Provinces compared

Madhesh vs Karnali

Madhesh (6,126,288 people, capital Janakpur) and Karnali (1,694,889 people, capital Birendranagar) compared side by side, population, density and area. Madhesh has 4,431,399 more people.

	Madhesh	Karnali
Population	6,126,288	1,694,889
% of Nepal	21%	5.81%
Density	636 /km²	61 /km²
Area	9,661 km²	30,213 km²
Capital	Janakpur	Birendranagar
Largest city	Birgunj	Birendranagar (Surkhet)
Districts	8	10
Formerly known as	Province No. 2	Province No. 6

Madhesh

Nepal's most densely populated province and its grain basket

Full Madhesh profile →

Karnali

Nepal's largest province by area, remote mountains and Rara Lake

Full Karnali profile →

Questions

Madhesh vs Karnali, answered

Which has more people, Madhesh or Karnali?+

Madhesh has 6,126,288 people and Karnali has 1,694,889 (Census 2021), so Madhesh has 4,431,399 more people. That's 21% of Nepal's population for Madhesh against 5.81% for Karnali.

Which is larger by area, Madhesh or Karnali?+

Madhesh covers 9,661 km² and Karnali covers 30,213 km², a difference of 20,552 km². Karnali is the larger of the two.

Which is more densely populated, Madhesh or Karnali?+

Madhesh has a density of 636 people/km² and Karnali has 61 people/km². Madhesh is denser.

What are the capitals of Madhesh and Karnali?+

Madhesh's capital is Janakpur; Karnali's is Birendranagar. Madhesh's largest city is Birgunj, Karnali's is Birendranagar (Surkhet).

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Sources & data note

Population, density and share figures are the final published counts of the National Population and Housing Census 2021 (National Statistics Office). Each province's total area is summed from the official statistical areas of its districts; see each province's profile for full sourcing.