Nepal’s economy expanded by 4.8pc in the third quarter of the current fiscal year 2081/82, according to preliminary estimates published by the National Statistics Office. This marks a notable improvement compared to the same period last fiscal year.

The report shows positive growth across all 18 major industrial sectors, with electricity production and distribution leading at 12.5pc growth, followed by construction (6.9pc), financial and insurance services (6.7pc), and mining and quarrying (6.7pc).

Other key contributors include:

- Information and communication: 6.6pc

- Transport and storage: 6.3pc

- Manufacturing: 6.2pc

- Commerce: 5.6pc

- Agriculture: 3.6pc, boosted by improved winter crop, vegetable, and cash crop yields

Despite the overall positive trend, some service sectors showed weak growth, including:

- Education: 2.3pc

- Water supply and waste management: 2.4pc

- Accommodation and food services: 2.5pc

Seasonally Adjusted Growth Slows

While year-on-year growth was strong, seasonally adjusted quarter-on-quarter growth stood at only 0.6%, showing signs of economic sluggishness.

- Transport and storage shrank by -3.3pc

- Financial and insurance services: -1.6pc

- Accommodation and food services: -0.8pc

Economists say the 4.8% annual growth is encouraging, but the mild seasonal growth indicates that recovery momentum remains slow, requiring targeted policy measures in upcoming quarters.