Trade in services (% of GDP) in Nepal
Nepal: Trade in services (% of GDP) was 9.6% in 2025. ▼ Falling
Trade in services in Nepal, 1976–2025
Source: Balance of Payments Statistics Yearbook and data files, International Monetary Fund (IMF). Measured in % of GDP.
Analysis
In 2025, trade in services in Nepal stood at 9.6%.
That represents a change of down 0.5% on the previous year and down 11.4% over ten years.
Over the whole period, trade in services in Nepal peaked at 22.5% in 1995 and was at its lowest, 5.9%, in 2020.
That places Nepal 164th out of 200 countries with data for 2025, putting it in the bottom quarter.
The long-run direction has been consistently falling across the 50 years of available data.
Trade in services (% of GDP) in Nepal, year by year
| Year | % of GDP | Change |
|---|---|---|
| 1976 | 7.2% | — |
| 1977 | 8.6% | +19.3% |
| 1978 | 9.7% | +13.9% |
| 1979 | 10.0% | +3.0% |
| 1980 | 12.5% | +24.3% |
| 1981 | 11.0% | -12.1% |
| 1982 | 10.2% | -6.6% |
| 1983 | 10.6% | +3.3% |
| 1984 | 10.0% | -5.3% |
| 1985 | 10.4% | +4.0% |
| 1986 | 10.2% | -2.3% |
| 1987 | 11.8% | +15.9% |
| 1988 | 10.7% | -8.9% |
| 1989 | 10.0% | -7.4% |
| 1990 | 10.2% | +3.0% |
| 1991 | 10.8% | +5.5% |
| 1992 | 14.7% | +35.7% |
| 1993 | 16.0% | +9.0% |
| 1994 | 21.5% | +34.7% |
| 1995 | 22.5% | +4.7% |
| 1996 | 22.1% | -1.9% |
| 1997 | 22.2% | +0.2% |
| 1998 | 15.7% | -29.3% |
| 1999 | 17.2% | +9.9% |
| 2000 | 12.8% | -25.5% |
| 2001 | 10.5% | -18.6% |
| 2002 | 9.0% | -14.3% |
| 2003 | 10.1% | +12.6% |
| 2004 | 11.6% | +15.3% |
| 2005 | 10.0% | -13.8% |
| 2006 | 9.7% | -3.1% |
| 2007 | 12.0% | +23.0% |
| 2008 | 12.6% | +5.1% |
| 2009 | 12.0% | -4.2% |
| 2010 | 9.6% | -20.0% |
| 2011 | 7.6% | -20.8% |
| 2012 | 8.4% | +10.0% |
| 2013 | 9.8% | +16.8% |
| 2014 | 11.4% | +16.1% |
| 2015 | 10.8% | -5.0% |
| 2016 | 10.6% | -1.7% |
| 2017 | 11.1% | +4.6% |
| 2018 | 10.6% | -4.3% |
| 2019 | 9.8% | -8.3% |
| 2020 | 5.9% | -39.3% |
| 2021 | 6.4% | +8.1% |
| 2022 | 8.0% | +24.7% |
| 2023 | 9.6% | +20.1% |
| 2024 | 9.6% | +0.4% |
| 2025 | 9.6% | -0.5% |
Nepal compared with similar countries
- Nepal's 9.6% is below the median for lower middle income countries, which is 13.8%, 69% of the median. (47 countries reporting)
- Nepal's 9.6% is below the median for South Asia, which is 12.5%, 77% of the median. (6 countries reporting)
Averages by decade
| Decade | Average | Lowest | Highest | Years |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1970s | 8.9% | 7.2% | 10.0% | 4 |
| 1980s | 10.7% | 10.0% | 12.5% | 10 |
| 1990s | 17.3% | 10.2% | 22.5% | 10 |
| 2000s | 11.0% | 9.0% | 12.8% | 10 |
| 2010s | 10.0% | 7.6% | 11.4% | 10 |
| 2020s | 8.2% | 5.9% | 9.6% | 6 |
Countries ranked near Nepal
- 161 Chile 9.8% compare
- 162 Guatemala 9.7% compare
- 163 Sri Lanka 9.6% compare
- 165 South Africa 9.3% compare
- 166 Burkina Faso 9.1% compare
- 167 Afghanistan 9.0% compare
More economy & growth data for Nepal
- Africa's Development Dynamics (AfDD) Table 04 - Annual real GDP 4.28 Percent per annum (2029)
- Africa's Development Dynamics (AfDD) Table 02 - Annual real GDP 5.25 Percent per annum (2029)
- SDRs holdings, US dollar, annual growth rate -15.47 % change on previous year (2025)
- SDRs holdings, US dollar, per unit of GDP 0.0031 units per US$ of GDP (2025)
- SDRs holdings, US dollar, per capita 4.82 units per person (2025)
- SDRs holdings, SDR, annual growth rate -19.5 % change on previous year (2025)
- SDRs holdings, SDR, per unit of GDP 0.0023 units per US$ of GDP (2025)
- SDRs holdings, SDR, per capita 3.52 units per person (2025)
- IMF holdings of currency, US dollar, annual growth rate 5.01 % change on previous year (2025)
- IMF holdings of currency, US dollar, per unit of GDP 0.0042 units per US$ of GDP (2025)
Frequently asked questions
- What is trade in services in Nepal?
- Trade in services in Nepal was 9.6% in 2025, according to Balance of Payments Statistics Yearbook and data files, International Monetary Fund (IMF).
- What is the highest trade in services recorded in Nepal?
- The highest recorded value was 22.5% in 1995.
- What is the lowest trade in services recorded in Nepal?
- The lowest recorded value was 5.9% in 2020.
- How does Nepal rank for trade in services?
- Nepal ranks 164th out of 200 countries with data for 2025.
- Is trade in services rising or falling in Nepal?
- Over the last ten years it is down 11.4%. The long-run trend across the full record is falling.
- Where does this Nepal data come from?
- The figures come from Balance of Payments Statistics Yearbook and data files, International Monetary Fund (IMF), published as part of Trade in services (% of GDP). Statizoid updates them automatically from the source API.
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About this data
Total trade in services includes services provided by residents to non-residents plus services provided by non-residents to residents. This indicator is expressed as a percentage of Gross Domestic Product (GDP) which is the total income earned through the production of goods and services in an economic territory during an accounting period.