information System maintained by
Nepal Police records details of crimes committed and reported across Nepal. These include
murders, deaths from conflicts, reported physical, sexual or psychological violence, and
trafficking. A large number of surveys are also planned. The GoN has started a Crime Survey.
In addition, the Nepal Administrative Staff College has started to conduct Governance Survey.
These surveys are expected to continue. The NMICS and the Demographic and Health Survey
although not listed as a source, cover indicators related to domestic violence and assaults. A
total of 23 indicators are disaggregated at subnational level, 15 based on gender and 14 based
on social group. Together with police records, surveys provide information at a sub-national
level for various social groups. As of now, data on indicators related to illicit financial flows, and
people’s perception on governance are missing at national and sub-national levels.

Data Sources MIS 18
Survey 8
Governance survey 4
NMICS 4
Crime survey 3
Governance Survey 2
Census 1
CRVS 1
Thematic (Governance Survey) 1
No data source 1
Gender 15
Social Group 14
No Disaggregation 8
MoHA 11
MoGA 9
MoLJPA 3
OPMCM 3
NHRC 2
MoF 1
MoFA 1
MoFALD 1
NoHA 1
92
SDG 17 – Strengthen the means of implementation and revitalize the global partnership
for sustainable development. There are 19 targets focused on global partnerships for effective
implementation of SDGs. The targets include among others: (i) domestic resource mobilization;
(ii) implementation of official development assistance commitments by developed countries; (iii)
mobilization of additional financial resources for developing countries from multiple sources;
(iv) adoption and implementation of investment promotion regimes; (v) technology transfer
to developing countries; (vi) rule based open, and equitable multilateral trading system;
(vii) enhancement of policy coherence for sustainable development; and (viii) strong data,
monitoring and statistical capacity.
There are 31 indicators and 3 data sources under SDG 17. For 16 indicators, baseline data
are not available and targets remain unspecified. The MIS and National Accounts are the major
sources of data for SDG 17. Data on indicators related to budgets and economic performance
are measured by the Budget Management Information System. Indicators related to official
development assistance are covered by the Aid Management Platform and those related to
connectedness are covered by Telecommunication Management Information System. There
are 7 indicators disaggregated by subnational level, 1 by gender and by social group. For social
groups, classified data are available on birth registration but absent on internet use. Budget,
revenue, foreign aid and investment related indicators can be classified into sub-national level
for which data are present up till the district level (although not publicly available).

Data Sources MIS 24
National Accounts 2
Survey 1
No data source 8
Gender 1
Social Group 1
No disaggregation 25
Responsible Agencies MoF 21
CBS 9
NPC 9
MoC 3
MoI 3
MoIC 3
MoFA 2
MoFALD 2
MoPE 1
MoST 1
93
Overall, from the perspective of data availability for measuring SDG progress, Nepal
presents a mixed picture. Data are available for a good number of indicators but there are
many others in which baselines and data are missing. To address this gap, revisions in the
modules of periodic surveys are required so as to insert new indicators. In other cases, many
new surveys and MIS will be required to generate data in new development areas. Many of the
existing available data are out of date and, for accurate SDG monitoring, improvements are
required in the frequency and regularity of the surveys and censuses.
5.5 Resources
SDGs financing is going to be a big challenge for a country like Nepal with limited
resources, skills and technology. During the MDGs era, Nepal invested a large chunk of
its resources in social sectors. In the SDGs era, Nepal needs to prioritize the infrastructure
sector.196 There is a need to prioritize the various goals and sectors based on fiscal, financial,
managerial, technological, institutional and other capacity constraints. According to the National
Planning Commission, goals and targets should be prioritized based on their potential to
yield multiplier effects and larger impacts on the poor and marginalized people, smallholders,
peasants, children and women.197 Given the size of the economy and budget, Nepal will have a
big financing gap to meet the SDGs targets, particularly in the area of infrastructure. According
to The World Bank Group Nepal needs to invest 7 to 11 percent of its GDP in key infrastructure
sectors like transport, power, WASH and communication between 2011-2020198 whereas
currently Nepal is investing only 5 percent of its GDP in the sector.199
Nepal is also conducting a costing assessment and developing a SDG financing.

The GoN will need to bring private sector, civil society, cooperatives, provincial and local
governments and development partners on board to complement GoN financing. Sustainable
financing requires strengthening the national and local capacity for resource mobilization.
Nepal’s experience with the MDGs revealed that internal resources are inadequate and external
cooperation through trade, investment and official development assistance are important. Nepal
also needs to enhance its absorptive capacity and economic diplomacy for external resource
mobilization.200
A preliminary estimate of the annual investment requirement for the SDG period of
2016-2030 ranges between 42 to 54 percent of GDP. According to the NPC’s 2017 report on
the SDG status, the average requirement is estimated to be about NPR. 1770 billion per year,
or nearly 49 percent of GDP over the entire duration of the SDGs.201 This scale of investment
needs a full mobilization of all national and international sources – public and private including
households. The NPC analysis estimates that households could finance up to five percent of the
total SDG investment requirement and. the private sector would contribute nearly three-fifths of
the investment needs in tourism, and industrial and transport infrastructure. The public sector
is expected to shoulder about 55 percent of the SDG investment requirement, starting foremost
with sectors like poverty reduction, followed by agriculture, health, education, gender, water and
sanitation, transport infrastructure, climate action, and governance.
196
NPC, (2017).
197
Ibid.
198
Andres, L, Biller, D. & Dappe, M.H. (2014). Infrastructure Gap in South Asia. World Bank Group.
199
NPC, (2017).
200
Ibid.
201
NPC, (2017e).
94
Nepal’s economic growth performance in the past has been slow. Economic growth has
been averaging around four percent for decades. In recent years, the country has been meeting
its revenue collection targets and the revenue to GDP ratio was more than 20 percent in FY
2015/16. There is not much scope to widen the tax base without affecting the affordability
of goods and services to the poor. Nepal has so far maintained domestic borrowing within
manageable limits. Excessive domestic borrowing might have a crowd-out-effect undermining
private sector investment.202 The private sector can contribute to growth through industry,
agriculture, construction, urban development, housing, tourism and transportation sectors giving
space for the GoN to focus on other areas.
Global studies reveal that a total of US$1 billion per annum will be required to enable 77
of the world’s lower-income countries to catch-up and put in place statistical systems
capable of supporting and measuring the SDGs. According to the 2017 PRESS Country
Factsheet from PARIS 21, the total aid to statistics received by Nepal amounts to USD
1,709,558 over the period 2013-2015.203 204 The Aid Management Platform of the Ministry of
Finance205 and IATI data show that multiple projects are currently ongoing.206 While donors
must maintain current contributions to statistics, recipient countries must commit to fill the gap,
mobilizing domestic resources behind clear national strategies for the development of statistics.
Nepal has a vibrant civil society and cooperatives sector evolving as important
development actors that can effectively complement the GoN and private sector.
Meeting SDGs goals is a shared responsibility of the national and international communities
and therefore, Nepal is trying to manage financial resources through triangular partnerships of
public, private and development partners.207
5.5.1 Financial
The GoN is in the process of an SDGs need assessment, which will give a detailed
sector wise breakdown of resource needs, goals, and targets. During implementation of
the MDGs, government spending was falling short by one third of the needs. Given the scope
of the SDGs, it can be expected that they will need a greater share of resources than the
MDGs.208 A 2017 report by the Business and Sustainable Development Commission estimates
that, globally, the SDGs will require an additional US$2.4 trillion of annual public and private
investment into sectors such as low-carbon infrastructure, energy, agriculture, health, education
and other sustainability sectors from the Global GDP of US$113 trillion.209 While the global
economy has the requisite size, technological knowledge, and dynamism to achieve the SDGs,
202
NPC, (2017).
203
Press 2017 Country Factsheets Nepal, PARIS21. 2017.
Available at: https://tian-y.github.io/PRESS2017Maps/PRESS_2017_NPL.htm
204
Paris 21 (2017) PRESS 2017 Country Factsheet, https://tian-y.github.io/PRESS2017Maps/
PRESS_2017_NPL.htm
205
http://amis.mof.gov.np/portal/activities
206
IATI data from D-Portal shows there are a number of projects currently active that are categorized
as “Statistical Capacity Building” http://d-portal.org/ctrack.html?search&country=NP&sector_
code=16062#view=main
207
Ibid.
208
A. M. Dixit (2017). Infrastructure finance strategies for sustainable development in Nepal, Workshop
Paper for a National Workshop on Financing Strategies for Sustainable Development in Nepal
Organized Jointly by NPC and ESCAP in Kathmandu in January 2017.
209
BSDC. 2017. Business commission on sustainable development: Ideas for action for a long-term
and sustainable financial system. A Paper Commissioned by Business and Sustainable Development
Commission. Downloaded from http://businesscommission.org/our-work/new-report-how-the-world-can-
finance-the-sdgs on 16 August 2017.
95
the reorientation of the global financial system towards financing the SDGs will not be an easy
task. In the process of assessing the resource needs for the SDGs in Nepal, it is necessary on
the part of all stakeholders to advocate for the inclusion of costs for enhanced information and
data production and sharing in order to be able to assess the progress in implementation and
achievement of the SDGs.
5.5.2 Domestic vs International Resources
The figures of official development assistance (ODA) flow in Nepal (including the grant,
loan and technical assistance) increased substantially during MDG period particularly in
the post conflict era. However, ODA declined in terms of proportion e.g. from 4.8 percent of
GDP in 1999/2000 to 2.6 percent of GDP in 2014/15. When compared to other least developed
countries, Nepal is receiving a low amount of per capita foreign assistance. On an average
Nepal received only US$ 33 per capita aid between 2001-2005 which further declined to US$
28 between the period of 2006-2010 before increasing marginally to US$ 31 between the period
of 2011-2015.210 The share of ODA in total government expenditure has progressively declined.
Moreover, the disbursement of ODA has also been declining. For example, the disbursement
was about 85.7 percent of the total commitment in 1999/00, which declined to 55.4 percent in
2014/15. According to the National Planning Commission, the current level of ODA is far from
sufficient to meet the needs of SDGs.211
In terms of resources available to fund data and statistics, amidst the sectoral
competition for resources, there is a risk that the needs of data and statistics sector
will be ignored and neglected. This has often been the case in the past and key informants
revealed strong concerns around underfunding in this area and the sub-optimal use of
allocated resources. It is difficult to come up with accurate data on the investment of GoN and
development partners into data production and statistics development within a given fiscal
year as it is often subsumed within the budget heads of ministries, departments and offices. In
the case of the CBS, the budget allocated in the FY 2017/18, 2016/17 and 2015/16 was NPR
457,945,000; NPR 473,909,000; and NPR 360,152,000 respectively, a large chunk of which
when to administrative costs.212 Similarly, on the financial requirements of and expenditure
on technology and human resources dedicated to statistics are not available. It is not yet
clear whether technology and human resources are factors in the government SDGs needs
assessment.
Way forward
Given the large number of indicators, data sources, responsible agencies, it is important
the role of CBS is strengthened as the nodal agency to coordinate and oversee SDG data
collection. In our assessment, the CBS is responsible for most of the indicators of the SDG
monitoring framework. At the same time, various other agencies are involved in the production
of data such as social and governance related surveys which are outside the purview of CBS. In
addition, there are many other data producers outside the GoN that are not officially recognized
and often do not coordinate with the CBS, but that could play a role in supporting it in
210
NPC, 2017.
211
Ibid.
212
NPC. (2017d). Annual Development Programs (Redbook), 2017/18. Kathmandu: National
Planning Commission; NPC.(2016). Annual Development Programs (Redbook), 2016/17.
Kathmandu: National Planning Commission; and NPC. (2015). Annual Development
Programs (Redbook), 2015/16. Kathmandu: National Planning Commission.
96
addressing specific data gaps based on standards set by the CBS.As the NPC has recognized
in its SDGs Roadmap, there is a need to restructure and upgrade the CBS into a NSO with
the legal and financial wherewithal to oversee and coordinate all data needs required for SDG
monitoring.
Data collection in Nepal should focus on addressing specific data gaps especially in
relation to the SDGs. The NPC after mapping the SDG data requirements found large data
gaps for monitoring the targets. Out of the 425 indicators that the NPC identified, the NPC found
that data for only 249 indicators are regularly or intermittently available whereas the data for
76 indicators were partially available and data for 100 indicators across the various goals are
not available at all.213 Our study found that 178 indicators do not have any baseline data i.e.
SDG 12,4,5,6,8,10,11,12,15,16 and 17 have 10 or more indicators for which baseline data is
missing. In addition, 25 indicators do not have a data source especially under SDG 2 and 17.
Various of the indicators specify qualitative surveys that need to be conducted, but do not given
an indication of which specific ones. In addition, there is a lot of qualitative data that needs to be
collected -such as perceptions of citizens on public services, corruption and wellbeing.
In particular, there is a need to focus more on disaggregated data collection. Many targets
and indicators are at an aggregated level and should ideally be disaggregated. Those indicators
that have disaggregation as a requirement focus primarily on disaggregation based on gender,
social group and subnational level. This data in many cases needs to be specifically generated
constituting a major time and resource intensive effort. In terms of leaving no one behind,
very few indicators require disaggregation by age and disability and hence young, elderly and
disabled people are in danger of not being visible and thus being able to benefit from actions to
achieve the SDGs.
More investment should be made into the timely production of data and statistics. Data
for some of the most important household-based indicators in the SDGs comes from surveys
such as the NLSS (37 indicators) and from Censuses like the NPHS (21 indicators). However,
these are not conducted in regular intervals. The NLSS was last conducted in 2010/11,
whereas last NPHS was in 2011 and is conducted updated once every ten years after which
the data must be extrapolated. Thus, important baseline data for the indicators relating to
living standards, employment and population dynamics is outdated and needs to be updated.
Given the long intervals between these censuses and surveys and the fact that many of these
are financed by donors requiring time for aid mobilization, it also means that up to date data
to measure progress in 2019, 2022, 2025 and 2030 may not be available. Furthermore, in
various cases the SDG indicators are measured by smaller scale surveys, which are likely not
going to be repeated at all. In the interim, there is a need to develop a data calendar in which
all data production activities are planned and deadlines are adhered to. In the long term, it is
not sustainable to continue to rely on donor funding to produce censuses and surveys for key
indicators and the government will need to make its own resources available to do so. At the
same time, it is recommended that more government and investment is made into the NSS to
establish data systems that allow for real time data collection.
In consideration of the fact that the SDGs still need to be further localized, it is critical
that the NSS develops an official statistics manual with data standards for each statistic
(crimes, population, national account etc.). The Constitution has given data collection and its
management rights to federal, province and local level. Prior to the new federal structure, there
213
Ibid.
97
were already issues pertaining to the accuracy of data with different data sources contradicting
each other. In the new federal set-up, there is a heightened risk of lack of comparability and
credibility of data come under question for the reason of sample size, computation process or
insufficient metadata. Hence, there is a need for an official statistics manual that standardizes
data, provides a definition, explains the methods of collection, data sources and other related
information. Similarly, data management principles needs to be integrated through the
development of act.
As there are many data gaps in terms of disaggregated and timely data production, it is
important for the NSS to recognize the contribution that other data producers including
civil society, development partners can play in addressing these gaps. Currently, there
are already a wide range of data producers in Nepal, but these are not officially recognized
by the NSS. They produce a wide range of data, but in the absence of data standards the
quality of their methodologies varies and often their small sample size limits their usability
and comparability. The Statistics Act needs to be updated in recognition of the role that other
data producers can fulfil in addressing specific data gaps. To overcome challenges related to
comparability and quality of data, the CBS should develop overarching standards and templates
such as a master survey questionnaire and sampling frame.
A data sharing policy is needed to make data available and accessible in open format.
Through the NPC’s SDG page, baseline data for all the indicators for which it is available can
be accessed in open format. However, in terms of accessing the data sources directly, only
those produced by the CBS are available for purchase by the public in a machine readable
format. While a lot of the data is produced by MISs that are updated either daily, bi-weekly or
at most annually, the data is not open and hence not accessible to the public for use. To enable
users to use the data to the full extend, data should be made available in an open format. It is
recommended that a sharing policy to make data available and accessible in open format is
developed for this purpose.
More efforts also need to be made to further the uptake of SDG data as evidence for
policy making and resource allocation. The use of data as evidence for policy making has
been limited in Nepal. With provincial and local governments now also having responsibility
for policy making, it is critical that more efforts are made towards building capacity on data in
general and the SDGs data in particular as well as on how to use the data for evidence informed
planning - what is evidence, how to interpret and use evidence – targeting policy makers,
planners and decision makers at federal, provincial and local level.
To increase the demand and use of SDG data among citizens to track and monitor
progress and hold their governments accountable, it will be critical to increase data
literacy. Citizens will need to be made familiar with the SDGs, targets, indicators and data
in order to be able to use track and monitor progress and hold governments accountable
for achieving the targets and goals. In particular, after the localization of the SDGs, it is
recommended to develop local data charters with information on what data is available, where
to find it and how to obtain the data in open format i.e. via websites or through requests. At
schools, the SDGs and data and statistics should be introduced in the curriculum for (8-12
grade) students. Data and statistics should be a compulsary course for any subject at college.
98
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Annex 1:Legislation Reviewed
• Statistics Act 1958
• Land Survey and Measurement Act 1963
• Land Survey and Measurement Act 1963
• Civil Registration Act 1976,
• Right to Information (RTI) Act, 2007
• Civil Service Act 1993
• Local Self Governance Act 1999
• Nepal Rastra Bank Act 2002
• Electoral Rolls Act 2006
• Right to Information Act 2007
• Right to Information Rules 2009
• Good Governance (Management and Operation) Act 2007
• Government Agency Website Design and Management Directives 2011
• Prevention of Corruption Act 2002
• Electronic Transaction Act 2006
• The Constitution 2015
103
Annex 2: List of Key Interviewees
• Ministry of Education, Government of Nepal
• National Planning Commission, Government of Nepal
• Central Bureau of Statistics, Government of Nepal
• Department of Agriculture, Government of Nepal
104
ANNEX 3: SDG Monitoring Framework of Nepal
ANNEX 3: SDG Monitoring Framework of Nepal
Annex Table 1
Monitoring Framework
SDG 1: End poverty in all its forms everywhere
Responsible
201 201 202 202 203 Sources of Data Level of Disaggregation Frequency
Agency
Targets and Indicators 5 9 2 5 0
Target 1.1 By 2030, eradicate extreme poverty for all people everywhere, currently measured as
people living on less than $1.25 a day
Proportion of population below the international poverty
1.1.
line, by sex, age, employment status and geographical
1
location (urban/rural) NLSS Subnational/Rural-Urban 5 years CBS
23.7 Annual, 5
1 Population below US$ 1.25 per day (ppp value) (%) a
17 13.7 10.4 4.9 NLSS,HS Subnational/Rural-Urban years CBS
Annual, 5
2 Poverty $1.9 Per day (ppp value) 36 c
28.5 22.9 17.3 8 NLSS,HS Subnational/Rural-Urban years CBS
164 202 250 Rolling Survey of
3 Per capita Gross Disposable National Income (GDNI) (US$) 766d 821 7 9 0 Enterprises Annual CBS
Target 1.2 By 2030, reduce at least by half the proportion of men, women and children of all ages
living in poverty in all its dimensions according to national definitions
1.2. Proportion of population living below the national poverty

