1.6 million Nepalis traveled abroad in 2023

KATHMANDU: More than 1.6 million Nepalis traveled abroad for various purposes in 2023.

According to the Department of Immigration, out of the 1,603,826 individuals who left the country last year, 70,915 departed for permanent settlement in foreign countries. Similarly, 92,342 went abroad for temporary residence, 808,415 for foreign employment, and 108,542 for education.

Additionally, 204,518 left the country for tourism/pilgrimage, and 167,485 to visit friends and family living in foreign lands.

The data reveals that 20,613 Nepalis left on dependent visas, 18,934 for business purposes, and 6,058 to participate in UN missions.

Countrywise, the highest number of departures from Nepal was to the United Arab Emirates, with a total of 271,088 individuals leaving for the Arab nation in 2023. Following closely on the list are India with 180,602 departures, Qatar with 179,441, and Malaysia with 165,201. Saudi Arabia attracted 136,203 Nepali migrants in 2023.

Additionally, 105,343 individuals departed for Australia, 82,772 for Japan, 67,810 for the United States, 53,401 for the United Kingdom, and 48,103 for Kuwait in the same year.