2 October, Kathmandu. It has been found that an average of 2 lakh Nepalis go abroad every year.
According to the data of the Immigration Department, from 2021 to 2025, an average of 199,999 Nepalis have gone on tourism and pilgrimage trips. Businessmen say that Dasain is the main season for traveling.
According to the Nepal Association of Tour and Travel Agents (Natta), Thailand is the traditional main destination of Nepalis traveling abroad through Nepali travel agencies.
Recently, the United Arab Emirates (UAE) has been established as another attractive destination. Lately, Natta has warned that Nepalese travelers and businessmen will be boycotting the Thailand tour package, saying that due to the visa process of Thailand, Nepali travelers and businessmen are at great financial risk.
According to Natta, even though there is no guarantee of visa approval, air ticket and hotel booking is mandatory for the applicant. Due to the non-refundable provision of advance booking if the visa is not approved, as the hassles are increasing in Thailand, travelers have started to be attracted to other destinations including the UAE.
The data of Nepalese who go abroad for study, visiting family and relatives, temporary residence and permanent residence are not included in the 'travel segment'.
Likewise, the number of Nepalis going to conferences/seminars, business, health treatment, government visits, cultural programs is also not included. The number of Nepalese going to United Nations missions, sports programs, returning to their country and other purposes is also not included. Likewise, tourism does not include the number of people who go for employment purposes.
According to the department, in 2025 alone, 233 thousand 108 Nepalis have gone on tourism and pilgrimage. In recent years, the rate of Nepalese immigration has been continuously increasing.
In the last 5 years, a total of 71 lakh 26 thousand 459 Nepalis have gone abroad for various purposes. 52 percent of them went for foreign employment.
"This data shows that the structural dependence of the economy is on foreign employment," says the department.
According to the statistics of the department, the number of Nepalis who go abroad for tourism purposes after employment is more. Such a number is an average of 14 percent.
In the last 5 years, how many Nepalis went abroad in tourism?
Year 2021: 1 lakh 10 thousand 521
Year 2022: 1 lakh 77 thousand 3 hundred 4
Year 2023: 2 lakh 4 thousand 517
Year 2024: 274 thousand 428
Year 2025: 233 thousand 1 hundred and eight
Total: 998 thousand 878
It is seen that 5.25 percent and 4.20 percent of Nepalese who go for temporary residential purposes go for permanent residence. According to the immigration analysis, 60 percent of the Nepali citizens who go abroad every year are leaving for foreign countries in search of economic opportunities and for the purpose of migration.
The numerical share of Nepalis who go abroad with the purpose of acquiring education is 6.9 percent. Looking at its trend, the number of citizens going abroad for education in 2021 is 26,000, and in 2025, it has increased by 400 percent to 133,000.
Based on this type of trend, the purpose of Nepalese travel abroad is directed from short-term employment to long-term residence while acquiring education.
Apart from tourism, how many Nepalis go abroad for what purpose?
According to the data of the Immigration Department, from 2021 to 2025, an average of 743,682 Nepalis have gone abroad for foreign employment every year. Only in 2025 this number is 866 thousand 310.
In the study, it appears that an average of 97 thousand 956 people go abroad every year. In 2025, this number is 133 thousand 870. The average number of people who go abroad as family/relatives is 1 lakh 16 thousand 3 78. For this purpose, 130,000 Nepalis went abroad.
An average of 74 thousand 881 people go abroad every year for the purpose of temporary residence. In 2025, this number is 97 thousand 939. An average of 59 thousand 864 went abroad for permanent residence. In 2025, this number is 64 thousand 7 and 60.
It has been found that an average of 32,850 Nepalis go abroad for 'other' purposes. In 2025, 49 thousand 386 Nepalis went abroad for this purpose.
Every year, 19,949 Nepalis go abroad as dependents. Every year 17 thousand 597 Nepalis go abroad for conferences/seminars and training. There is an average of 14,860 Nepalese going abroad for business.
Similarly, 15 thousand 811 Nepalis went for health treatment, 11 thousand 254 for government visits, 8 thousand 686 for jobs that do not require permission, and 2 thousand 959 Nepalis for cultural programs, according to the department.
According to the statistics of the department, on average, 6,104 Nepalese go abroad for United Nations missions, 2,440 for sports events and 43 as a return to their country.
How many Nepalis went abroad in the last 5 years?
Year 2021: 6 lakh 26 thousand 481
Year 2022: 13 lakh 97 thousand 250
Year 2023: 15 lakh 72 thousand 4 hundred
Year 2024: 16 lakh 85 thousand 492
Year 2025: 17 lakh 969
Which country do many Nepalis go to?
According to the latest statistics of the Immigration Department, the main attraction of Nepalis is in the UAE. In the last 5 years, the average number of people who have gone abroad has gone to the UAE. This includes the number of jobs.
There is an average of 271 thousand 893 people who go to UAE every year. Qatar is in second place. It seems that an average of 168,489 people go to Qatar every year. Saudi Arabia is in third place. Every year, 144,367 Nepalis have arrived in Saudi Arabia. India is in fourth place. An average of 1 lakh 13 thousand 853 Nepalis visit India every year.
Similarly, there is an annual average of 81 thousand 748 in Japan, Australia 82 thousand 567, Malaysia 155 thousand 836, UK 45 thousand 465, Kuwait 45 thousand 747, America 60 thousand 148, China 51 thousand 224, Thailand 26 thousand 646, South Korea 28 thousand 699, Oman 14 thousand 557 and Hong Kong with an annual average of 14 thousand 388.
Active in economic journalism, Puri writes about tourism and civil aviation.