21.6
1 line, by sex and age b
17.1 13.8 10.5 4.9 NLSS,HS Subnational/Rural-Urban 5 years CBS
1 Women of all ages below national poverty line (%) 5 NLSS,HS Subnational/Rural-Urban 5 years CBS
1.2. Proportion of men, women and children of all ages living in
2 poverty in all its dimensions according to national definitions
Survey Subnational/Rural-Urban 5 years CBS
44.2
1 Multidimensional Poverty Index (MPI) h
35.1 28.2 21.4 10 Survey/MIS Subnational 5 years CBS
CBS/MOWCS
2 Children below national poverty line (under 5 years of age, %) 36e 27.7 21.5 15.3 5 Survey Subnational 5 years W
Target 1.3 Implement nationally appropriate social protection systems and measures for all,
including floors, and by 2030 achieve substantial coverage of the poor and the vulnerable
105
Proportion of population covered by social protection
floors/systems, by sex, distinguishing children, unemployed
1.3.
persons, older persons, persons with disabilities, pregnant 8.1 27.3 41.7 56 80
1
women, newborns, work-injury victims and the poor and the
Gender, Social Group, Subnational/ Rural- CBS/MOWCS
vulnerable
Survey/MIS Urban Annual W
Gender, Social Group, Subnational/ Rural- CBS/MOWCS
1 Social protection expenditure in total budget (%) 11d 12.1 12.9 13.7 15 MIS Urban Annual W
Employed people living below US$ 1.25 per day in total Gender, Social Group, Subnational/ Rural-
2 employment (%) 22b 16.4 12.2 8 1 Survey Urban Annual CBS
Target 1.4 By 2030, ensure that all men and women, in particular the poor and the vulnerable,
have equal rights to economic resources, as well as access to basic services, ownership and control
over land and other forms of property, inheritance, natural resources, appropriate new technology
and financial services, including microfinance
1.4. Proportion of population living in households with access to

1 basic services Gender, Social Group, Subnational/ Rural- Annual, 5
NLSS,HS Urban years CBS
Households having access to market center within 30 min walk Gender, Social Group, Subnational/ Rural- Annual, 5
1 (% of total) 45i 57 66 75 90 NLSS,HS Urban years CBS
Annual, 5
2 Households covered by formal financial services (% of total) 40i 50.7 58.7 66.7 80 NLSS,HS Social Group, Subnational/ Rural-Urban years CBS
Proportion of total adult population with secure tenure rights
1.4. to land, with legally recognized documentation and who
2 perceive their rights to land as secure, by sex and by type of
tenure MIS Subnational Annual MOLRM
1
Share of bottom quintile in national consumption (%) 7.6i 8.8 9.7 10.5 12 NLSS Social Group, Subnational/ Rural-Urban 5 years CBS
Households having property/tangible assets in women’s name (% 19.7
2
of total) f
25.1 29.2 33.2 40 MICS,Panel Social Group, Subnational Annual MOLRM
Target 1.5 By 2030, build the resilience of the poor and those in vulnerable situations and reduce
their exposure and vulnerability to climate-related extreme events and other economic, social and
environmental shocks and disasters
1.5. Number of deaths, missing persons and directly affected

1 persons attributed to disasters per 100,000 population
MIS Social Group, Subnational Annual MOHA
889
1 Loss of lives from disaster (number) 1j 331 268 205 100 MIS Social Group, Subnational Annual MOHA
Missing persons and persons affected by disaster per 100,000
2 (number) 415j 402 392 382 50 MIS Social Group, Subnational Annual MOHA
1
106
1.5. Direct economic loss attributed to disasters in relation to
2 global gross domestic product (GDP)
Direct economic loss attributed to disasters in relation to national

1
gross domestic product (GDP)
MIS/PDNA Social Group, Subnational Annual MOHA
Number of countries that adopt and implement national

1.5.
disaster risk reduction strategies in line with the Sendai
3
Framework for Disaster Risk Reduction 2015-2030
MIS Annual MOHA
Proportion of local governments that adopt and implement

1.5.
local disaster risk reduction strategies in line with national
4
disaster risk reduction strategies
MIS Subnational Annual MOHA
Target 1.a Ensure significant mobilization of resources from a variety of sources, including
through enhanced development cooperation, in order to provide adequate and predictable means
for developing countries, in particular least developed countries, to implement programmes and
policies to end poverty in all its dimensions
1.a. Proportion of domestically generated resources allocated by 55.2

1 the government directly to poverty reduction programmes d
MIS Subnational Annual MOF
1.a.
2 Proportion of total government spending on essential services 25.2
(education, health and social protection) d
1.a. Sum total of grants and non-debt-creating inflows directly
3 allocated to poverty reduction programme as a proportion of
GDP 4.1d MIS Subnational Annual MOF
Target 1.b Create sound policy frameworks at the national, regional and international levels, based
on pro-poor and gender-sensitive development strategies, to support accelerated investment in
poverty eradication actions
Proportion of government recurrent and capital spending to

sectors that disproportionately benefit women, the poor and
1.b. vulnerable groups MOF/MOWS
1 MIS Subnational Annual W
Proportion of national budget directly contributing to gender 22.3 MOF/MOWS
1 equality d
MIS Subnational Annual W
Sources: a: MDGI (2015), b: NPC 2015, c: WB (2017), d: MoF (2016), e: UNICEF (Estimate from
NLSSSources: a: MDGI
2011), f: NPC (2015),
(2016), b:(2015),
g: MoF NPC 2015, c: WB
h: OPHI (2017),
(2015), i: CBSd:(2011),
MoF (2016),
j:MOHAe: UNICEF (Estimate
from NLSS 2011), f: NPC (2016), g: MoF (2015), h: OPHI (2015), i: CBS (2011), j:MOHA
2
107
Annex Table 2
SDG 2: End hunger, achieve food security and improved nutrition and promote sustainable agriculture
Level of
Responsible
201 201 202 202 203 Sources of Data Disaggregatio Frequency
Agency
Targets and Indicators 5 9 2 5 0 n
Target 2.1 By 2030, end hunger and ensure access by all people, in particular the poor and people in
vulnerable situations, including infants, to safe, nutritious and sufficient food all year round
Subnational,
2.1. 36.1 Gender, Social Annual/5
2.1.1 Prevalence of undernourishment 27.3 20.6 14 3 MICS Panel CBS/MOH
1 a
groups, Rural- years
Urban
Subnational,
2.1.2 Prevalence of moderate or severe food insecurity in the
2.1. Gender, Social Annual/5
population, based on the Food Insecurity Experience Scale NLSS, HS CBS
2 groups, Rural- years
(FIES)
Urban
1 Population spending more than two-third of total consumption on Subnational,
food (%) Gender, Social
20b 15.5 12.1 8.7 3 NLSS, HS 5 years CBS
groups, Rural-
Urban
2 320c 376 418 460 530 MIS Subnational Annual MOAD
Per capita food grain production (kg)
3 42.8 57 66 75 90 GFSI website
Global Food Security Index (score)
Target 2.2 By 2030, end all forms of malnutrition, including achieving, by 2025, the internationally
agreed targets on stunting and wasting in children under 5 years of age, and address the nutritional
needs of adolescent girls, pregnant and lactating women and older persons
Prevalence of stunting (height for age <-2 standard
deviation from the median of the World Health Organization
2.2.1 36e 32 28.6 20 15 NDHS, NMICS, Panel Subnational 5 years CBS/MOH
(WHO) Child Growth Standards) among children under 5
years of age
11.3 8 7 5 4
Prevalence of malnutrition (weight for height >+2 or <-2
standard deviation from the median of the WHO Child
2.2.2 NDHS, NMICS, Panel Subnational 5 years CBS/MOH
Growth Standards) among children under 5 years of age, by
type (wasting and overweight)
% of children under age 5 years who are underweight (-2SD)* 30.1 20 18 15 9 Subnational,
1 NDHS, NMICS, Panel Gender, Social 5 years CBS/MOH
groups
Prevalence of anemia among women of reproductive age* 35 26 24 18 10
Subnational,
2 NDHS, NMICS, Panel 5 years CBS/MOH
Social groups
Prevalence of anemia among children under 5 years * 46 33 28 23 10 Subnational,
3 NDHS, NMICS, Panel Gender, Social 5 years CBS/MOH
groups
4
108
Table 2.3 By 2030, double the agricultural productivity and incomes of small-scale food producers, in
particular women, indigenous peoples, family farmers, pastoralists and fishers, including through secure
and equal access to land, other productive resources and inputs, knowledge, financial services, markets
and opportunities for value addition and non-farm employment
2.3. Volume of production per labour unit by classes of
MIS/Agri Census/Economic Census/Survey Subnational Annual CBS/ MOAD
1 farming/pastoral/forestry enterprise size
2.3. Average income of small-scale food producers, by sex and MIS/Agri Census/Manufacturing
Subnational Annual CBS/ MOAD
2 indigenous status Census/Survey
1 Land productivity (AGPA/ha) USD 327 400 464 533 701
MIS Subnational Annual MOAD
8 3 6 9 8
Target 2.4 By 2030, ensure sustainable food production systems and implement resilient agricultural
practices that increase productivity and production, that help maintain ecosystems, that strengthen
capacity for adaptation to climate change, extreme weather, drought, flooding and other disasters and
that progressively improve land and soil quality
2.4. Proportion of agricultural area under productive and
1 sustainable agriculture
264 264 264 264 264
1 Agricultural land at the present level (000 hectare) 1 1 1 1 1
2 Degraded land including forest (000 hectre) MIS Subnational Annual MOAD
3 Round the year irrigated land in total arable land (%) 25.2 40 50.5 60 80 MIS Subnational Annual MOAD
4 Soil organic matter (SOM in crop land %) 1.96 2.79 3.37 3.92 4 MIS Subnational Annual MOAD
Target 2.5 By 2020, maintain the genetic diversity of seeds, cultivated plants and farmed and
domesticated animals and their related wild species, including through soundly managed and diversified
seed and plant banks at the national, regional and international levels, and ensure access to and fair and
equitable sharing of benefits arising from the utilization of genetic resources and associated traditional
knowledge, as internationally agreed
MOAD,
Number of plant and animal genetic resources for food and
2.5. MOLD,
agriculture secured in either medium or long-term MIS Subnational Annual
1 MOFSC,
conservation facilities
NARC
2.5. Proportion of local breeds classified as being at risk, not-at- MOAD,

MIS Subnational Annual
2 risk or at unknown level of risk of extinction MOFSC,NARC
1 Number of DNA bank for variety of seeds 1 1 MIS Subnational Annual MOAD, NARC
2 Number of DNA bank for variety of plants MIS Subnational Annual MOFSC,NARC
MOFSC,
MIS Subnational Annual
3 Number of DNA bank for endangered animal species NARC
4 Number of Community Seed banks (number) 115 115 MIS Subnational Annual MOAD, NARC
Number of arboratatem and breeding center for indigeneous
5 species
5
109
Target 2.a Increase investment, including through enhanced international cooperation, in rural
infrastructure, agricultural research and extension services, technology development and plant and
livestock gene banks in order to enhance agricultural productive capacity in developing countries, in
particular least developed countriesand policies to end poverty in all its dimensions
The agriculture orientation index for government
2.a.1 0.14 0.21 0.26 0.31 0.38 MIS Subnational Annual MOAD
expenditures
2.a.1 Government expenditure in agriculture (% of total budget) 3.3c MIS Subnational Annual MOAD
Total official flows (official development assistance plus

2.a.2 0.8b MIS Subnational Annual MOF
other official flows) to the agriculture sector
Target 2.b Correct and prevent trade restrictions and distortions in world agricultural markets,
including through the parallel elimination of all forms of agricultural export subsidies and all export
measures with equivalent effect, in accordance with the mandate of the Doha Development Round
2.b.
Agricultural export subsidies MIS Annual MOF
1
Target 2.c Adopt measures to ensure the proper functioning of food commodity markets and their
derivatives and facilitate timely access to market information, including on food reserves, in order to
help limit extreme food price volatility
2.c.1 Indicator of food price anomalies MIS Annual MOF/NRB
2.c.1 Food Consumer Price Index MIS Annual MOF/NRB
2.C.2 Number of food reserve depots MIS Annual MOAD, MOS

