Kirat in Nepal

किराँत

The indigenous nature-and-ancestor religion of eastern Nepal's Rai and Limbu peoples.

Followers

924,204

Census 2021

Share of Nepal

3.17%

Change since 2011

+0.12 pp

About

Kirat (Kirat Mundhum) is the traditional faith of the Kirati peoples, chiefly the Rai and Limbu (Yakthung) of the eastern hills, centred on the worship of nature and ancestors and guided by the oral Mundhum scripture.

It is one of Nepal's officially counted religions and a marker of distinct Kirati identity, celebrated through festivals such as Sakela/Ubhauli–Udhauli.

Questions

Kirat in Nepal, answered

What percentage of Nepal is Kirat?+

Kirat is followed by 3.17% of Nepal's population, 924,204 people (Census 2021). The share changed by +0.12 pp.

How many Kirats are there in Nepal?+

There are 924,204 Kirat followers in Nepal according to the 2021 census.

Other religions of Nepal

Prakriti (nature worship) · 0.35%

Bon · 0.23%

Others (Jain, Sikh, Bahá'í) · 0.02%

← All religions of Nepal

Sources & data note

All population, ethnicity, language and religion figures are the final published counts of the National Population and Housing Census 2021 (National Statistics Office). The NSO enumerates 142 caste/ethnic groups and 124 mother tongues; entries for 'others/foreigners/not stated' explain small residuals. Where community-chosen names replaced older census labels (Bishwokarma for Kami, Pariyar for Damai/Dholi, Mijar for Sarki), both are shown. Language-family shares follow the NSO's own table (Indo-Aryan 83.07%, Sino-Tibetan 16.59%); some secondary sources round differently.