Geography & Administration · Data

Provinces of Nepal ranked by population, area & density

A sortable ranking of all 7 provinces of Nepal from the 2021 census. Madhesh is the largest by population with 6,126,288 people, while Karnali is largest by area at 30,213 km². Click any column to re-rank the table. Every figure is from the National Population and Housing Census 2021.

Largest by population

Madhesh

6,126,288 people (2021)

Largest by area

Karnali

30,213 km²

Densest

Madhesh

636 people per km²

Smallest by population

Karnali

1,694,889 people (5.81% of Nepal)

The full ranking

All 7 provinces, sortable

Default order is by 2021 population, highest first. Sort by any column; each province name links to its full profile.

Showing all 7 provinces

The 7 provinces of Nepal ranked by 2021 census population, area and density. Sortable by any column.

1	MadheshJanakpur	6,126,288	21.00%	636	9,661	8
2	BagmatiHetauda	6,084,042	20.86%	300	20,300	13
3	LumbiniDeukhuri (Bhalubang)	5,124,225	17.57%	230	19,707	12
4	KoshiBiratnagar	4,972,021	17.05%	192	25,905	14
5	SudurpashchimGodawari (Dhangadhi)	2,711,270	9.30%	136	19,539	9
6	GandakiPokhara	2,479,745	8.50%	116	21,856	11
7	KarnaliBirendranagar	1,694,889	5.81%	61	30,213	10

Rank (#) is fixed by 2021 population, so it stays meaningful whichever column you sort by. Click any column header to re-sort; click again to reverse.

Common questions

Province rankings, answered

Which is the largest province in Nepal by population?+

Madhesh is the most populous province, with 6,126,288 people in the 2021 census, 21% of Nepal's population.

Which is the largest province in Nepal by area?+

Karnali is the largest province by land area, at 30,213 km², summed from its 10 districts. It is also the least densely populated at 61 people per km².

Which is the smallest province in Nepal?+

Madhesh is the smallest province by area (9,661 km²). By population, Karnali has the fewest people, 1,694,889 (5.81% of Nepal).

Which province of Nepal is the most densely populated?+

Madhesh is the densest province, at 636 people per km², entirely within the flat, fertile Terai.

How can I sort the province ranking table?+

Click any column header, province, population, share of Nepal, density, area or district count, to sort by that column, and click again to reverse the order. The rank number stays fixed to the 2021 population so it remains meaningful whichever way you sort.

Keep exploring

All 7 provinces →The full library, every province with capitals, population and districts.Compare provinces →Head-to-head matchups, population, area, density and capitals side by side.District rankings →All 77 districts sorted by population, area and density.

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, so it stays consistent with the district dataset on this site. Provincial capitals are the permanent headquarters fixed by each provincial assembly. The 2015 constitution created seven provinces, initially numbered; each was later given a name by its assembly (Province No. 1 → Koshi in 2023 being the last).