Sources: a: NPC (2016), b: CBS (2011), c: MoF (2016), d: GFSI (2015), e: NDHS (2016), f: NPC (2015c), g:
MoAD (2013)
Sources: a: NPC (2016), b: CBS (2011), c: MoF (2016), d: GFSI (2015),
e: NDHS (2016), f: NPC (2015c), g: MoAD (2013)
6
110
Annex Table 3
Goal 3: Ensure healthy lives and promote well-being for all at all ages
Base Base Data Responsible

SDG Target and Indicators Baseline 2019 2022 2025 2030 Level of Disaggregation Frequency
Year Source source Agency
3.1 By 2030, reduce the global maternal mortality ratio to less than 70 per 100,000 live births
UN
3.1.1 Maternal mortality ratio 258 2015 125 116 99 70 NDHS 5 years MOH
Estimates
Proportion of births attended by NDHS,
3.1.2 55.6 2014 NMICS 69 73 79 90 Subnational Annual, 5 years MOH
skilled health personnel NMICS
By 2030, end preventable deaths of newborns and children under 5 years of age, with all countries aiming to reduce neonatal
3.2
mortality to at least as low as 12 per 1,000 live births and under-5 mortality to at least as low as 25 per 1,000 live births
NDHS,
3.2.1 Under-five mortality rate 38 2014 NMICS 28 27 24 20 Subnational, Gender, Social group Annual, 5 years MOH
NMICS
NDHS,
3.2.2 Neonatal mortality rate 23 2014 NMICS 18 16 14 12 Subnational, Gender, Social group Annual, 5 years MOH
NMICS
By 2030, end the epidemics of AIDS, tuberculosis, malaria and neglected tropical diseases and combat hepatitis, water-borne
3.3
diseases and other communicable diseases
Number of new HIV infections per
3.3.1 1,000 uninfected population, by HMIS Subnational, Gender, Social group Annual MOH
sex, age and key populations
a. Number of new HIV infections
NCASC
among adults 15–49 years old (per 0.03 2015 0.022 0.018 0.014 0.014 HMIS Subnational, Gender, Social group Annual MOH
database
1000 uninfected population)
Tuberculosis incidence (per WHO
3.3.2 158 2015 85 67 55 20 HMIS Subnational, Gender, Social group Annual MOH
100,000 population) estimates
Malaria incidence (per 1,000
3.3.3 0.1 2015 HMIS 0.05 0.04 0.03 0.01 HMIS Subnational, Gender, Social group Annual MOH
population)
Hepatitis B prevalence (per
3.3.4 2654 2015 GBD Study 2654 2654 2610 2566 HMIS Subnational, Gender, Social group Annual MOH
100,000 population)
Number of people requiring
interventions against neglected
tropical diseases
a. Leprosy cases 2271 2014 DoHS 1693 1370 911 0 HMIS Subnational, Gender, Social group Annual MOH
3.3.5 b. Kala-azar (Leishmaniasis) cases* 325 2014 HMIS 203 163 102 0 HMIS Subnational, Gender, Social group Annual MOH
EDCD
c. Lymphatic Filariasis cases 30'000 2013 25'100 21'000 18'000 14'000 HMIS Subnational, Gender, Social group Annual MOH
database
d. Dengue cases 728 2014 HMIS 455 364 228 0 HMIS Subnational, Gender, Social group Annual MOH
e. Active Trachoma cases 136 2015 NNJS 85 73 61 49 HMIS Subnational, Gender, Social group Annual MOH
7
111
a. % of children under age 5 with NDHS,
12 2014 NMICS 8 6 4 1 Subnational, Gender, Social group 5 years MOH/CBS
Diarrhoea in the last 2 weeks NMICS
NPHL
b. Number of laboratory confirmed
204 2015 surveillance 128 113 98 83 HMIS Subnational, Gender, Social group Annual MOH
cases of Influenza (H1N1)
system
By 2030, reduce by one third premature mortality from non-communicable diseases through prevention and treatment and
3.4
promote mental health and well-being
Mortality rate attributed to
cardiovascular disease, cancer,
diabetes or chronic respiratory
disease
a. Mortality between 30 and 70
years of age from Cardiovascular
disease, Cancer, Diabetes or Chronic 2.8 2015 GBD Study 2.54 2.35 2.15 1.96 CRVS Subnational, Gender, Social group 3 years MOH
3.4.1 respiratory disease (per 1000
population)
a. Cardiovascular disease 1.44 2015 GBD Study 1.31 1.21 1.11 1.01 CRVS Subnational, Gender, Social group 3 years MOH
b. Cancer 0.67 2015 GBD Study 0.61 0.56 0.52 0.47 CRVS Subnational, Gender, Social group 3 years MOH
c. Diabetes 0.27 2015 GBD Study 0.25 0.23 0.21 0.19 CRVS Subnational, Gender, Social group 3 years MOH
d. Chronic respiratory disease 0.8 2015 GBD Study 0.73 0.67 0.62 0.56 CRVS Subnational, Gender, Social group 3 years MOH
Suicide mortality rate (per Nepal
3.4.2 16.5 2014 14.5 9.7 7.8 4.7 MIS Subnational, Gender, Social group Annual MOHA
100,000 population) Police
3.5 Strengthen the prevention and treatment of substance abuse, including narcotic drug abuse and harmful use of alcohol
Coverage of treatment
interventions (pharmacological,
psychosocial and rehabilitation Survey Subnational 3 years MOH/MOHA
and aftercare services) for
3.5.1
substance use disorders
% of hard drug users who ever
HDU HDU
visited Rehabilitation Centres for 40 2013 50 55 60 75 Subnational 3 years MOH/MOHA
Survey survey
comprehensive services
Harmful use of alcohol, defined
according to the national context
as alcohol per capita consumption
6.5 2013 STEPS STEPS Subnational, Gender, Social group 3 years MOH
(aged 15 years and older) within a
calendar year in litres of pure
3.5.2
alcohol
% of people aged 15 years and older
having harmful use of alcohol
2 2013 STEPS 1.9 1.9 1.8 1.8 STEPS Subnational, Gender, Social group 3 years MOH
(defined according to the national
context)
3.6 By 2020, halve the number of global deaths and injuries from road traffic accidents
Death rate due to road traffic
3.6.1 19.86 2015 GBD Study 9.93 8.94 7.45 4.96 MIS Subnational Annual MOHA
injuries
8
112
By 2030, ensure universal access to sexual and reproductive health-care services, including for family planning, information and
3.7
education, and the integration of reproductive health into national strategies and programmes
Proportion of women of
reproductive age (aged 15-49
NDHS,
years) who have their need for 66 2014 NMICS 71 74 76 80 Subnational, Social Group 5 years MOH
NMICS
family planning satisfied with
3.7.1
modern methods
a. Contraceptive prevalence rate NDHS,
47 2014 NMICS 52 53 56 60 Subnational, Social Group 5 years MOH
(modern methods) (%) NMICS
b. Total Fertility Rate (TFR) (births NDHS,

2.3 2014 NMICS 2.1 2.1 2.1 2.1 Subnational, Social Group 5 years MOH
per women aged 15-49 years) NMICS
Adolescent birth rate (aged 10-14
NDHS,
3.7.2 years; aged 15-19 years) per 1,000 71 2014 NMICS 56 51 43 30 Subnational, Social Group 5 years MOH
NMICS
women in that age group
Achieve universal health coverage, including financial risk protection, access to quality essential health-care services and access
3.8
to safe, effective, quality and affordable essential medicines and vaccines for all
Coverage of essential health

services (defined as the average
coverage of essential services
based on tracer interventions that
include reproductive, maternal, HMIS,
newborn and child health, NDHS, Subnational, Gender, Social group 5 years MOH
infectious diseases, non- NMICS
communicable diseases and
service capacity and access,
among the general and the most
disadvantaged population)
a, % of women having 4 antenatal HMIS,

care visits as per protocol (among 60 2014 NMICS 71 75 81 90 NDHS, Subnational, Social group 5 years MOH
3.8.1 live births) NMICS
HMIS,
b. % of institutional delivery 55.2 2014 NMICS 70 74 79 90 NDHS, Subnational, Social group 5 years MOH
NMICS
HMIS,
c. % of women attending three PNC
20 2014 HMIS 50 65 75 90 NDHS, Subnational, Social group 5 years MOH
as per protocol
NMICS
HMIS,
d. % of infants receiving 3 doses of
88 2014 NMICS 90 93 95 95 NDHS, Subnational, Gender, Social group 5 years MOH
Hepatitis B vaccine
NMICS
9
113
e. % of women aged 30-49 years
16.6 2014 STEPS 36 47 63 90 Survey Subnational, Social group 5 years MOH
screened for cervical cancer
f. % of people living with HIV
receiving Antiretroviral combination 39.9 2016 NCASC 90 92 93 95 HMIS Subnational, Gender, Social group 5 years MOH
therapy
g. % of population aged 15 years
and above with raised blood
11.7 2013 STEPS 31 39 50 60 Survey Subnational, Gender, Social group 3 years MOH
pressure who are currently taking
medication
h. % of population aged 15 years

and above with raised blood glucose 25 2013 STEPS 33 38 47 60 Survey Subnational, Gender, Social group 3 years MOH
who are currently taking medication
i. % of households within 30
61.8 2011 NLSS 69.3 75 80.6 90 NLSS,AHS Subnational, Gender, Social group 3/5 years CBS
minutes travel time to health facility
j. % of poor people enrolled in

0 2015 IMIS 20 50 75 100 IMIS Subnational, Gender, Social group Annual MOH
health insurance
Proportion of population with

Annual
large household expenditures on
10.7 2014 CBS 7.5 6 4 2 Household Subnational Annual CBS
health as a share of total
3.8.2 Survey
household expenditure or income
% of out of pocket expenditure in
53 2012 NHA 45 42 40 35 NHA Subnational MOH
total health expenditure
By 2030, substantially reduce the number of deaths and illnesses from hazardous chemicals and air, water and soil pollution and
3.9
contamination
household and ambient air 111 2015 GBD Study 103.32 98.19 90.51 77.7 GBD Study Subnational 3 years MOH
pollution per 100000 population
3.9.1 a. Mortality rate attributed to
64.2 2015 GBD Study 59.76 56.79 52.35 44.94 GBD Study Subnational 3 years MOH
ambient air pollution
b. Mortality rate attributed to
64.3 2015 GBD Study 59.85 56.88 52.43 45.01 GBD Study Subnational 3 years MOH
household air pollution
Mortality rate attributed to unsafe
water, sanitation and hand
washing (exposure to unsafe
3.9.2 37.7 2015 GBD Study 35.09 33.35 30.74 26.39 GBD Study Subnational 3 years MOH
Water, Sanitation and Hygiene for
All (WASH) services) per 100000
population
3.9.3 0.53 2015 GBD Study 0.49330769 0.468846154 0.432153846 0.371 GBD Study Subnational 3 years MOH
unintentional poisoning
Strengthen the implementation of the World Health Organization Framework Convention on Tobacco Control in all countries,
3a
as appropriate
10
114
Age-standardized prevalence of
3a.1 current tobacco use among 30.8 2013 STEPS 26.18 24.332 21.56 15.09 STEPS Subnational, Gender, Social group 3 years MOH
persons aged 15 years and older
Support the research and development of vaccines and medicines for the communicable and non-communicable diseases that
primarily affect developing countries, provide access to affordable essential medicines and vaccines, in accordance with the Doha
3b Declaration on the TRIPS Agreement and Public Health, which affirms the right of developing countries to use to the full the
provisions in the Agreement on Trade-Related Aspects of Intellectual Property Rights regarding flexibilities to protect public
health, and, in particular, provide access to medicines for all
Proportion of the target
HMIS,
population covered by all vaccines
3b.1 88 2014 NMICS 90 95 95 95 NDHS, Subnational, Gender, Social group 5years MOH/CBS
included in their national
NMICS
programme
Total net official development
assistance to medical research and
12.7 2012 NHA 14.5 16 18 20 NHA Subnational Annual MOH
basic health sectors (External
3b.2
Funds for Health as % of THE)
% of health sector budget for
na 2015 NHA 2 2 3 3 NHA Subnational Annual MOH
research and development
Proportion of health facilities that
have a core set of relevant
essential medicines available and
3b.3 affordable on a sustainable basis
% of government health facilities

70 2015 NHFS 95 95 100 100 LMIS Subnational Annual MOH
with no stock out of essential drugs
Substantially increase health financing and the recruitment, development, training and retention of the health workforce in
3c
developing countries, especially in least developed countries and small island developing States
Health worker density and HRH HRH

1.05 2013 4.45 6 4.45 4.45 Subnational Annual MOH
distribution (per 1000 population) Profile Profile
3c.1
Total health expenditure as % of
5.00 2015 MOF 5.60 6.00 6.50 7.00 NHA Subnational Annual MOH
GDP
Strengthen the capacity of all countries, in particular developing countries, for early warning, risk reduction and management of
3d
national and global health risks
International Health Regulations Assessment

Assessment
3d.1 (IHR) capacity and health 77 2015 82 85 90 95 Report Annual MOH/WHO
Report
emergency preparedness (WHO)
11
115
Annex Table 4
SDG 4: Ensure inclusive and equitable quality education and promote lifelong learning opportunities for all
201 202 202 203 Level of Frequenc Responsibl

