Nepal’s Internet Access Rising, But Digital Skills Remain Low

Despite widespread access to smartphones and the internet across households and age groups in Nepal, the country continues to face a serious shortage of technical skills and digital literacy. This finding is highlighted in the Nepal Multiple Indicator Survey 2024/25, released on Monday by the National Statistics Office.

According to the survey, 85.1 percent of households in Nepal own a smartphone, while 82 percent have access to the internet, indicating rapid expansion of digital connectivity. However, ownership of computers—such as desktops, laptops, or tablets—remains limited to just 16.8 percent of households, particularly for professional or productive use. While this reflects a growing mobile-first economy, it also reveals low utilization of information technology for productive and knowledge-based activities.

The survey shows that digital and technical skills remain alarmingly weak. Only 10.2 percent of the population can use mathematical formulas in spreadsheet applications such as Excel, which are considered essential for data management and professional work. Even fewer—just 3.1 percent—have basic computer programming skills. Meanwhile, 24.2 percent of people are able to copy and paste data or content between documents or devices.

These figures suggest that while Nepalis are increasingly connected through mobile phones and the internet, the country lags significantly in software development and the creation of a skilled technical workforce. Knowledge of connecting external devices such as pen drives, cameras, or printers is limited to 9.3 percent of the population, and only 17.6 percent are capable of creating electronic presentations.

Digital safety and privacy awareness is also weak. Only 19.9 percent of people know how to manage privacy settings on their devices, accounts, or applications. Similarly, 19.2 percent can assess the credibility of information found online, while 23.8 percent are able to configure basic security features. These indicators underline the fragile state of digital and technological literacy in the country.

Government agencies and private IT companies have repeatedly expressed concern over the shortage of skilled professionals. They also point to low retention rates, as trained workers often migrate abroad. The household survey further confirms a significant mismatch between information technology skills and market demand.

From an economic perspective, Nepal appears to have succeeded in creating digital consumers but continues to struggle in producing digital creators and producers. The survey also highlights a pronounced gender gap in technical skills. While 69.7 percent of men possess at least one technical skill, the figure for women stands at 48.8 percent.

Among individuals aged 15 to 49, 90.4 percent of men own a mobile phone compared to 81.6 percent of women. Internet access also varies significantly by income level: while 99.2 percent of the richest 20 percent of households have internet access, the figure drops to 52.9 percent among economically disadvantaged households, creating a major class divide in digital opportunities.

Although internet access has reached 82 percent of households nationwide, urban areas report higher connectivity (86.5 percent) compared to rural areas (73 percent). Overall, 95.5 percent of households have access to some form of telephone service, either fixed-line or mobile. Among people aged 15–49, 85.3 percent own a mobile phone, and 76.7 percent own a smartphone. Provincially, internet access is highest in Bagmati Province (85 percent), while Karnali Province (68.5 percent) and Madhesh Province (78.9 percent) lag behind. Notably, only 16.8 percent of individuals reported using a computer in the past three months.

The report presents a clear picture of Nepal’s digital divide, shaped by economic status, geography, education, and gender. Computer ownership stands at 53.3 percent among the wealthiest households, but drops to just 1.4 percent among the poorest. Similarly, 76.7 percent of people from affluent households possess at least one technical skill, compared to 41.5 percent among poorer households.

Urban–rural disparities are also evident: 21.2 percent of urban households own a computer, while only 8.1 percent of rural households do. Provincial disparities further highlight the inequality. While 5.2 percent of people in Bagmati Province have programming skills, the rate in Madhesh Province is only 1.4 percent. In terms of recent computer use, 24 percent of men reported using a computer in the past three months, compared to just 11.5 percent of women.

Overall, the survey underscores that although Nepal has made notable progress in expanding digital access, deep inequalities and weak technical capacity continue to limit the country’s ability to harness technology for economic transformation and inclusive growth.