Risk of catastrophic expenditure for surgical care in Nepal

Nepal: Risk of catastrophic expenditure for surgical care was 58.2% in 2022. ▼ Falling

Latest (2022)
58.2%
Change on year
down 5.2%
World rank
20th
of 134 countries
All-time high
85.6%
in 2008
All-time low
58.2%
in 2022
Years of data
18
2003–2022

Risk of catastrophic expenditure for surgical care in Nepal, 2003–2022

0204060802003201220222003: 84.6 % of people at risk2004: 82.5 % of people at risk2005: 80.8 % of people at risk2007: 85.5 % of people at risk2008: 85.6 % of people at risk2009: 81.5 % of people at risk2010: 82 % of people at risk2011: 83.7 % of people at risk2012: 80.4 % of people at risk2013: 85.2 % of people at risk2015: 79.7 % of people at risk2016: 74.1 % of people at risk2017: 76.3 % of people at risk2018: 73.8 % of people at risk2019: 70 % of people at risk2020: 64.8 % of people at risk2021: 61.4 % of people at risk2022: 58.2 % of people at risk

Source: Program in Global Surgery and Social Change (PGSSC), Harvard Medical School. Measured in % of people at risk.

Analysis

The most recent figure for risk of catastrophic expenditure for surgical care in Nepal is 58.2%, measured in 2022. That is the lowest value across all 18 years on record.

Compared with earlier readings it is down 5.2% on the previous year and down 27.6% over ten years.

Over the whole period, risk of catastrophic expenditure for surgical care in Nepal peaked at 85.6% in 2008 and was at its lowest, 58.2%, in 2022.

Nepal ranks 20th of 134 countries on this measure, in the top quarter.

The long-run direction has been consistently falling across the 18 years of available data.

Risk of catastrophic expenditure for surgical care in Nepal, year by year

Annual values for Risk of catastrophic expenditure for surgical care (% of people at risk) in Nepal, 2003 to 2022.
Year % of people at risk Change
2003 84.6%
2004 82.5% -2.5%
2005 80.8% -2.1%
2007 85.5% +5.8%
2008 85.6% +0.1%
2009 81.5% -4.8%
2010 82.0% +0.6%
2011 83.7% +2.1%
2012 80.4% -3.9%
2013 85.2% +6.0%
2015 79.7% -6.5%
2016 74.1% -7.0%
2017 76.3% +3.0%
2018 73.8% -3.3%
2019 70.0% -5.1%
2020 64.8% -7.4%
2021 61.4% -5.2%
2022 58.2% -5.2%

Nepal compared with similar countries

  • Nepal's 58.2% is above the median for lower middle income countries, which is 29.2%, 2.0× the median. (36 countries reporting)
  • Nepal's 58.2% is above the median for South Asia, which is 29.2%, 2.0× the median. (5 countries reporting)

Averages by decade

DecadeAverage LowestHighest Years
2000s 83.4% 80.8% 85.6% 6
2010s 78.4% 70.0% 85.2% 9
2020s 61.5% 58.2% 64.8% 3

Countries ranked near Nepal

  1. 17 Congo 63.7% compare
  2. 18 Sudan 63.3% compare
  3. 19 Madagascar 59.0% compare
  4. 21 Guinea 57.5% compare
  5. 22 Burkina Faso 56.2% compare
  6. 23 Cameroon 54.3% compare

See the full ranking of 173 places →

More health data for Nepal

All data for Nepal →

Frequently asked questions

What is risk of catastrophic expenditure for surgical care in Nepal?
Risk of catastrophic expenditure for surgical care in Nepal was 58.2% in 2022, according to Program in Global Surgery and Social Change (PGSSC), Harvard Medical School.
What is the highest risk of catastrophic expenditure for surgical care recorded in Nepal?
The highest recorded value was 85.6% in 2008.
What is the lowest risk of catastrophic expenditure for surgical care recorded in Nepal?
The lowest recorded value was 58.2% in 2022.
How does Nepal rank for risk of catastrophic expenditure for surgical care?
Nepal ranks 20th out of 134 countries with data for 2022.
Is risk of catastrophic expenditure for surgical care rising or falling in Nepal?
Over the last ten years it is down 27.6%. The long-run trend across the full record is falling.
Where does this Nepal data come from?
The figures come from Program in Global Surgery and Social Change (PGSSC), Harvard Medical School, published as part of Risk of catastrophic expenditure for surgical care (% of people at risk). Statizoid updates them automatically from the source API.

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Risk of catastrophic expenditure for surgical care in Nepal. Statizoid, drawing on Program in Global Surgery and Social Change (PGSSC), Harvard Medical School. Retrieved 16 September 2026, from https://health.statizoid.com/stat/risk-of-catastrophic-expenditure-for-surgical-care-percent-of-people-at-risk/nepal/

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About this data

Indicator
Risk of catastrophic expenditure for surgical care (% of people at risk)
Unit
% of people at risk
Source
Program in Global Surgery and Social Change (PGSSC), Harvard Medical School
Licence
CC BY 4.0 (World Bank Open Data)
Coverage
173 places, 3,065 data points, 2003–2022
Last refreshed

The proportion of population at risk of catastrophic expenditure when surgical care is required. Catastrophic expenditure is defined as direct out of pocket payments for surgical and anaesthesia care exceeding 10% of total income.