Targets and Indicators 2015 Sources of Data
9 2 5 0 Disaggregation y e Agency
Target 4.1 By 2030, ensure that all girls and boys complete free, equitable and quality primary and secondary
education leading to relevant and effective learning outcomes
4.1.1 Proportion of children and young people: (a) in grades 2/3; (b) at the end of
primary; and (c) at the end of lower secondary achieving at least a minimum
proficiency level in (i) reading and (ii) mathematics, by sex
1 Net enrolment rate in primary education (%)
96.6a 98.5 99 99 99.5 MISC,NASA,NLS Provincial/Social
S Group Annual MOE,CBS
2 Primary completion rate (%)
80.6a 90.7 93.1 95.5 99.5 MISC,NASA,NLS Provincial/Social
S Group Annual MOE,CBS
3 Proportion of pupils enrolled in grade one who reach grade eight (%)
76.6a 81.5 92 93 95 MISC,NASA,NLS Subnational/Socia
S l Group Annual MOE,CBS
4 Ratio of girls (to boys) enrolled in grade one who reach grade eight 1.04
a 1.03 1.02 1.01 1 MISC,NASA,NLS Subnational/Socia
5 Ratio of girls (to boys) enrolled in grade one who reach grade twelve
1.1 a 1.04 1.03 1.02 1 MISC,NASA,NLS Subnational/Socia
Learning Achievement / Score (Math, Nepali and English) for Class 5 (%)
6 a) Math 53.3 55 58 63 65
Subnational,
b) Nepali 63 66 70 72 75 NASA Gender, Social 3 years MOE, ERO
c) English Group
53.6 57 60 63 68
7 Gross Enrollment in secondary education (grade 9 to 12) (%)
56.7a 72 90 95 99 EMIS,NASA,NLS Subnational/Socia
Target 4.2 By 2030, ensure that all girls and boys have access to quality early childhood development, care and
pre-primary education so that they are ready for primary education
12
116
Proportion of children under 5 years of age who are developmentally Subnational,
4.2.1
on track in health, learning and psychosocial well-being, by sex Gender, Social
MICS, Panel Group 3 years MOE,CBS
Subnational,
Participation rate in organized learning (one year before the official
4.2.2 Gender, Social
primary entry age), by sex
MICS, Panel Group 3 years MOE,CBS
1 Coverage of child grant for pre-primary education (number in ‘000) 506c 596 620 650 700 EMIS Subnational Annual MOE
2 Attendance to early childhood education (Gross Enrollment) (%) 81a 85.8 89.4 93 99 EMIS Subnational Annual MOE
Target 4.3 By 2030, ensure equal access for all women and men to affordable and quality technical, vocational
and tertiary education, including university
Subnational,
4.3.1 Participation rate of youth and adults in formal and non-formal Gender, Social
education and training in the previous 12 months, by sex Survey, Census Group 5-10 years MOE,CBS
Ratio of girls enrollment in technical and vocational education
1 0.53g 0.66 0.75 0.84 1 Subnational,
EMIS Social Group Annual MOE
Ratio of girls enrollment in tertiary education (graduate level)
2 0.88g 0.91 0.94 0.96 1 Subnational,
Scholarship coverage (% of total students) Subnational,
Gender, Social
3 37c 38.3 39.3 40.3 42
Group,Level of
EMIS schools Annual MOE
Target 4.4 By 2030, increase the number of youth and adults who have relevant skills, including technical and
vocational skills, for employment, decent jobs and entrepreneurship
Subnational,
Proportion of youth and adults with information and
Gender, Social
communications technology (ICT) skills, by type of skill
4.4.1 Survey Group 5 years MOE,CBS
Youth & adults with technical & vocational training (number in Subnational,
‘000,annual) 50b 165 300 350 480 Gender, Social
1 EMIS Group Annual MOE
Working age population with technical and vocational training (%) Subnational,
25i 38 48 58 75 Gender, Social
2 EMIS Group Annual MOE
Internet users (percent of adult population) Subnational,
46.6a 59.5 69.2 78.9 95 Gender, Social
3 EMIS, Survey Group Annual MOIC, CBS
Target 4.5 By 2030, eliminate gender disparities in education and ensure equal access
13
117
Parity indices (female/male, rural/urban, bottom/top wealth quintile
and others such as disability status, indigenous peoples and conflict-
4.5.1
affected, as data become available) for all education indicators on this
list that can be disaggregated
Gender parity index (GPI) (primary school) Subnational,
1 1.02a 1.01 1.01 1.01 1 Gender, Social
EMIS Group Annual MOE
Gender Parity Index (GPI) (secondary school) Subnational,
2 1a 1 1 1 1 Gender, Social
Gender Parity Index (GPI) based on literacy (above 15 years) Subnational,
3 0.62a 0.72 0.8 0.87 1 Gender, Social
Target 4.6 By 2030, ensure that all youth and at least 95 per cent of adults, both
men and women, achieve literacy and numeracy
Proportion of population in a given age group achieving at least a
4.6.1 fixed level of proficiency in functional (a) literacy and (b) numeracy
skills, by sex
1 Literacy rate of 15-24 years old (%) Subnational,
88.6c 91.4 95 98 99 Gender, Social
Census Group 10 years CBS
2 Literacy rate of 15-24 years old (women) (%)
87.4b 90.5 92.8 95.1 99 Subnational,
Census Social Group 10 years CBS
3 Numeracy all (reading and writing in numeric terms) of 15 years & older Subnational,
(%) 62.2d 71.7 78.9 86.1 98 Gender, Social
Survey Group 5 years MOE,CBS
4 Numeracy of female (reading and writting numeric terms) of 15 years and
older (%) 51.9d 63.4 72 80.6 95 Subnational,
Survey Social Group 5 years MOE,CBS
5 Public spending per student (Basic education in ‘000)
15c 19 22 25 30 Subnational,
Target 4.7 By 2030, ensure that all learners acquire the knowledge and skills needed to promote sustainable
development, including, among others, through education for sustainable development and sustainable lifestyles,
human rights, gender equality, promotion of a culture of peace and non-violence, global citizenship and
appreciation of cultural diversity and of culture’s contribution to sustainable development
14
118
Extent to which (i) global citizenship education and (ii) education for
sustainable development, including gender equality and human rights,
4.7.1 are mainstreamed at all levels in: (a) national education policies; (b) Yes
curricula; (c) teacher education; and (d) student assessment (In scale of
0 to 5: Where “0” is none)
1 Human assets index 66.6e 68.9 70.5 72.2 76 EMIS Subnational 3 years MOE, NPC
2 Gender development index 0.53 f
0.58 0.61 0.64 0.7 EMIS Subnational 3 years MOE, NPC
Target 4.a Build and upgrade education facilities that are child, disability and gender sensitive and provide safe,
non-violent, inclusive and effective learning environments for all
4.a.1 Proportion of schools with access to: (a) electricity; (b) the Internet for
pedagogical purposes; (c) computers for pedagogical purposes; (d) adapted
infrastructure and materials for students with disabilities; (e) basic drinking water; (f)
single-sex basic sanitation facilities; and (g) basic handwashing facilities (as per the
WASH indicator definitions) EMIS Subnational 3 years MOE, NPC
4.a.1 Schools with access to electricity (%) EMIS Subnational 3 years MOE, NPC
4.a.2 Schools with access to internet (%) 3.9c 28.6 47.2 65.8 99 EMIS Subnational 3 years MOE, NPC
4.a.3 Basic schools with access to "WASH" facilities (%) 80j 85 88.3 91.9 99 EMIS Subnational 3 years MOE, NPC
4.a.4 Disability friendly schools (%) 99 EMIS Subnational 3 years MOE, NPC
Target 4.b By 2020, expand globally the number of scholarships available to developing countries, in particular
least developed countries, small island developing States and African countries, for enrolment in higher
education, including vocational training and information and communications technology, technical, engineering
and scientific programmes, in developed countries and other developing countries
4.b. Volume of official development assistance flows for scholarships by
1 sector and type of study
Target 4.c By 2030, increase the supply of qualified teachers, including through international cooperation for
teacher training in developing countries, especially least developed countries and small island developing States
Proportion of teachers in: (a) pre-primary; (b) primary; (c) lower
secondary; and (d) upper secondary education who have received at
4.c.1 least the minimum organized teacher training (e.g. pedagogical
training) pre-service or in-service required for teaching at the relevant Subnational,
level in a given country EMIS Social Group Annual MOE
Proportion of teachers in basic education who have received at least the
4.c1 minimum organized teacher training, (%) 95.5a 96.5 97.5 98.4 100 Subnational,
Proportion of teachers in secondary education who have received at least
4.c2 the minimum organized teacher training, (%) 95.4a 96 97 98.5 100 Subnational,
15
Sources: a: MoE
Sources: (2016a),
a: MoE b: NPC
(2016a), (2016),
b: NPC c: MoF
(2016), (2016),
c: MoF d: CBS
(2016), (2013),
d: CBS e: UNDESA
(2013), (2015),
e: UNDESA f: UNDP (2014), g: UGC
(2015),
(2015), h: Discussion
f: UNDP based
(2014), g: UGCon(2015),
MoE, ih:: MoE (2015),based
Discussion j: MoEon(2016b)
MoE, i : MoE (2015), j: MoE (2016b) 30
119
Annex Table 5
SDG 5: Achieve gender equality and empower all women and girls
Sources of
Level of Disaggregation Frequency Responsible Agency
Data
Targets and Indicators 2015 2019 2022 2025 2030
Target 5.1 End all forms of discrimination against all women and girls everywhere
Whether or not legal frameworks are in place to promote, enforce

5.1.1 MIS Subnational Annual MOWCSW
and monitor equality and non-discrimination on the basis of sex
NLFS, Time
1 Wage equality for similar work (ration of women’s wage to that of men) 0.62h 0.72 0.8 0.87 0.92h Provincial 5 years MOWCSW,NPC
use Survey
2 Gender Inequality Index 0.49b 0.38 0.29 0.2 0.05 NHDR Subnational 3 years NPC/UNDP
3 Gender Empowerment Measurement (Index) 0.57b 0.6 0.63 0.66 0.69 NHDR Subnational 3 years NPC/UNDP
Target 5.2 Eliminate all forms of violence against all women and girls in the public and private spheres, including
trafficking and sexual and other types of exploitation
Proportion of ever-partnered women and girls aged 15 years and

older subjected to physical, sexual or psychological violence by a
5.2.1 MICS,Survey Subnational 3 years MOWCSW,CBS
current or former intimate partner in the previous 12 months, by form
of violence and by age
1 Lifetime Physical and/or Sexual violence (%) 28.4g 22.2 17.5 12.8 5 NDHS Provincial 5 Years MoH
2 Children age 1-14 years who experienced psychological aggression or
physical punishment during the last one month (%) 81.7d 59.9 43.6 27.2 13.6 NMICS Provincial 5 Years CBS
Proportion of women and girls aged 15 years and older subjected to

5.2.2 sexual violence by persons other than an intimate partner in the NMICS Provincial 5 Years CBS
previous 12 months, by age and place of occurrence
1 Women aged 15-49 years who experience Physical / sexual violence (%)
26j 19.1 13.9 9.7 6.5 NHRC,MIS Subnational Annual CBS
2 Women and Girls Trafficking (in number) 1697a 725 650 425 325 MIS Subnational Annual MOHA
Target 5.3 Eliminate all harmful practices, such as child, early and forced marriage and female genital mutilation
Proportion of women aged 20-24 years who were married or in a
5.3.1 NMICS Subnational 5 years CBS
union before age 15 and before age 18
1 Women aged 15-19 years who are married or in union (%) 24.5d 18 13.1 8.2 4.1 NMICS Subnational 5 years CBS
17
120
Proportion of girls and women aged 15-49 years who have
5.3.2
undergone female genital mutilation/cutting, by age
Target 5.4 Recognize and value unpaid care and domestic work through the provision of public services,
infrastructure and social protection policies and the promotion of shared responsibility within the household and
the family as nationally appropriate
Proportion of time spent on unpaid domestic and care work, by sex, Time Use
5.4.1 Subnational 5 years CBS
age and location Survey
1 Ratio of women to men participation in labour force

Time Use
0.93h 0.95 0.96 0.98 1 Subnational 5 Years CBS
Survey
2 Average hours spent in domestic work by women
Time Use
14a 11.87 10.27 8.67 6 Subnational 5 Years CBS
Survey
Target 5.5 Ensure women’s full and effective participation and equal opportunities for leadership at all levels of
decision-making in political, economic and public life
Proportion of seats held by women in (a) national parliaments and
5.5.1 MIS National/Subnational/Local 5 years NEC
(b) local governments
(a) national parliament (%) 29.5a 33 34.4 36.5 40 NEC National 5 Years NEC
1 (b) provincial parliament (%) 33 34.4 36.5 40 NEC Provincial 5 Years NEC
(c ) local government bodies (%) 40.5 41 41.5 42 NEC local 5 Years NEC
5.5.2 Proportion of women in managerial positions MIS Subnational Annual
1 Women's participation in decision making level in the private sector (%) Economic
25 h
30.3 34.3 38.3 45 Subnational Annual CBS
Census
2 Women's participation in cooperative sector (%) 50 i
50 50 50 50 MIS Subnational Annual MoCP
3 Women in public service decision making positions (% of total employees) 11 e
17 21.3 25.7 33 MIS Subnational Annual MoGA
4 Ratio of women to men in professional and technical workers (%) 24a 28 31 35 40 NLFS Subnational 5 Years CBS
Target 5.6 Ensure universal access to sexual and reproductive health and reproductive rights as agreed in
accordance with the Programme of Action of the International Conference on Population and Development and
the Beijing Platform for Action and the outcome documents of their review conferences
Proportion of women aged 15-49 years who make their own
5.6.1 informed decisions regarding sexual relations, contraceptive use and NMICS,NDHS Subnational 5 years CBS,MOH
reproductive health care
18
121
1 Awareness about reproductive rights among girls and women (%)-
Proportion of women aged 15-49 years who make their own informed
decisions regarding sexual relations, contraceptive use and reproductive 59.5g 68 74 80 90 NMICS,NDHS Subnational 5 years CBS,MOH
health care.
2 Receiving specific support and service provisions related to sexual health

care to the poor, discriminated and marginalized groups (%) HMIS Subnational Annual MoH
Number of countries with laws and regulations that guarantee full

5.6.2 and equal access to women and men aged 15 years and older to sexual MIS MOH
and reproductive health care, information and education
Target 5.a Undertake reforms to give women equal rights to economic resources, as well as access to ownership
and control over land and other forms of property, financial services, inheritance and natural resources, in
accordance with national laws
(a) Proportion of total agricultural population with ownership or

Agri Census,
5.a.1 secure rights over agricultural land, by sex; and (b) share of women Subnational 5,10 years CBS
NLSS/AHS
among owners or rights-bearers of agricultural land, by type of tenure
5.a1 Number of enterprises owned by women

Economic
Subnational Annual, 5 years CBS
Census
5.a.2 Women's ownership of property (land and house)
CBS, MOLRM,
26a 29.7 32.5 35.3 40 Census, MIS Subnational, Social Group Annual, 10 years
MOWCSW
Proportion of countries where the legal framework (including

5.a.2 customary law) guarantees women’s equal rights to land ownership MIS MOWCSW,MOLRM
and/or control
Target 5.b Enhance the use of enabling technology, in particular information and communications technology, to
promote the empowerment of women
5.b.1 Proportion of individuals who own a mobile telephone, by sex Survey, MIS Subnational, Gender Annual, 5 years MOIC, CBS
5.b1 Use of Internet by women aged 15-24 years (%) 19.6 d
40.5 56.2 71.9 98 NMICS, MIS Provincial 5 years CBS
Target 5.c Adopt and strengthen sound policies and enforceable legislation for the promotion of gender equality
and the empowerment of all women and girls at all levels
Proportion of countries with systems to track and make public
5.c.1 MIS Subnational Annual MOF
allocations for gender equality and women’s empowerment
Sources: a: NPC (2016), b: UNDP (2014), c: NHRC (2016), d: CBS (2014b), e: MoGA (2014) , f: MoF (2015), g: NDHS (2011), h: Estimation 19
based on labor force census data, h: Based on consultation with thematic committee, i: MoCP (2016), j: NDHS (2011)
122
Annex Table 6
SDG 6: Ensure availability and sustainable management of water and sanitation for all
Level of
Targets and Indicators 2015 2019 2022 2025 2030 Sources of Data Frequency Responsible Agency
Disaggregation
Target 6.1 By 2030, achieve universal and equitable access to safe and affordable drinking water for all
6.1.1 Proportion of population using safely managed drinking water services

Census Survey Subnational 10 years CBS
Population using safe drinking water (%) 15 a
35 50 65 90 MICS, Thematic Study Subnational
1 10 years CBS
Household with access to piped water supply (%) 49.5 a
60.3 68.4 76.5 90
2 Census Survey Subnational 10 years CBS
Basic water supply coverage (%) 87a 90.2 92.6 95 99
3 Census Survey Subnational 10 years CBS
Households with E. coli risk level in household water ≥ 1 cfu/100ml) (%)
82.2b 60.3 43.8 27.4 1 MICS, Thematic Study
4 Subnational 3-5 years CBS
Household with E. coli risk level in source water ≥ 1 cfu/100ml (%) 71.1a 52.1 37.9 23.7 1 MICS, Thematic Study Subnational
5 3-5 years CBS
Target 6.2 By 2030, achieve access to adequate and equitable sanitation and hygiene for all and end open defecation,
paying special attention to the needs of women and girls and those in vulnerable situations
Proportion of population using safely managed sanitation services,
6.2.1
including a hand-washing facility with soap and water
Survey Subnational 5 years CBS
1 Households using improved sanitation facilities which are not shared (%)
60d 69.3 78.7 85.7 95
2 Proportion of population using latrine (%) 67.6e 75.7 83.8 90 98 Survey Subnational 5 years CBS
3 Sanitation coverage (%) 82a 86.5 89.9 93.3 99 Survey Subnational 5 years CBS
Urban households with toilets connected to sewer systems/ proper FSM (%)
30a 46 62 74 90
4 MICS Subnational Annual CBS
Target 6.3 By 2030, improve water quality by reducing pollution, eliminating dumping and minimizing release of
hazardous chemicals and materials, halving the proportion of untreated waste water and increasing recycling and
safe reuse.
6.3.1 Proportion of wastewater safely treated Survey Subnational 5 years CBS
1 Proportion of untreated industrial waste water (%) 99 c 75.3 57.5 39.7 10 MIS Subnational Annual MOI
6.3.2 Proportion of bodies of water with good ambient water quality MIS Annual MOWSS
Target 6.4 By 2030, substantially increase water-use efficiency across all sectors and ensure sustainable withdrawals
and supply of freshwater to address water scarcity and substantially reduce the number of people suffering from
water scarcity
21
123
6.4.1 Change in water-use efficiency over time Survey Subnational 5 years CBS
Level of water stress: freshwater withdrawal as a proportion of

