Nepal is seeing fewer children born each year.
This drop in yearly growth is now a negative number. It means the country has
fewer girls overall.
New data confirms this worry. Nepal's National
Statistics Department released the census numbers in August 2024.They counted
almost 9.9 million kids aged zero to seventeen. Even with this large figure,
growth for this age group has dropped sharply.
Nepal’s total population grew by ten percent
since 2001. However, the group of children shrank by almost eleven percent
during the same period. This shows a big decline in the number of young people.
Girls are suffering the greatest loss. The data shows a clear gender gap in
child numbers. Girls’ population counts dropped much more severely than boys’
counts.
The child growth rate was 0.46 percent in 2001.
This rate changed quickly over the next decade. By 2021, it had fallen to
negative 1.1 percent. The difference between the sexes is striking. Girls’
growth fell four points lower than boys’ growth. This huge gap brings up
serious questions about social causes and effects. We need quick fixes focused
on boosting the number of girls. These trends demand immediate policy steps and
public focus. We must stop this decline and ensure fair opportunities for every
child.
To reverse this worrisome drop and improve child welfare, Nepal must address the core problem of gender unfairness.
