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.