6.4.2
available freshwater resources
Survey, MIS Subnational 5 years, Annual CBS
1 Wastage of water – Irrigation (Field losses in %) 40 35 25 20 1 MIS Subnational Annual MOI
2
Availability of freshwater (per person per day in liters) MIS, Study Subnational Annual CBS
3 Level of water stress: freshwater withdrawal as a proportion of available
freshwater resources
MIS, Study Subnational Annual CBS
4 Non- Revenue Water 20c
16 13 10 5 MIS, Study Subnational Annual CBS
Target 6.5 By 2030, implement integrated water resources management at all levels, including through trans
boundary cooperation as appropriate
Degree of integrated water resources management implementation (0-
6.5.1 16 28 40 60
100) MIS Subnational Annual MOEN, MOIR, MOWSS
Proportion of transboundary basin area with an operational
6.5.2
arrangement for water cooperation
MIS MOEN, MOIR, MOWSS
Target 6.6 By 2020, protect and restore water-related ecosystems, including mountains, forests, wetlands, rivers,
aquifers and lakes
6.6.1 Change in the extent of water-related ecosystems over time Survey MOWSS
Target 6.a By 2030, expand international cooperation and capacity-building support to developing countries in
water- and sanitation-related activities and programmes, including water harvesting, desalination, water efficiency,
wastewater treatment, recycling and reuse technologies
Amount of water- and sanitation-related official development
6.a.1 0.7g
assistance that is part of a government-coordinated spending plan
MIS Annual MOF, MOWSS
Target 6.b Support and strengthen the participation of local communities in improving water and sanitation
management
Proportion of local administrative units with established and

6.b.1 operational policies and procedures for participation of local
communities in water and sanitation management
MIS Subnational Annual MOF, MOWSS
Sources: a: MWSS (2016), b: NPC (2016), c: Based on consultation with thematic committee, d: CBS (2014), e: CBS
(2013), f : NMIP (2014), g: MOF (2015) 14
Sources: a: MWSS (2016), b: NPC (2016), c: Based on consultation with thematic committee, d: CBS (2014),
e: CBS (2013), f : NMIP (2014), g: MOF (2015)
22
124
Annex Table 7
SDG 7: Ensure access to affordable, reliable, sustainable and modern energy for all
Level of Responsible
Targets and Indicators 2015 2019 2022 2025 2030 Sources of Data Frequency
Disaggregation Agency
Target 7.1 By 2030, ensure universal access to affordable, reliable and modern energy services
7.1.1 Proportion of population with access to electricity 74b 80.7 85.7 90.7 99 Annual, 10
Census, MIS Subnational years MOEN, CBS
1 Per capita energy (final) consumption (in gigajoules) 16a 18.1 19.7 21.3 24 MIS Subnational Annual MOEN
Proportion of population with primary reliance on clean fuels and
7.1.2
technology
Survey Subnational 5 years MOEN, CBS
1 Households using solid fuel as primary source of energy for cooking (%)
74.7 d
65 55 45 30 MOEN,
MIS Subnational Annual MOPE
2 People using liquid petroleum gas (LPG) for cooking and heating (%)
18b 23.6 27.8 32 39
Census Subnational 10 years CBS
3 Electricity consumption (k Wh per capita) 80e 230 542 1027 15000 MIS Subnational Annual MOEN
Target 7.2 By 2030, increase substantially the share of renewable energy in the global energy mix
7.2.1 Renewable energy share in the total final energy consumption 11.9d 22.1 29.7 37.3 50
MIS Subnational Annual MOEN
1 Installed capacity of hydropower (MW) 782e 2301 5417 10260 15000 MIS Subnational Annual MOEN
Target 7.3 By 2030, double the global rate of improvement in energy efficiency
7.3.1 Energy intensity measured in terms of primary energy and GDP

MIS Subnational Annual MOEN
1 Commercial energy use per unit of GDP (ToE/mRs) 3.20d 3.28 3.17 3.15 3.14 Manufacturing Census Subnational 10 years CBS
2 Energy efficiency in Industry ( MJ per 1000 rupees of product) 47.20f 45.3 43.8 42.4 40 Manufacturing Census Subnational 10 years CBS
3 Higher efficiency appliances (in residential & commercial) (%) 10 15 30 40 60 MIS Subnational Annual MOEN
4 Electric vehicles in public transport systems (%) 1 5 20 35 50 MIS Subnational Annual MOEN
Target 7.a By 2030, enhance international cooperation to facilitate access to clean energy research and technology, including
renewable energy, energy efficiency and advanced and cleaner fossil-fuel technology, and promote investment in energy
infrastructure and clean energy technology
23
125
International financial flows to developing countries in support of
7.a.1 clean energy research and development and renewable energy
production, including in hybrid systems
MIS Annual MOF, MOPE
Target 7.b By 2030, expand infrastructure and upgrade technology for supplying modern and sustainable energy services for
all in developing countries, in particular least developed countries and small island developing States.
Investments in energy efficiency as a proportion of GDP and the

7.b.1 amount of foreign direct investment in financial transfer for
infrastructure and technology to sustainable development services
MOF, MOEN,
MIS Annual MOPE
Sources: a: Consultation with thematic committee and experts from NEA, b: CBS (2011), c: CBS (2014), d: NPC (2016), e: NPC
(2015), f: CBS (2014a) 9
Sources: a: Consultation with thematic committee and experts from NEA, b: CBS (2011),
c: CBS (2014), d: NPC (2016), e: NPC (2015), f: CBS (2014a)
24
126
Annex Table 8
SDG 8: Promote sustained, inclusive and sustainable economic growth, full and productive employment and decent work for all
Level of
Sources of Responsible
201 202 203 Disaggregatio Frequency
Data Agency
Targets and Indicators 5 2019 2022 5 0 n
8.1 Sustain per capita economic growth in accordance with national circumstances and, in particular, at least 7 per cent gross domestic
product growth per annum in the least developed countries
8.1.1 Annual growth rate of real GDP per capita National A/c Subnational Annual CBS
1 Per capita GDP growth (%) 2.3a 3.6 4.5 5.4 7
National A/c Subnational Annual CBS
Target 8.2 Achieve higher levels of economic productivity through diversification, technological upgrading and innovation, including
through a focus on high-value-added and labour-intensive sectors
1.6 3.8 5.5 7.2 10 HS, National
8.2.1 Annual growth rate of real GDP per employed person
A/c Subnational Annual CBS
Target 8.3 Promote development-oriented policies that support productive activities, decent job creation, entrepreneurship, creativity
and innovation, and encourage the formalization and growth of micro-, small- and medium-sized enterprises, including through access
to financial services
70b 54 42 30 10
8.3.1 Proportion of informal employment in non-agriculture employment, by sex
Survey Subnational Annual CBS
1 Contribution of Micro-,Small-, and Medium-scale enterprises in GDP (%)
Economic
Census National 10 years CBS
2 Access to Financial Services NLSS,Economi
c Census
Subnational 5,10 years CBS
3 Access to Cooperatives (% of households within 30 min walk) 54e 60.9 66.1 71.3 80 NLSS,Economi
c Census
Subnational 5,10 years CBS
Target 8.4 Improve progressively, through 2030, global resource efficiency in consumption and production and endeavor to decouple
economic growth from environmental degradation, in accordance with the 10-year framework of programmes on sustainable
consumption and production, with developed countries taking the lead
8.4.1 Material footprint, material footprint per capita, and material footprint per GDP
Survey 5 years CBS
1 Material Intensity in total manufacturing (Rupees of material input to achieve the output value of 66.1 64.4 63.2 62 60
Rs 100) c
Rolling Survey 5 years CBS
Domestic material consumption, domestic material consumption per capita, and domestic
8.4.2
material consumption per GDP
Survey 5 years CBS
25
127
Target 8.5 By 2030, achieve full and productive employment and decent work for all women and men, including for young people and
persons with disabilities, and equal pay for work of equal value
32d 50.1 63.7 77.3 100
Average hourly earnings of female and male employees, by occupation, age and persons
8.5.1
with disabilities
NLFS Subnational 5 years CBS
8.5.2 Unemployment rate, by sex, age and persons with disabilities

1 Underemployment rate (15-59 y) (%) 27.8 23.1 19.5 15.9 10
d
Target 8.6 By 2020, substantially reduce the proportion of youth not in employment, education or training
8.6.1 Proportion of youth (aged 15-24 years) not in education, employment or training
MIS, Survey, Annual, 5years, MOE,
Census Subnational 10 years MOYS, CBS
1 Youth underemployment rate (%) 35.8 28.9 23.8 18.6 10
d
MIS, Survey, Annual, 5years, MOE,

Census Subnational 10 years MOYS, CBS
Target 8.7 Take immediate and effective measures to secure the prohibition and elimination of the worst forms of child labour, eradicate
forced labour and, by 2025, end child labour in all its forms, including the recruitment and use of child soldiers
Proportion and number of children aged 5-17 years engaged in child labour, by sex and
8.7.1
age
1 Children working under hazardous conditions (%) 30d 22 16 10 0
Target 8.8 Protect labour rights and promote safe and secure working environments for all workers, including migrant workers, in
particular women migrants, and those in precarious employment management
8.8.1 Frequency rates of fatal and non-fatal occupational injuries, by sex and migrant status
Ecomic Census Subnational 10 years CBS
Level of national compliance of labour rights (freedom of association and collective

8.8.2 bargaining) based on International Labour Organization (ILO) textual sources and national
legislation, by sex and migrant status
MIS MOLE
Target 8.9 By 2030, devise and implement policies to promote sustainable tourism that creates jobs and promotes local culture and
products
2.6d 4 5.1 6.2 8
8.9.1 Tourism direct GDP as a proportion of total GDP and in growth rate
MIS Subnational Annual MOTCA
26
128
1 Tourist arrival (million) 0.8d 1.6 1.9 2.2 3
2 Tourism revenue (us$) (million)
8.9.2 Proportion of jobs in sustainable tourism industries out of total tourism jobs CBS,
NLFS, MIS Subnational Annual, 5years MOTCA
1 Annual number of jobs in tourism industries (‘000) 90 d
332. 514. 696 100 CBS,
7 7 0 NLFS, MIS Subnational Annual, 5years MOTCA
Target 8.10 Strengthen the capacity of domestic financial institutions to encourage and expand access to banking, insurance and
financial services for all
(a) Number of commercial bank branches per 100,000 adults and 18a 23 26 30 36
MIS Subnational Annual NRB, MOF

8.10.1
b) Automated teller machines per 100000 adult population (number) 11a 17 21 26 33
MIS Subnational Annual NRB, MOF

1 Life insurance coverage (%) 5d 10.3 14.3 18.3 25
34d 51.3 64.3 77.3 99
8.10. Proportion of adults (15 years and older) with an account at a bank or other financial Subnational,
2 institution or with a mobile-money-service provider Gender, Social Annual, 10
MIS, Census Group years MOF, CBS
0.2 a
8.a.1 Aid for Trade commitments and disbursements MIS Annual MOF, MOC
Existence of a developed and operationalized national strategy for youth employment, as

8.b.1
a distinct strategy or as part of a national employment strategy
MIS Annual MOYS
Sources: a: MoF (2016), b: ILO (2014), c: CBS (2014a), d: NPC (2016), e: CBS (2011b) 14
Sources: a: MoF (2016), b: ILO (2014), c: CBS (2014a), d: NPC (2016), e: CBS (2011b)
27
129
Annex Table 9
SDG 9: Build resilient infrastructure, promote inclusive and sustainable industrialization and foster innovation
Target 9.1 Develop quality, reliable, sustainable and resilient infrastructure, including regional and trans-border
infrastructure, to support economic development & human well-being, with a focus on affordable & equitable access for all
Proportion of the rural population who live within 2 km of an all-season

9.1.1
road
NLSS Subnational 5 years CBS
1 Road density (km/sq. km) 0.55a 1.3 1.35 1.41 1.3 MIS Subnational Annual MOPIT
9.1.2 Passenger and freight volumes, by mode of transport MIS, Transport

Survey Subnational Annual, 5 years MOPIT
1 Paved road density (km/sq. km) 0.01a 0.07 0.12 0.17 0.25 MIS, Transport
Survey Subnational Annual, 5 years MOPIT
2 Passenger, by mode of transport (Road) (%) 90 Transport Survey Subnational 5 years MOPIT
3 Passenger, by mode of transport (Air) (%) MIS Subnational Annual CAAN
Target 9.2 Promote inclusive and sustainable industrialization and, by 2030, significantly raise industry’s share of
employment & gross domestic product, in line with national circumstances, & double its share in least developed countries
9.2.1 Manufacturing value added as a proportion of GDP and per capita 6.6b 8.8 10.5 12.2 15
National A/c Subnational Annual CBS
1 Industry’s share in GDP (%) 15b 17.7 19.7 21.7 25 National A/c Subnational Annual CBS
9.2.2 Manufacturing employment as a proportion of total employment 6.6f 8.3 9.6 10.9 13
Target 9.3 Increase the access of small-scale industrial and other enterprises, in particular in developing countries, to
financial services, including affordable credit, and their integration into value chains and markets
9.3.1 Proportion of small-scale industries in total industry value added

Economic Census Subnational 10 years CBS
9.3.2 Proportion of small-scale industries with a loan or line of credit 20g 22.7 24.7 26.7 30
MIS Subnational Annual NRB
28
130
Target 9.4 By 2030, upgrade infrastructure and retrofit industries to make them sustainable, with increased resource-use
efficiency and greater adoption of clean and environmentally sound technologies and industrial processes, with all countries
taking action in accordance with their respective capabilities
9.4.1 CO2 emission per unit of value added Survey Subnational 5 years CBS
1 CO2 per capita in manufacturing and construction value added (grams) 0.04b 0.04 0.04 0.04 0.04 Survey,
Environment
Accounts Subnational 5 years CBS
Target 9.5 Enhance scientific research, upgrade the technological capabilities of industrial sectors in all countries, in
particular developing countries, including, by 2030, encouraging innovation and increasing the number of research and
development workers per 1 million people by 75 percent and public and private research and development spending
9.5.1 Research and development expenditure as a proportion of GDP 0.3d 0.62 0.86 1.1 1.5
9.5.2 Researchers (in full-time equivalent) per million inhabitants

MIS Subnational Annual NPC
1 Enrollment in Science and Technology in proportion to total enrollment (%) 6.8e 9 10.6 12.3 15
MIS Subnational Annual MOE
2 Number of patent registered 75d 322 507 692 1000 MIS Subnational Annual MOI
Total official international support (official development assistance plus

9.a.1 4.0h
other official flows) to infrastructure
Proportion of medium and high-tech industry value added in total

