No cities meet the exact criteria for “Poorest Cities in Nepal”
Define “city” here as a Nepalese metropolitan, sub‑metropolitan, or municipality. Use poverty metrics such as the poverty headcount (percent below the national poverty line) or the Multidimensional Poverty Index (MPI). With those definitions and standard national sources (CBS/NLSS, MPI reports, World Bank, UNDP), there are no consistent, comparable municipal‑level poverty estimates that allow a reliable ranked list of the poorest cities in Nepal.
This empty result occurs for clear technical reasons. National household surveys and MPI studies are designed and sampled to give reliable estimates at the national, provincial, or district level and for broad urban/rural strata. They are not powered to produce precise poverty rates for every municipality. Administrative restructuring (creation and merging of municipalities in recent years) also breaks comparability across survey rounds. Different poverty measures (consumption/income based vs. MPI) and differing survey years further prevent a single, defensible municipal ranking.
Still, useful near matches and related data exist. You can find district poverty rankings that consistently show the highest deprivation in remote districts of Karnali and Sudurpashchim (for example, Mugu, Humla, Dolpa, Jumla, Bajhang). Local NGOs and district profiles sometimes publish municipality or ward‑level studies. You can also use NLSS microdata or MPI subnational tables to create custom municipal estimates, or consult ready lists such as “Poorest districts in Nepal,” poverty by province, or urban poverty pocket analyses.
Explore those district and MPI reports, download NLSS microdata from the CBS, or request a custom municipal estimate if you need a city‑level ranking.
