Nepal’s petroleum storage capacity has reached 102,281 kilolitres as of mid-March, enough to meet an average demand of 16 days, according to the Economic Survey 2025-26 presented by Finance Minister Swarnim Wagle in the House of Representatives on Wednesday.

The survey shows wide provincial disparities in fuel security, with Gandaki Province able to meet demand for up to 37 days, while Karnali Province has the lowest capacity at just one day. The Amlekhganj depot in Madhesh Province accounts for 43.5 percent of total petroleum storage capacity, followed by Kathmandu with 21.9 percent, Pokhara 13.3 percent, Biratnagar 9.9 percent, Bhairahawa 4.1 percent, Nepalgunj 3.6 percent and Dhangadhi 2.6 percent. Storage facilities in Dang, Simara, Bhadrapur, Manthali and Dipayal remain minimal, the report said.

On the industrial front, 921 new industries were registered in the first nine months of the fiscal year, bringing the total number of registered industries to 11,140 by mid-March. These industries are projected to generate around 785,000 jobs. The survey also shows approved foreign investment commitments worth Rs625.58 billion across 7,921 projects.

Public enterprises showed mixed results. Of the 45 state-owned entities, 27 were profitable, 16 incurred losses and two remained inactive. This marks a decline from the previous year when 28 were profitable and 15 were in loss. The total assets of public enterprises rose by 9.5 percent to Rs3.206 trillion, equivalent to over 50 percent of GDP.

Gender indicators, however, continue to lag behind national targets. The female-to-male wage ratio stood at 0.66 in 2024, far below the 2030 target of 0.92. The gender inequality index remains at 0.495, while the gender empowerment index has improved slightly to 0.63.

Violence against women also remains a concern, with 13.2 percent of women aged 15–49 reporting lifetime experience of physical or sexual violence, compared to a target of reducing it to 6.5 percent.

Political representation has improved but remains below targets, with women holding 33.5 percent of federal parliamentary seats, 36.36 percent in provincial assemblies and 41 percent in local governments.

Female representation in the civil service at policy level stands at 13.6 percent against a target of 33 percent set for 2030.