Second National Economic Census to Begin from mid-March

The Government of Nepal is preparing to launch the second National Economic Census from mid-March to mid-July this year with the aim of generating comprehensive and reliable data to guide economic policymaking, planning, and development strategies.

The National Statistics Office (NSO) will conduct the census from March 15 to July 16, 2025, under the theme “Economic Census for Measuring the Economy.” Officials unveiled the census schedule, logo, and theme at a programme organised in Kathmandu on Monday.

NSO spokesperson and Deputy Chief Statistician Dhundiraj Lamichhane said the census would serve as a key foundation for evidence-based economic policies. He added that detailed findings would be released gradually beginning in Fiscal Year 2026/27.

According to Lamichhane, the census will collect basic and reliable data on the number, nature, investment size, employment, production, and service flows of industries, trade and business firms, service providers, cooperatives, and public and private institutions across the country.

Highlighting its broader significance, Chief Statistician Dr Kamal Prasad Pokharel said the census would help strengthen Nepal’s institutional framework for economic statistics. “The economic census is expected to make vital contributions to both short-term and long-term government economic plans, investment promotion, and employment generation,” he said.

The census will also support more accurate estimation of gross domestic product (GDP), help revise the base year of national accounts, assist in policy formulation, and enable assessment of government-set economic targets.

Nepal conducted its first National Economic Census seven years ago. That exercise recorded 923,356 business establishments nationwide, employing about 3.228 million people. The census also found that nearly 30 percent of business firms had women managers, while formal and informal establishments existed in almost equal numbers.

This time, economic activities will be classified into 21 sectors in line with international industrial standards. The census will collect detailed information on 18 of those sectors to assess their contribution to the national economy.-- RSS