Nepalis
Nepalis (singular: Nepali, synonym: Nepalese; Nepali: नेपाली) are the people associated with the country of Nepal. The term usually refers to the citizens and nationals of Nepal, or the native speakers of the Nepali language. It is also used in reference to the people of Nepali origin or of ethnicities strongly associated with Nepal irrespective of their citizenship or native language.
Nepali citizens and nationals
Nepali nationals number around 30 Million, with six million of them residing in India,[1] and one million more scattered around the world. They are multicultural, multiethnic and multilinguistic group that speak 123 languages as recorded in 2011 Nepal census.
The population ranking of 125 Nepali castes/ethnic groups as per the 2011 Nepal census.[2]
Rank | Caste/ethnic groups | Population | Percentage composition |
---|---|---|---|
1 | Chhetri | 4,398,053 | 16.60% |
2 | Hill Brahman/Bahun | 3,226,903 | 12.18% |
3 | Magar | 1,887,733 | 7.12% |
4 | Tharu | 1,737,470 | 6.56% |
5 | Tamang | 1,539,830 | 5.81% |
6 | Newar | 1,321,933 | 4.99% |
7 | Kami | 1,258,554 | 4.75% |
8 | Nepali Muslims | 1,164,255 | 4.39% |
9 | Yadav | 1,054,458 | 3.98% |
10 | Rai | 620,004 | 2.34% |
11 | Gurung | 522,641 | 1.97% |
12 | Sherpa | 472,862 | 1.78% |
13 | Thakuri | 425,623 | 1.61% |
14 | Limbu | 387,300 | 1.46% |
15 | Sarki | 374,816 | 1.41% |
16 | Teli | 369,688 | 1.40% |
17 | Chamar/Harijan/Ram | 335,893 | 1.27% |
18 | Koiri/Kushwaha | 306,393 | 1.16% |
19 | Musahar | 234,490 | 0.89% |
20 | Kurmi | 231,129 | 0.87% |
21 | Sanyasi/Dasnami | 227,822 | 0.86% |
22 | Dhanuk | 219,808 | 0.83% |
23 | Dusadh/Pasawan/Pasi | 208,910 | 0.79% |
24 | Raute | 618 | 0.00% |
25 | Nurang | 278 | 0.00% |
26 | Kusunda | 273 | 0.00% |
27 | Hyolmo/ Yolmo | 1,50,000 | 1% |
Others | 132321 | 0.7% | |
- | Total | 26,494,504 | 100.00% |
Native Nepali speakers
There are around 16 million native speakers of the Nepali language—around 12 million in Nepal, three million in India, and about a million more including populations in Bhutan and other countries in the region, as well as the Nepalese diaspora around the world.
Others
Other people who are neither citizens or nationals of Nepal nor native speakers of the Nepali language, may still be referred to as Nepalis, based on their connection with the country or the Nepali language. The people belonging to ethnicities found in Nepal and using Nepali as the lingua franca, and other descendants of the people of Nepal or speakers of the Nepali language are also referred to as Nepalis.
See also
- Languages of Nepal
- List of Nepali people
- Music of Nepal
- Religion in Nepal
References
- "Embassy of India, Kathmandu, Nepal : About India-Nepal Relations". www.indembkathmandu.gov.in. Retrieved 17 April 2020.
- "Nepal Census 2011" (PDF).