Administrative divisions of Nepal


The administrative divisions of Nepal are subnational administrative units of Nepal. The first level of country subdivisions of Nepal are the Provinces. Each province is further subdivided into districts, and each district into municipalities and rural municipalities. Before 2015, instead of provinces, Nepal was divided into developmental regions and administrative zones.
Fulfilling the requirement of the new constitution of Nepal in 2015, all old municipalities and villages were restructured into 753 new municipalities and rural municipalities. The former 75 district development committees were also replaced by 77 new district coordination committees which have much less power than the DDCs. At present there are 6 metropolitan cities, 11 sub-metropolitan cities, 276 municipalities, and 460 rural municipalities.

Provinces

Nepal is composed of seven provinces. They are defined by schedule 4 of the new constitution, by grouping together the existing districts. Two districts however are split in two parts ending up in two different provinces.
Provinces of Nepal according to current name, capital cities, area and population
ProvincesCapitalArea Population
1Province No. 1Biratnagar25,9054,534,943
2Province No. 2Janakpur9,6615,404,145
3Bagmati PradeshHetauda20,3005,529,452
4Gandaki PradeshPokhara21,5042,403,757
5Province No. 5Butwal22,2884,741,716
6Karnali PradeshBirendranagar27,9841,327,957
7Sudurpashchim PradeshDhangadhi*19,5392,552,517

