Nepal’s annual child growth rate is currently showing a troubling
trend; it is now negative, indicating a drop in the number of girls in the
country overall.
Critical insight into the demographic environment is revealed by
recent statistics issued by the National Statics Department on 9 August 2024, especially
with regard to children included in the National Census. According to the data,
there are roughly 98,69,583 children in Nepal who are between the age of 0
to17. Despite this substantial number, the growth trajectory for this specific age
group has markedly declined, raising alarms among policymakers and child
advocates alike.
In a broader context, while the overall population of Nepal has
seen as increase of 10.1 percent since the year 2001, the demographic segment
of children has experienced a stark reduction of 10.9 percent. This discrepancy
draws attention to concerning trend in which the youth population is declining
as well as stagnating. The disproportionate impact on girls of this population
loss is a particularly troubling part. The data highlights a key gender
disparity in the growth of the child population by showing that the decline in
the population of girls is substantially more pronounced than that of boys.
The subsequent analysis shows that in 2001, the yearly population
growth rate for children was 0.46 percent. That being said, within the next ten
years, there has been a significant change. This growth rate has fallen to a
negative value of-1.1 percent between 2011 and 2021. Furthermore, there is a
startling disparity in the growth rates between the sexes; girls’ declines have
showed down by a worrying 4 percentage points when compared to boys’ declines.
The disparity in growth rates between the sexes begs serious questions regarding
the underlying reasons, possible socioeconomic ramifications, and the necessity
of focused action to address a decreasing proportion of girls in Nepal’s child demographic.
Such trends necessitate urgent policy responses and societal attention to
reverse the course of this demographic decline and foster an equitable
environment for the country’s children.
So, reversing the alarming trend and advancing the welfare of all children in Nepal will require addressing the root causes of this gender inequality.