9.b.1
value added
MIS, Survey Annual MOI, CBS
9.c.1 Proportion of population covered by a mobile network, by technology 94.5f 96 97.1 98.2 100 Annual, 10
MIS, Census Subnational years MOIC, CBS
Sources:a: MoPIT (2015), b: CBS (2014a), c: ILO (2014), d: Consultation with thematic commitee, e: MoE (2015), f: NPC (2016), g:
NRBSources:a:
(2015), h: MOF (2015)
MoPIT (2015), b: CBS (2014a), c: ILO (2014), d: Consultation with thematic commitee, e: MoE (2015), 8
f: NPC (2016), g: NRB (2015), h: MOF (2015)
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Annex Table 10
SDG 10: Reduce inequality within and among countries
Sources of Level of
Targets and Indicators 2015 2019 2022 2025 2030 Frequency Responsible Agency
Data Disaggregation
Target 10.1 By 2030, progressively achieve and sustain income growth of the bottom 40 per cent of the population at a rate
higher than the national average
Growth rates of household expenditure or income per capita among the

10.1.1
bottom 40 per cent of the population and the total population
1 Consumption inequality (measured by the Gini coefficient) 0.33a 0.28 0.25 0.22 0.16 NLSS Subnational 5 years CBS
2 Income inequality (measured by the Gini coefficient) 0.46b 0.4 0.35 0.31 0.23 NLSS Subnational 5 years CBS
3 Share of bottom 40% of population in total consumption (%) 18.7c 17.4 21.2 15.6 23.4 NLSS Subnational 5 years CBS
4 Share of bottom 40% of population in total income (%) 11.9 c
13.1 14.7 15.9 18 NLSS Subnational 5 years CBS
5 PALMA Index 1.3d
1.22 1.16 1.1 1 NLSS Subnational 5 years CBS
Target 10.2 By 2030, empower and promote the social, economic and political inclusion of all, irrespective of age, sex,
disability, race, ethnicity, origin, religion or economic or other status
Proportion of people living below 50 per cent of median income, by sex,

10.2.1
age and persons with disabilities
1 Social Empowerment Index 0.41 e
0.48 0.54 0.6 0.7 NHDR Subnational 3 years NPC, UNDP
2 Economic Empowerment Index 0.34 e
0.43 0.51 0.58 0.7 NHDR Subnational 3 years NPC, UNDP
3 Political Empowerment Index 0.65 e 0.7 0.74 0.78 0.85 NHDR Subnational 3 years NPC, UNDP
Target 10.3 Ensure equal opportunity and reduce inequalities of outcome, including by eliminating discriminatory laws,
policies and practices and promoting appropriate legislation, policies and action in this regard
Proportion of population reporting having personally felt discriminated

10.3.1 against or harassed in the previous 12 months on the basis of a ground of
discrimination prohibited under international human rights law
NMICS Subnational 5 years CBS
1 Finished primary school on time (ratio of richest vs poorest quintile) 2.20f 1.88 1.64 1.4 1
EMIS, NLSS Subnational 5 years MOE,CBS
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2 Childhood free of stunting (ratio of richest vs poorest quintile) 1.60f 1.44 1.32 1.2 1
EMIS, NLSS Subnational 5 years MOH,CBS
Target 10.4 Adopt policies, especially fiscal, wage and social protection policies, and progressively achieve greater equality
10.4.1 Labour share of GDP, comprising wages and social protection transfers National A/c,
Survey Subnational Annual CBS
1 Ratio of wage index to consumer price index 2.94g 2.96 2.97 2.98 3 MIS Annual MOF, CBS, NRB
Target 10.5 Improve the regulation and monitoring of global financial markets and institutions and strengthen the
implementation of such regulations
10.5.1 Financial Soundness Indicators Global

Reports
1 Proportion of farm households covered by microfinance (%) 24 28.3 31.5 34.7 40 Survey, MIS Subnational Annual MOF,CBS, NRB
2 Financial Risk Index 27 25.6 11.3 4.6 1 MIS Annual MOF, NRB
3 Global Competitive Index (Score) 3.9h 4.1 4.9 5.3 6 MIS Annual MOF
4 Doing Business Index (country ranking) 105h 95 84 75 60 MIS Annual MOF
Target 10.6 Ensure enhanced representation and voice for developing countries in decision-making in global international
economic and financial institutions in order to deliver more effective, credible, accountable and legitimate institutions
Proportion of members and voting rights of developing countries in

10.6.1
international organizations
MIS Annual MOF, MOFA
Target 10.7 Facilitate orderly, safe, regular and responsible migration and mobility of people, including through the
implementation of planned and well-managed migration policies
Recruitment cost borne by employee as a proportion of yearly income

10.7.1
earned in country of destination
MIS Annual MOLE
Recruitment cost borne by migrant labor (average of cost for Malayasia, South
1 1000 h
867 767 667 500
Korea and Middle East - USD)
MIS Annual MOLE
Number of countries that have implemented well-managed migration
10.7.2
policies
MIS Annual MOHA
Target 10.a Implement the principle of special and differential treatment for developing countries, in particular least
developed countries, in accordance with World Trade Organization agreements
31
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Proportion of tariff lines applied to imports from least developed countries
10.a.1
and developing countries with zero-tariff
MIS Annual MOC
Target 10.b Encourage official development assistance and financial flows, including foreign direct investment, to States where
the need is greatest, in particular least developed countries, African countries, small island developing States and landlocked
developing countries, in accordance with their national plans and programmes
Total resource flows for development, by recipient and donor countries

10.b.1 and type of flow (e.g. official development assistance, foreign direct
investment and other flows)
MIS Annual MOF, MOI
Target 10.c By 2030, reduce to less than 3 per cent the transaction costs of migrant remittances and eliminate remittance
corridors with costs higher than 5 per cent
10.c.1 Remittance costs as a proportion of the amount remitted 3.97h 3.5 3.1 2.7 2 MIS, BOP
Statistics Annual MOF, MOLE, NRB
Sources: a: MoF (2015), b: MoF (2016), c : CBS (2011), d: UNDP (2015), e: NPC (2015), f: Estimation based on nutrition data, g:
NRB (2015), h: NPC (2016)
Sources: a: MoF (2015), b: MoF (2016), c : CBS (2011), d: UNDP (2015), e: NPC (2015), 16
f: Estimation based on nutrition data, g: NRB (2015), h: NPC (2016)
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Annex Table 11
SDG 11: Make cities and human settlements inclusive, safe, resilient and sustainable
2015 2019 2022 2025 2030 Sources of Data Frequency
Targets and Indicators
Target 11.1 By 2030, ensure access for all to adequate, safe and affordable housing and basic services and upgrade slums
Proportion of urban population living in slums, informal settlements
11.1.1 Polulation 10 years, 5
or inadequate housing
Census, Survey Subnational years CBS
1 Population living in slum and squatters (‘000)
500a 400 325 250 125 10 years,
Census, MIS Subnational Annual CBS
2 Household units roofed with thatched/straw roof (%) 19b 15.3 12.5 9.7 5 NLSS Subnational 5 years CBS
3 Households living in safe houses (%) 29.8c 37.8 43.9 49.9 60 AHS Subnational Annual CBS
Target 11.2 By 2030, provide access to safe, affordable, accessible and sustainable transport systems for all, improving road
safety, notably by expanding public transport, with special attention to the needs of those in vulnerable situations, women,
children, persons with disabilities and older persons
11.2.1 Proportion of population that has convenient access to public

transport, by sex, age and persons with disabilities Census Subnational 10 years CBS
1 Availability of safe public transport (%)
0.1d 13.4 23.4 33.4 50
Transport Survey Subnational 5 years CBS
2 Access to paved road within 30 minutes of walking (%) 51.4 e
59 64.7 70.5 80 NLSS Subnational 5 years CBS
Target 11.3 By 2030, enhance inclusive and sustainable urbanization and capacity for participatory, integrated and sustainable
human settlement planning and management in all countries
11.3.1 Ratio of land consumption rate to population growth rate Census Subnational 10 years CBS
Proportion of cities with a direct participation structure of civil society

11.3.2 in urban planning and management that operate regularly and
democratically
MIS Subnational Annual MOUD
1 Planned new cities (number) 10 f
23 33 43 60 MIS Subnational Annual MOUD
2 Households residing with 5 and more persons (%) 46.7 g
39.6 34.2 28.9 20 Census Subnational 10 years CBS
Target 11.4 Strengthen efforts to protect and safeguard the world’s cultural and natural heritage
33
135
Total expenditure (public and private) per capita spent on the
preservation, protection and conservation of all cultural and natural
heritage, by type of heritage (cultural, natural, mixed and World
11.4.1 Heritage Centre designation), level of government (national, regional and MIS Subnational Annual MOF, MOTCA
local/municipal), type of expenditure (operating expenditure/investment)
and type of private funding (donations in kind, private non-profit sector
and sponsorship)
1 Budget allocated for the protection of natural and cultural heritage (%)
1.15a 1.38 1.55 1.72 2 MIS Subnational Annual MOF, MOTCA
Target 11.5 By 2030, significantly reduce the number of deaths and the number of people affected and decrease the economic
losses relative to gross domestic product caused by disasters, including water-related disasters, with a focus on protecting the
poor and people in vulnerable situations
Number of deaths, missing persons and directly affected persons Subnational,
11.5.1 MIS Annual MOHA
attributed to disasters per 100,000 population Gender
1 Deaths due to natural disaster (number)
Subnational,
MIS Annual MOHA
Gender
2 Injuries due to disaster (number)
Subnational,
22300 h 0 0 0 0 MIS Annual MOHA
Gender
Direct economic loss in relation to global GDP, damage to critical

11.5.2 infrastructure and number of disruptions to basic services, attributed to MIS Subnational Annual MOHA, NPC
disasters
Target 11.6 By 2030, reduce the adverse per capita environmental impact of cities, including by paying special attention to air
quality and municipal and other waste management
Proportion of urban solid waste regularly collected and with adequate MOFALD/
11.6.1 Subnational Annual
final discharge out of total urban solid waste generated, by cities MOUD
MIS
Annual mean levels of fine particulate matter (e.g. PM2.5 and PM10)
11.6.2 Subnational Annual
in cities (population weighted)
MIS MOPE
1 Concentration of Total Suspension Particulates (µg/m3, 24 hours’ average)
230j 199.3 176.3 153.3 115 MIS Subnational Annual MOPE
2 Concentration of Particulate Matters (µg/m3, 24 hours’ average) 120j 101.3 87.3 73.3 50 MIS Subnational Annual MOPE
3 Concentration of PM2.5 (µg/m3, 24 hours’ average) 40j 34.7 30.7 26.7 20 MIS Subnational Annual MOPE
4 Concentration of Sulphur Dioxide (µg/m3, 24 hours’ average) 70j 70 70 70 70 MIS Subnational Annual MOPE
34
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Target 11.7 By 2030, provide universal access to safe, inclusive and accessible, green and public spaces, in particular for women
and children, older persons and persons with disabilities.
Average share of the built-up area of cities that is open space for public
11.7.1 Survey, MIS Subnational Annual, 5years MOUD
use for all, by sex, age and persons with disabilities
Proportion of persons victim of physical or sexual harassment, by sex,

11.7.2 NMICS Subnational 5 years CBS
age, disability status and place of occurrence, in the previous 12 months
1 Proportion of women victim of physical or sexual harassment in previous 12 14i 10.27 7.47 4.67 0 NMICS Subnational 5 years CBS
months (%)
Target 11.a Support positive economic, social and environmental links between urban, peri-urban and rural areas by
strengthening national and regional development planning
Proportion of population living in cities that implement urban and

11.a.1 regional development plans integrating population projections and MIS Subnational Annual MOUD
resource needs, by size of city
Target 11.b By 2020, increase the number of cities and human settlements adopting and implementing integrated policies and
plans towards inclusion, resource efficiency, mitigation and adaptation to climate change, resilience to disasters, develop and
implement, in line with the forth-coming Hyogo Framework, holistic disaster risk management at all levels
Number of countries that adopt and implement national disaster risk

11.b.1 reduction strategies in line with the Sendai Framework for Disaster Risk MIS Subnational Annual MOHA
Reduction 2015-2030
Proportion of local governments that adopt and implement local

11.b.2 disaster risk reduction strategies in line with national disaster risk MIS Local Annual MOFALD
reduction strategies
Target 11.c Support least developed countries, including through financial and technical assistance, in building sustainable and
resilient buildings utilizing local materials
Proportion of financial support to the least developed countries that is

11.c.1 allocated to the construction and retrofitting of sustainable, resilient and MIS Annual MOF, MOHA
resource-efficient buildings utilizing local materials
Sources: a: NPC (2016), b: CBS (2012), c: CBS (2013a), d: NPC (2015b), e: CBS (2011), f: NPC (2015), g: CBS (2013), h: NPC
(2015a), i: Nepal Police (www.nepalpolice.gov.np) (2016), j: CBS (2013b) 15
Sources: a: NPC (2016), b: CBS (2012), c: CBS (2013a), d: NPC (2015b), e: CBS (2011), f: NPC (2015), g: CBS (2013),
h: NPC (2015a), i: Nepal Police (www.nepalpolice.gov.np) (2016), j: CBS (2013b)
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Annex Table 12
SDG 12: Ensure sustainable consumption and production patterns
Target 12.1 Implement the 10-year framework of programmes on sustainable consumption and production, all countries taking
action, with developed countries taking the lead, taking into account the development and capabilities of developing countries
Number of countries with sustainable consumption and production (SCP)

MOFSC,
12.1.1 national action plans or SCP mainstreamed as a priority or a target into national MIS Annual
MOPE,MOEN
policies
Target 12.2 By 2030, achieve the sustainable management and efficient use of natural resources
12.2.1 Material footprint, material footprint per capita, and material footprint per GDP
MIS Annual MOFSC
1 Proportion of total water resource used (%) 10a 12.7 14.7 16.7 20 MIS Subnational Annual MOFSC
Domestic material consumption, domestic material consumption per capita, and

12.2.2
domestic material consumption per GDP
MIS Subnational Annual MOFSC
1 Use of fossil fuel energy consumption (% of total) 12.5a 13.2 13.7 14.2 15 MIS Subnational Annual MOFSC
2 Total carbon sink (tons) in forest area 2276b 2522 2707 2892 3200
3 Land use for agricultural production (cereal as % of cultivated land) 80h 78.7 77.7 76.7 75
4 Soil organic matter (%) 1 h
1.8 2.4 3 4 MIS Subnational Annual MOAD
5 Consumption of Wood per capita cubic meter) 0.11 a
0.09 0.08 0.07 0.05 MIS Subnational Annual MOFSC
Target 12.3 By 2030, halve per capita global food waste at the retail and consumer levels and reduce food losses along production
and supply chains, including post-harvest losses
12.3.1 Global food loss index

1 Food waste rate at consumer level (waste per capita) MIS Subnational Annual MOAD
37
138
2 Post harvest loss (%) 15c 11 8 5 1 MIS Subnational Annual MOAD
3 Food loss index (% of supply, Cereal) 10 c
7.9 6.3 4.7 2 MIS Subnational Annual MOAD
Target 12.4 By 2020, achieve the environmentally sound management of chemicals and all wastes throughout their life cycle, in
accordance with agreed international frameworks, and significantly reduce their release to air, water and soil in order to
minimize their adverse impacts on human health and the environment
Number of parties to international multilateral environmental agreements on

12.4.1 hazardous waste, and other chemicals that meet their commitments and obligations
in transmitting information as required by each relevant agreement

1 Use of plastics (per capita in gram per day ) 2.7d 2 1.5 0.9 0 MIS Subnational Annual MOPE
Hazardous waste generated per capita and proportion of hazardous waste treated,
12.4.2 MIS Subnational Annual MOPE
by type of treatment
1 Disposal of liquid Industrial waste MIS Subnational Annual MOPE, MOI