* Temporary capital until permanent capital is built in Godawari

Districts

Provinces are further divided into districts, of which there are 77. Each districts is governed by a District Coordination Committee
#ProvinceDistrictHeadquartersArea Population
1Province No. 1Taplejung DistrictTaplejung3,646127,461
2Province No. 1Panchthar DistrictPhidim1,241191,817
3Province No. 1Ilam DistrictIlam1,703290,254
4Province No. 1Jhapa DistrictBhadrapur1,606812,650
5Province No. 1Morang DistrictBiratnagar1,855965,370
6Province No. 1Sunsari DistrictInaruwa1,257763,487
7Province No. 1Dhankuta DistrictDhankuta891163,412
8Province No. 1Terhathum DistrictMyanglung679101,577
9Province No. 1Sankhuwasabha DistrictKhandbari3,480158,742
10Province No. 1Bhojpur DistrictBhojpur1,507182,459
11Province No. 1Solukhumbu DistrictDudhkunda3,312105,886
12Province No. 1Okhaldhunga DistrictSiddhicharan1,074147,984
13Province No. 1Khotang DistrictDiktel1,591206,312
14Province No. 1Udayapur DistrictTriyuga2,063317,532
15Province No. 2Saptari DistrictRajbiraj1,363639,284
16Province No. 2Siraha DistrictSiraha1,188637,328
17Province No. 2Dhanusa DistrictJanakpur1,180754,777
18Province No. 2Mahottari DistrictJaleshwar1,002627,580
19Province No. 2Sarlahi DistrictMalangwa1,259769,729
20Province No. 2Bara DistrictKalaiya1,190687,708
21Province No. 2Parsa DistrictBirganj1,353601,017
22Province No. 2Rautahat DistrictGaur1,126686,722
23Bagmati PradeshSindhuli DistrictKamalamai2,491296,192
24Bagmati PradeshRamechhap DistrictManthali1,546202,646
25Bagmati PradeshDolakha DistrictBhimeshwar2,191186,557
26Bagmati PradeshSindhupalchok DistrictChautara2,542287,798
27Bagmati PradeshKavrepalanchok DistrictDhulikhel1,396381,937
28Bagmati PradeshLalitpur DistrictLalitpur385468,132
29Bagmati PradeshBhaktapur DistrictBhaktapur119304,651
30Bagmati PradeshKathmandu DistrictKathmandu3951,744,240
31Bagmati PradeshNuwakot DistrictBidur1,121277,471
32Bagmati PradeshRasuwa DistrictDhunche1,54443,300
33Bagmati PradeshDhading DistrictNilkantha1,926336,067
34Bagmati PradeshMakwanpur DistrictHetauda2,426420,477
35Bagmati PradeshChitwan DistrictBharatpur2,218579,984
36Gandaki PradeshGorkha DistrictGorkha3,610271,061
37Gandaki PradeshLamjung DistrictBesisahar1,692167,724
38Gandaki PradeshTanahun DistrictByas1,546323,288
39Gandaki PradeshSyangja DistrictPutalibazar1,164289,148
40Gandaki PradeshKaski DistrictPokhara2,017492,098
41Gandaki PradeshManang DistrictChame2,2466,538
42Gandaki PradeshMustang DistrictJomsom3,57313,452
43Gandaki PradeshMyagdi DistrictBeni2,297113,641
44Gandaki PradeshNawalpur DistrictKawasoti1,043.1311,604
45Gandaki PradeshParbat DistrictKusma494146,590
46Gandaki PradeshBaglung DistrictBaglung1,784268,613
47Province No. 5Gulmi DistrictResunga1,149280,160
48Province No. 5Palpa DistrictTansen1,373261,180
49Province No. 5Parasi DistrictRamgram634.88331,904
50Province No. 5Rupandehi DistrictSiddharthanagar1,360880,196
51Province No. 5Kapilvastu DistrictKapilvastu1,738571,936
52Province No. 5Arghakhanchi DistrictSandhikharka1,193197,632
53Province No. 5Pyuthan DistrictPyuthan1,309228,102
54Province No. 5Rolpa DistrictLiwang1,879224,506
55Province No. 5Eastern Rukum DistrictRukumkot1,161.1353,184
56Province No. 5Banke DistrictNepalganj2,337491,313
57Province No. 5Bardiya DistrictGulariya2,025426,576
58Province No. 5Dang DistrictTribhuwannagar2,955552,583
59Karnali PradeshWestern Rukum DistrictMusikot1,213.49155,384
60Karnali PradeshSalyan DistrictSalyan1,462242,444
61Karnali PradeshSurkhet DistrictBirendranagar2,451350,804
62Karnali PradeshDailekh DistrictNarayan1,502261,770
63Karnali PradeshJajarkot DistrictKhalanga2,230171,304
64Karnali PradeshDolpa DistrictDunai7,88936,700
65Karnali PradeshJumla DistrictChandannath2,531108,921
66Karnali PradeshKalikot DistrictManma1,741136,948
67Karnali PradeshMugu DistrictGamgadhi3,53555,286
68Karnali PradeshHumla DistrictSimikot5,65550,858
69Sudurpashchim PradeshBajura DistrictMartadi2,188134,912
70Sudurpashchim PradeshBajhang DistrictJayaprithvi3,422195,159
71Sudurpashchim PradeshAchham DistrictMangalsen1,680257,477
72Sudurpashchim PradeshDoti DistrictDipayal Silgadhi2,025211,746
73Sudurpashchim PradeshKailali DistrictDhangadhi3,235775,709
74Sudurpashchim PradeshKanchanpur DistrictBhimdatta1,610451,248
75Sudurpashchim PradeshDadeldhura DistrictAmargadhi1,538142,094
76Sudurpashchim PradeshBaitadi DistrictDasharathchand1,519250,898
77Sudurpashchim PradeshDarchula DistrictApi2,322133,274

Municipalities

Urban Municipalities

Municipalities are places having at least some minimum criteria of population and infrastructure and declared as a municipality by the government. There are 293 municipalities in Nepal.
Urban municipalities are categorized into 3 levels:
There are six metropolitan cities: The capital city Kathmandu, as well as Bharatpur, Biratnagar, Pokhara, Lalitpur and Birgunj. There are 11 Sub-metropolitan Cities and 276 Municipalities.

Rural Municipalities

Rural municipalities were established in 2017, replacing the village development committees. The main purpose of a gaunpalika resembles that of a village development committee, but it has more rights on collection of royalty and taxes and has a higher annual budget than the VDC. Several VDCs were usually combined into each new gaupalika. There are 460 gaunpalikas in Nepal.

Former developmental regions and zones

Prior to 10 September 2015, Nepal was divided into five developmental regions and fourteen administrative zones. At the time of the 2001 census, it was further subdivided into seventy-five districts. Districts were divided into village development committees and municipalities. In the 2001 census, there were 3,915 VDCs and fifty-eight municipalities.
Regions: