Nepal’s population has reached 29,192,480, the Central Bureau of Statistics said on Wednesday.

Unveiling the preliminary data of the national census conducted last year in November, the national statistical agency said Nepal’s average annual population grew by 0.93 percent.

The population growth is lowest in 80 years, the bureau said.

The average population growth rate in the last census, in 2011, was 1.35 percent. Nepal’s population was 26,494,504 during the 2011 census.

“The main reason behind the slowest growth in population appears to be outward migration of Nepalis for jobs and studies,” said Hem Raj Regmi, deputy director-general of the bureau.

The bureau said 2,169,478 Nepalis were living abroad. Out of them 81.28 percent are male.

According to the data, 2,017,532 people live in the Kathmandu district.

Regmi said the population growth rate in Nepal is less than the average growth rate of the population globally.

The global average annual growth rate is 1.01 percent, according to World Bank data.

“We have planned to unveil the final census report within the next six to seven months,” said Regmi.

Due to the Covid protocol, the preliminary report was unveiled through a zoom meeting.

According to the Central Bureau of Statistics, out of the total population, the share of females is 51.04 percent.

The population of females numbered 14,901,169 while that of males was 14,291,311, the data shows.

In the last 10 years, according to the bureau, the country’s population has increased by 2,697,976, which is a 10.18 percent rise.

Nepal has been conducting the national census since 1911 every 10 years.