2 Disposal of solid Industrial waste MIS Subnational Annual MOPE, MOI
Target 12.5 By 2030, substantially reduce waste generation through prevention, reduction, recycling and reuse
12.5.1 National recycling rate, tons of material recycled MIS Subnational Annual MOPE
12.5.a Re-cycling of plastics in manufacturing industries (% of industries) 24.5e 42 55.1 68.2 90 Survey Subnational 5 years CBS
12.5.b Re-use of glass and metal products in manufacturing industries (% of industries) 7.2 e 29.3 45.8 62.4 90 Survey Subnational 5 years CBS
Target 12.6 Encourage companies, especially large and transnational companies, to adopt sustainable practices and to integrate
sustainability information into their reporting cycle
12.6.1 Number of companies publishing sustainability reports

MIS Annual MOI
Target 12.7 Promote public procurement practices that are sustainable, in accordance with national policies and priorities
Number of countries implementing sustainable public procurement policies and

12.7.1
action plans
MIS Annual OPMCM, MOF
Target 12.8 By 2030, ensure that people everywhere have the relevant information and awareness for sustainable development
and lifestyles in harmony with nature
38
139
Extent to which (i) global citizenship education and (ii) education for sustainable
12.8.1 development (including climate change education) are mainstreamed in (a) national
education policies; (b) curricula; (c) teacher education; and (d) student assessment
MIS Annual MOE, MOPE

Target 12.a Support developing countries to strengthen their scientific and technological capacity to move towards more
sustainable patterns of consumption and production
Amount of support to developing countries on research and development for

12.a.1
sustainable consumption and production and environmentally sound technologies
Target 12.b Develop and implement tools to monitor sustainable development impacts for sustainable tourism that creates jobs
and promotes local culture and products
Number of sustainable tourism strategies or policies and implemented action

12.b.1
plans with agreed monitoring and evaluation tools
MIS Annual MOTCA
Target 12.c Rationalize inefficient fossil-fuel subsidies that encourage wasteful consumption by removing market distortions, in
accordance with national circumstances, including by restructuring taxation and phasing out those harmful subsidies, where
they exist, to reflect their environmental impacts, taking fully into account the specific needs and conditions of developing
countries and minimizing the possible adverse impacts on their development in a manner that protects the poor and the affected
communities
Amount of fossil-fuel subsidies per unit of GDP (production and consumption)

12.c.1
and as a proportion of total national expenditure on fossil fuels
MIS Annual MOFSC, MOS
Sources: a: NPC (2016), b: Estimation based on Forestry data, c: Estimation based on data from Nepal Agriculture Research council,d:
Estimation based on consultation with thematic committee, e: CBS (2014) (Development of Manufacturing Industries in Nepal), f: NPC
(2015c), g: The World Bank (2012), h: GoN (2014)
10
Sources: a: NPC (2016), b: Estimation based on Forestry data, c: Estimation based on data from Nepal Agriculture Research council,d: Estimation based on consultation
with thematic committee, e: CBS (2014) (Development of Manufacturing Industries in Nepal), f: NPC (2015c), g: The World Bank (2012), h: GoN (2014)
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Annex Table 13
SDG 13: Take urgent action to combat Climate change and its impacts
Sources of Level of Responsible

Targets and Indicators 2015 2019 2022 2025 2030 Frequency
Data Disaggregation Agency
Target 13.1 Strengthen resilience and adaptive capacity to climate-related hazards and natural disasters in all countries
Subnational,
Number of deaths, missing persons and directly affected persons attributed
13.1.1 Gender, Social
to disasters per 100,000 population
MIS Group Annual MOHA
Number of countries that adopt and implement national disaster risk

13.1.2 reduction strategies in line with the Sendai Framework for Disaster Risk
Reduction 2015-2030
MIS Annual MOHA
Proportion of local governments that adopt and implement local disaster

13.1.3 risk reduction strategies in line with national disaster risk reduction
strategies
MIS Annual MOFALD
1 Green House Gas emission from transport sector (%) 12b 10.4 9.2 8 6 MIS,
Environment
Accounts Annual MOPE
2 Green House Gas emission from industrial sector (%) 12 b
10.4 9.2 8 6 MIS Annual MOPE
3 Green House Gas emission from commercial sector (%) 5 b
4.3 3.83 3.33 2.5 MIS Annual MOPE
4 GHG emission (CH4) from Agri sector (Gg) 614 c 662.5 698.89 735.23 796 MIS Annual MOPE
5 GHG emission (N2O) from Agri sector (Gg) 32.6 c 34.5 35.96 37.4 39.8 MIS Annual MOPE
6 GHG emission (CO2) from Agri sector (Gg) 23014c 24627.5 25837.2 27046.9 29063 MIS Annual MOPE
7 GHG emission (CO2) from Industrial sector (cement and lime) (Gg) 632b 547.7 484.53 421.3 316
MIS Annual MOPE
8 GHG emission (CO2) from energy sector (Industrial, transport & others) (Gg) 7959b 6897.8 6101.9 5306 3979
MIS Annual MOPE
Target 13.2 Integrate climate change measures into national policies, strategies and planning
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141
Number of countries that have communicated the establishment or
operationalization of an integrated policy/strategy/plan which increases their
ability to adapt to the adverse impacts of climate change, and foster climate
resilience and low greenhouse gas emissions development in a manner that MIS Annual MOPE
does not threaten food production (including a national adaptation plan,
nationally determined contribution, national communication, biennial update
report or other)
13.2.1
a) Local adaptation plan preparation (number of village councils) 4d 36 60 84 120 MIS Annual MOPE
b) Community level adaptation plan 31d 231 381 531 750 MIS Annual MOPE
c) Implementation of adaptation plan 0 15 30 45 60 MIS Annual MOPE

d) Climate smart villages 0 45 79 113 170 MIS Annual MOPE
e) Climate smart farming 0 133 233 333 500 MIS Annual MOPE
Target 13.3 Improve education, awareness-raising and human and institutional capacity on climate change mitigation, adaptation, impact
reduction and early warning
Number of countries that have integrated mitigation, adaptation, impact

13.3.1 MIS Annual MOPE
reduction and early warning into primary, secondary and tertiary curricula
1 Proportion of schools covered by climate change education (%) 80e 85 89 93 100 MIS Subnational Annual MOE, MOPE
Number of countries that have communicated the strengthening of

13.3.2 institutional, systemic and individual capacity-building to implement MIS Subnational Annual MOPE
adaptation, mitigation and technology transfer, and development actions
1 Number of trained persons in climate change mitigation MIS Subnational Annual MOPE
MOFALD,
2 Number of trained persons (local planners) in climate change adaptation 791e 1380 1822 2264 3000 MIS Subnational Annual
MOPE
Target 13.a Implement the commitment undertaken by developed-country parties to the United Nations Framework Convention on
Climate Change to a goal of mobilizing jointly $100 billion annually by 2020 from all sources to address the needs of developing countries
in the context of meaningful mitigation actions and transparency on implementation and fully operationalize the Green Climate Fund
through its capitalization as soon as possible
Mobilized amount of United States dollars per year between 2020 and 2025
13.a.1 MIS Subnational Annual MOPE
accountable towards the $100 billion commitment
41
142
Target 13.b Promote mechanisms for raising capacity for effective climate change-related planning and management in least developed
countries, including focusing on women, youth and local and marginalized communities
Number of least developed countries and small island developing States

that are receiving specialized support, and amount of support, including
13.b.1 finance, technology and capacity-building, for mechanisms for raising MIS Subnational Annual MOPE
capacities for effective climate change-related planning and management,
including focusing on women, youth and local and marginalized communities
Sources: a: NPC (2013); b: Estimation based on environment data; c: NPC (2015c); d: Estimation based on consultation with thematic committee,
11
e: MoPE (2015)
Sources: a: NPC (2013); b: Estimation based on environment data; c: NPC (2015c); d: Estimation based on consultation with thematic committee, e: MoPE (2015)
42
143
SDG 14 – Conserve and sustainably use the oceans, seas and marine resources for
sustainable development:
Irrelevant for Nepal
144
Annex Table 15
SDG 15. Protect, restore and promote sustainable use of terrestrial ecosystems, sustainably manage forests, combat desertification, and halt Monitoring Framework
and reverse land degradation and halt biodiversity loss
Level of
201 202 202 Sources of Responsible
Targets and Indicators 2015 2030 Disaggregatio Frequency
9 2 5 Data Agency
n
Target 15.1 By 2020, ensure the conservation, restoration and sustainable use of terrestrial and inland freshwater ecosystems and their
services, in particular forests, wetlands, mountains and dry lands, in line with obligations under international agreements
15.1.
Forest area as a proportion of total land area 44.7
1 Survey Subnational 5 years MOFSC
1 Forest under community-based management (% of total dense forest areas) 39a 39.8 40.4 41 42
15.1. Proportion of important sites for terrestrial and freshwater biodiversity that are covered by
2 protected areas, by ecosystem type Survey,MI Annual, 5
S Subnational years MOFSC
1 Protected area (including forest, in % of total land area) 23.2 a 23.3 23.3 23.3 23.3 MIS Subnational Annual MOFSC
259 325 390
2 Conservation of lakes, wetlands, and ponds (number) 1727 a
5000
9 4 9 MIS Subnational Annual MOFSC
Target 15.2 By 2020, promote the implementation of sustainable management of all types of forests, halt deforestation, restore degraded
forests and increase afforestation and reforestation
15.2.
Progress towards sustainable forest management
1 MIS Subnational Annual MOFSC
1 Handover of forests to leasehold forest groups (000 hectare) 44.6a 44.6 44.6 44.6 44.6 MIS Subnational Annual MOFSC
500 500 500
2 Aforestration in public and private lands(hectare per annum) - 5000
0 0 0 MIS Subnational Annual MOFSC
3 Additional plantation (seedlings in million per annum) - - - - - MIS Subnational Annual MOFSC
Target 15.3 By 2020, combat desertification, restore degraded land and soil, including land affected by desertification, drought and foods,
and strive to achieve a land-degradation-neutral world
15.3. MOFSC,
Proportion of land that is degraded over total land area
1 MOLRM,
44
145
1 Forest Density (Average number of trees Per Hectare) 430 a 487 530 573 645 MOFSC,
MIS, MOLRM,
Survey Subnational Annual MOAD
1675 389 556 722 1000 MOFSC,

2 Conservation of rivulet & river banks through bio-engineering (km) a
5 0 5 0 MOLRM,
Target 15.4 By 2030, ensure the conservation of mountain ecosystems, including their biodiversity, in order to enhance their capacity to
provide benefits that are essential for sustainable development
15.4.
Coverage by protected areas of important sites for mountain biodiversity
MOFSC,
1 Potentially dangerous lakes (%) 0.37 b
0.27 0.2 0.12 0
MIS Subnational Annual MOIR
15.4. MIS, Annual, 5 MOFSC,
Mountain Green Cover Index
2 Survey Subnational years MOPE
1 Mountain ecosystems covered by the protected areas (%) 67.8 b
68.4 68.8 69.3 70 MIS Subnational Annual MOFSC
Target 15.5 Take urgent and significant action to reduce the degradation of natural habitats, halt the loss of biodiversity and, by 2020,
protect and prevent the extinction of threatened species
15.5. MIS, Annual, 5 MOFSC,
Red List Index
1 Survey Subnational years MOPE
1 Threatened flora (medicinal & aromatic plants) (%) 0.48b 0.35 0.26 0.16 0 MIS, Annual, 5 MOFSC,
Survey Subnational years MOPE
Threatened fauna (mammals, birds, reptiles, amphibians, fishes, insects, Platyhelminthes, mollusks, MIS, Annual, 5 MOFSC,
2 0.81 b 0.59 0.43 0.27 0
etc.) (%) Survey Subnational years MOPE
MIS, Annual, 5 MOFSC,
3 Wild tigers (number) 198 b 205 210 216 225
4 Rhino (number) 534 600 650 700 783
5 Community led anti-poaching units mobilized (number) 400 400 400 400 400
Target 15.6 Ensure fair and equitable sharing of the benefits arising from the utilization of genetic resources and promote appropriate
access to such resources
15.6. Number of countries that have adopted legislative, administrative and policy frameworks to
1 ensure fair and equitable sharing of benefits
MIS Annual MOFSC
45
146
Target 15.7 Take urgent action to end poaching and trafficking of protected species of flora and fauna and address both demand and supply
of illegal wildlife products
15.7.
Proportion of traded wildlife that was poached or illicitly trafficked
1
Target 15.8 By 2020, introduce measures to prevent the introduction and significantly reduce the impact
of invasive alien species on land and water ecosystems and control or eradicate the priority species
15.8. Proportion of countries adopting relevant national legislation and adequately resourcing the
1 prevention or control of invasive alien species
Target 15.9 By 2020, integrate ecosystem and biodiversity values into national and local planning, development processes, poverty reduction
strategies and accounts
15.9. Progress towards national targets established in accordance with Aichi Biodiversity Target 2 of
1 the Strategic Plan for Biodiversity 2011-2020 MOFSC,
1 Plant (floral) species under conservation plan (number) 3b 30 3 3 15 MIS Subnational Annual MOFSC
2 Animal (faunal) species under conservation plan (number) 5 48 48 48 15 MIS Subnational Annual MOFSC
Target 15.a Mobilize and significantly increase financial resources from all sources to conserve and sustainably use biodiversity and
ecosystems
15.a. Official development assistance and public expenditure on conservation and sustainable use of
1.9a
1 biodiversity and ecosystems
Target 15.b Mobilize significant resources from all sources and at all levels to finance sustainable forest management and provide adequate
incentives to developing countries to advance such management, including for conservation and reforestation
15.b. Official development assistance and public expenditure on conservation and sustainable use of
1.9a
1 biodiversity and ecosystems
Target 15.c Enhance global support for efforts to combat poaching and trafficking of protected species, including by increasing the capacity
of local communities to pursue sustainable livelihood opportunities, the Doha Development Agenda and the Hong Kong ministerial
mandate.
15.c.
Proportion of traded wildlife that was poached or illicitly trafficked
Sources: a: MoF (2015), b: NPC (2015c) 46
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Annex Table 16
SDG 16: Promote peaceful and inclusive societies for sustainable development, provide access to justice for all
and build effective, accountable and inclusive institutions at all levels
2015 2019 2022 2025 2030 Sources of Data Level of Disaggregation Frequency Responsible Agency
Targets and Indicators
Target 16.1 Significantly reduce all forms of violence and related death rates everywhere
Number of victims of intentional homicide per 100,000
16.1.1 population, by sex and age MIS, Crime Subnational, Gender, Social
survey Group Annual MOHA, MOLJPA
1 Direct deaths from armed and violent conflict (number) 1628a MIS, Crime Subnational, Gender, Social
survey Group Annual MOHA, MOLJPA
Conflict-related deaths per 100,000 population, by sex, age and
16.1.2 cause Subnational, Gender, Social
Proportion of population subjected to physical, psychological
or sexual violence in the previous 12 months NMICS,
16.1.3 Thematic
(Governance Subnational, Gender, Social
Survey) Group 5 years MOGA, CBS
Proportion of population that feel safe walking alone around
16.1.4 Subnational, Gender, Social
the area they live
Census, Survey Group 5-10 years CBS, MOHA
Target 16.2 End abuse, exploitation, trafficking and all forms of violence against and torture of children
Proportion of children aged 1-17 years who experienced any
16.2.1 physical punishment and/or psychological aggression by
caregivers in the past month Subnational, Gender, Social
NMICS Group 5 years CBS
Children age 1-14 years who experienced psychological
1 aggression or physical punishment during the last one month) (%) 81.7b 60 44 27 0 Subnational, Gender, Social
Number of victims of human trafficking per 100,000
16.2.2 population, by sex, age and form of exploitation Subnational, Gender, Social
MIS,Survey Group 5 years MOHA, CBS
Children trafficking to abroad (including India) per annum
(reported number) 64c 47 34 21 0 Subnational, Gender, Social
1 MIS Group Annual NHRC, NOHA
Proportion of young women and men aged 18-29 years who
16.2.3 experienced sexual violence by age 18 Subnational, Gender, Social
Target 16.3 Promote the rule of law at the national and international levels and ensure equal access to justice for
all
48
148
Proportion of victims of violence in the previous 12 months
16.3.1 who reported their victimization to competent authorities or Subnational, Gender, Social Annual, 5
other officially recognized conflict resolution mechanisms MIS, Survey Group years MOHA, MOGA
1 Transparency, accountability, and corruption in public (score out
of 6) 3d 4 4 4 5
MIS Annual OPMCM
Unsentenced detainees as a proportion of overall prison
16.3.2 population MIS, Crime Annual, 5
survey Subnational, Gender years MOHA, MOLJPA
Proportion of seized small arms and light weapons that are
1 recorded and traced, in accordance with international standards MIS
and legal instruments Annual MOHA
Good governance (Reported along a scale of -2.5 to 2.5. Higher
2 values correspond to good governance) for control of corruption -0.78e 0 1 1 2
MIS Annual OPMCM
Target 16.4 By 2030, significantly reduce illicit financial and arms flows, strengthen the recovery and return of
stolen assets and combat all forms of organized crime
Total value of inward and outward illicit financial flows (in
16.4.1 current United States dollars)
MIS Annual MOHA
Proportion of seized, found or surrendered arms whose illicit
origin or context has been traced or established by a competent
16.4.2
authority in line with international instruments
MIS Annual MOHA
Target 16.5 Substantially reduce corruption and bribery in all their forms
Proportion of persons who had at least one contact with a
public official and who paid a bribe to a public official, or were
16.5.1 asked for a bribe by those public officials, during the previous
12 months Governance
Survey Subnational 5 years MOGA
People's perception on corruption (% of people with at least one
instance in the past 12 months that require to give a bribe/present)
1 (Corruption index score) 29e 21 15 10 0
Governance
Survey Subnational 5 years MOGA
Proportion of businesses that had at least one contact with a
public official and that paid a bribe to a public official, or were
16.5.2 asked for a bribe by those public officials during the previous
12 months
Target 16.6 Develop effective, accountable and transparent institution at all levels.
Primary government expenditures as a proportion of original
approved budget, by sector (or by budget codes or similar)
16.6.1 76f 81.1 84.9 88.7 95
49
149
Proportion of population satisfied with their last experience of Survey,
16.6.2 public services Governance Annual, 5
survey Subnational years MOGA, CBS
Target 16.7 Ensure responsive, participatory and representative decision making at all levels
Proportions of positions (by sex, age, persons with disabilities
and population groups) in public institutions (national and
16.7.1 local legislatures, public service, and judiciary) compared to
national distributions Subnational, Gender, Social
MIS Group Annual MOGA
Proportion of population who believe decision-making is
inclusive and responsive, by sex, age, disability and population Survey,
16.7.2 Governance Annual, 5
group
survey Subnational years MOGA, CBS
Survey,
1 Proportions of decision making positions held by women in public 15 g
20.3 24.3 28.3 35 Governance Annual, 5
institutions survey Subnational years MOGA, CBS
16.8 Broaden and strengthen the participation of developing countries in the institutions of global governance
Proportion of members and voting rights of developing
16.8.1 countries in international organizations MIS Annual MOFA
16.9 By 2030, provide legal identity for all, including birth registration
Proportion of children under 5 years of age whose births have
16.9.1 been registered with a civil authority, by age 58.1b 66 79 86.9 100 MIS, CRVS Subnational, Gender, Social
Survey Group Annual MOFALD, CBS
Target 16.10 Ensure public access to information and protect fundamental freedoms, in accordance with
national legislation and international agreements
Number of verified cases of killing, kidnapping, enforced
disappearance, arbitrary detention and torture of journalists,
16.10.1 associated media personnel, trade unionists and human rights
advocates in the previous 12 months Subnational, Gender, Social
Number of countries that adopt and implement constitutional,
16.10.2 statutory and/or policy guarantees for public access to Yes
information MIS Annual OPMCM
Target 16.a Strengthen relevant national institutions, including through international cooperation, for building
capacity at all levels, in particular in developing countries, to prevent violence and combat terrorism and crime
Existence of independent national human rights institutions in
16.a.1 compliance with the Paris Principles Yes
NHRC
Target 16.b Promote and enforce non-discriminatory laws and policies for sustainable development
Proportion of population reporting having personally felt
discriminated against or harassed in the previous 12 months on
the basis of a ground of discrimination prohibited under
16.b.1 international human rights law
Surveys,
Governance
survey Subnational 5 years MOGA
Sources: a: NPC (2015), b: CBS (2014), c: NHRC (2016), d: CPIA (2015), e: NPC (2016), f: MoF (2015), g: MoGA 2014
50
150
Annex 17
SDG 17. Strengthen the means of implementation and revitalize the Global Partnership for Sustainable Development
Sources of Level of Responsible

Targets and Indicators 2015 2019 2022 2025 2030 Frequency
Data Disaggregation Agency
Target 17.1 Strengthen domestic resource mobilization, including through international support to developing countries, to
improve domestic capacity for tax and other revenue collection
17.1.1 Total government revenue as a proportion of GDP, by source 19.1a 22 24.2 26.4 30 MIS, National
Accounts Subnational Annual MOF, CBS
17.1.2 Proportion of domestic budget funded by domestic taxes 76 a
77.1 77.9 78.7 80 MIS Subnational Annual MOF
Target 17.2 Developed countries to implement fully their official development assistance commitments, including the
commitment by many developed countries to achieve the target of 0.7 per cent of gross national income for official development
assistance (ODA/GNI) to developing countries and 0.15 to 0.20 per cent of ODA/GNI to least developed countries.
Net official development assistance, total and to least developed countries, as

a proportion of the Organization for Economic Cooperation and
17.2.1
Development (OECD) Development Assistance Committee donors’ gross
national income (GNI)
Target 17.3 Mobilize additional financial resources for developing countries from multiple sources
Foreign direct investments (FDI), official development assistance and South-

17.3.1
South Cooperation as a proportion of total domestic budget
MIS Annual MOF,MOI
a) Official development assistance as a proportion of total domestic budget, (%) 15.1 a

15.8 16.4 17 18
MIS Annual MOF
b) Foreign Direct Investment (FDI) as a proportion of total domestic budget 1.9a

MIS Annual MOF,MOI
c) South-south cooperation as a proportion of total domestic budget MIS Annual MOFA, MOF
d) FDI as a proportion of GDP (Inward stock) (%) 4.8 a

7.3 10.8 14.2 20 MIS, National
Accounts Annual MOF, CBS
17.3.2 Volume of remittances (in United States dollars) as a proportion of total GDP 29.1 a 30.7 31.8 33 35
Target 17.4 Assist developing countries in attaining long-term debt sustainability through coordinated policies aimed at fostering
debt financing, debt relief and debt restructuring, as appropriate, and address the external debt of highly indebted poor
countries to reduce debt distress
52
151
17.4.1 Debt service as a proportion of exports of goods and services 12.6 a 13.2 13.7 14.2 15 MIS Annual MOF
1 Outstanding Debt to GDP Ratio (%) 26.5 28.8 30.5 32.2 35 MIS Annual MOF, CBS
Target 17.5 Adopt and implement investment promotion regimes for least developed countries
Number of countries that adopt and implement investment promotion

17.5.1 Yes
regimes for least developed countries
MIS Annual MOF, MOI
Target 17.6 Enhance North-South, South-South and triangular regional and international cooperation on and access to science,
technology and innovation and enhance knowledge sharing on mutually agreed terms, including through improved coordination
among existing mechanisms, in particular at the United Nations Level, and through a global technology facilitation mechanism
when agreed upon.
Number of science and/or technology cooperation agreements and

17.6.1
programmes between countries, by type of cooperation
MIS Annual MOF, MOST
17.6.2 Fixed Internet broadband subscriptions per 100 inhabitants, by speed

MIS Subnational Annual MOIC
1 Internet Density (per 100 person) 49.8 65 70.9 79.9 95 MIS Subnational Annual MOIC
Target 17.7 Promote the development, transfer, dissemination and diffusion of environmentally sound technologies to developing
countries on favourable terms, including on concessional and preferential terms, as mutually agreed
Total amount of approved funding for developing countries to promote the

17.7.1 development, transfer, dissemination and diffusion of environmentally sound
technologies
MIS Annual MOF, MOPE
17.8 Fully operationalize the technology bank and science, technology and innovation capacity-building mechanism for least
developed countries by 2017 and enhance the use of enabling technology, in particular information and communications
technology
17.8.1 Proportion of individuals using the Internet Annual, 5

MIS, Survey years CBS, MOIC
17.9 Enhance international support for implementing effective and targeted capacity-building in developing countries to support
national plans to implement all the Sustainable Development Goals, including through North-South, South-South and triangular
cooperation
Dollar value of financial and technical assistance (including through North-

17.9.1 South, South-South and triangular cooperation) committed to developing
countries
MIS Annual MOF, MOFA
53
152
17.10 Promote a universal, rules-based, open, non-discriminatory and equitable multilateral trading system under the World
Trade Organization, including through the conclusion of negotiations under its Doha Development Agenda
17.10.1 Worldwide weighted tariff-average MIS Annual MOF, MOC

17.11 Significantly increase the exports of developing countries, in particular with a view to doubling the least developed
countries’ share of global exports by 2020
17.11.1 Developing countries’ and least developed countries’ share of global exports
MIS Annual MOF, MOC
17.12 Realize timely implementation of duty-free and quota-free market access on a lasting basis for all least developed
countries, consistent with World Trade Organization decisions, including by ensuring that preferential rules of origin applicable
to imports from least developed countries are transparent and simple, and contribute to facilitating market access
Average tariffs faced by developing countries, least developed countries and

17.12.1
small island developing States
MIS Annual MOF, MOC
17.13 Enhance global macroeconomic stability, including through policy coordination and policy coherence
17.13.1 Macroeconomic Dashboard MIS Annual MOF

17.14 Enhance policy coherence for sustainable development
Number of countries with mechanisms in place to enhance policy coherence

17.14.1 Yes
of sustainable development
Annual NPC
17.15 Respect each country’s policy space and leadership to establish and implement policies for poverty eradication and
sustainable development
Extent of use of country-owned results frameworks and planning tools by

17.15.1 Yes
providers of development cooperation
Annual NPC
17.16 Enhance the Global Partnership for Sustainable Development, complemented by multi-stakeholder partnerships that
mobilize and share knowledge, expertise, technology and financial resources, to support the achievement of the Sustainable
Development Goals in all countries, in particular developing countries
Number of countries reporting progress in multi-stakeholder development

17.16.1 effectiveness monitoring frameworks that support the achievement of the Yes
sustainable development goals
Annual NPC
17.17 Encourage and promote effective public, public-private and civil society partnerships, building on the experience and
resourcing strategies of partnerships
54
153
Amount of United States dollars committed to public-private and civil society
17.17.1
partnerships
MIS Annual MOF, NPC
17.18 By 2020, enhance capacity-building support and increase significantly the availability of high-quality, timely and reliable
data disaggregated by income, gender, age, race, ethnicity, migratory status, disability, geographic location and other
characteristics.
Proportion of sustainable development indicators produced at the national

17.18.1 level with full disaggregation when relevant to the target, in accordance with
the Fundamental Principles of Official Statistics
Annual CBS, NPC
Number of countries that have national statistical legislation that complies

17.18.2 Yes
with the Fundamental Principles of Official Statistics
Annual CBS, NPC
Number of countries with a national statistical plan that is fully funded and
17.18.3 Yes
under implementation, by source of funding
Annual CBS, NPC
17.19 By 2030, build on existing initiatives to develop measurements of progress on sustainable development that complement
gross domestic product, and support statistical capacity-building in developing countries
Dollar value of all resources made available to strengthen statistical capacity

17.19.1
in developing countries
Annual NPC/CBS, MOF
Proportion of countries that (a) have conducted at least one population and
17.19.2 housing census in the last 10 years; and (b) have achieved 100 per cent birth
registration and 80 per cent death registration NPC/CBS,
MOFALD
Proportion of children under 5 years of age whose births have been registered
Subnational,
1 58.1b 66 79 86.9 100 Gender, Social
MIS Group Annual MOFALD
Sources: a: MoF (2015) 3
Sources: a: MoF (2015)
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156
157
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BA Study Into Development Data in Nepal

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BA Study Into Development Data in Nepal

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A Study Into

Development Data In Nepal

In terms of data infrastructure, much needs to be done to improve access, affordability,

In particular, there is a shortage of disaggregated data. Many targets and indicators

Table-1: Management Information Systems developed within the GoN 29

Another important consideration pertains to the quality of existing data sources. In

Figure 1: Five Steps of Methodology

In the process, major data-related government stakeholders - including data producers,

1.3 Limitations of the study

1.4 Outline of Report

NPC. (2017e). Sustainable Development Goals and Roadmap:2016-2030. Kathmandu:

National Planning Commission, GoN. Available at www.npc.gov.np

2.1 Overview of the National Statistics System

Figure 2: National Statistical System of Nepal

DATA PROVIDERS: DATA PRODUCERS:

2.1.1 Data Producers

Overall, a significant amount of data is produced in Nepal through censuses, surveys,

Meanwhile, the enactments of a number of sectoral legislations has enabled other

The right to privacy is an internationally recognized human right according to Article

2.2.4 Access to information

Ministry Department MIS Description and Link

2.3. National policies

2.3.2 Periodic Development Plans

2.3.3 National Strategy of Development of Statistics

The NSDS is a global initiative of PARIS21 to strengthen national statistical systems.

According to interviewees, there is no systematic investment plan developed by relevant

2.3.4 National Development Plans

2.3.5 Commitment to Regional and International Frameworks

2.3.6 Fundamental Principles of Official Statistics

2.3.7 Open Data Policies

In the last decade, a vibrant community of young organizations outside government

Though not formally acknowledged by the World Banks’s diagnostic framework,

3.1 ICT Governance

Information and communication technologies are increasingly popular in Nepal. The

Nepal embarked on partial deregulation of the telecommunications sector in the early

3.1.1 National Authorities

The Section 3 of Nepal Telecommunication Act, 1997 provides for a Nepal

3.1.2 Control of Social Media

Social media is a relatively new, but an increasingly expanding phenomenon in Nepal.

Reliable and widespread coverage of electricity is a fundamental capacity requirement

3.2.2 ICT Networks

4.1 Major Data Sources

4.1.1 Civil Registration

• The CME collects information on 17 different areas of manufacturing establishments

Table 2: Use of Key Censuses for SDG Measurement

SDG Disaggregation SDG Goal Target Indicator

4.1.3 Administrative Data

Administrative data by their very nature tend to be non-transparent. The concerned

TYPE OF MIS SDG Goal Responsible Agencies

Various multilateral organizations (and development partners) also conduct periodic or

4.2 Development Data Sources

Figure 6: Major Sources of Demographic Data

The Education Management Information System (EMIS) maintained by the Department

Figure-8: Major Data Sources for Education Sector

The administrative data generated by the Ministry of Agriculture Development (MOAD)

Figure-9: Major Sources for Agriculture Data

Figure-10: Major Sources of Trade Data

Figure-11: Major Sources of Poverty Data

Figure-13: Major Sources for Gender Disaggregated Data

4.2.10. Financial and economic data

Figure-14: Major Sources for Financial and Economic Data

Non-government initiatives have primarily been undertaken by development partners

At the national level, various non-governmental organisations and private sector

4.4 Data Quality