Electricity service has reached 96.7 percent of households in Nepal, according to the Fourth Nepal Multiple Indicator Survey 2081/82 released Monday by the National Statistics Office (NSO), indicating major progress in household energy access and infrastructure development.

The survey shows Gandaki Province has achieved near-universal coverage, with 99.5 percent of households having access to a continuous source of electricity - the highest in the country. In contrast, Karnali Province records the lowest access rate, where only 80.8 percent of households have reliable electricity service.

Urban–Rural Divide

The data highlight a continuing disparity between urban and rural regions:

- Urban areas: 98.2% of households have continuous electricity access

- Rural areas: 93.7% of households have continuous electricity access

Although rural electrification has expanded significantly in recent years, the figures suggest that service reliability and grid penetration remain uneven outside city centers.

Province-wise Electricity Access

- Koshi Province: 97.2% of households overall

- Urban: 98.8%

- Rural: 97.2%

- Madhesh Province: Around 98% of households have electricity access

- Bagmati Province (including Kathmandu Valley): Nearly 100% household coverage

- Gandaki Province: 99.5% (highest)

- Karnali Province: 80.8% overall; only 74.8% in rural areas

- Sudurpaschim Province: 78.2% of households have electricity access

The figures show that while central and more urbanized provinces approach universal access, western and mountainous regions still face infrastructure gaps.

Telephone Access Also Expanding

The survey also examined communication access, revealing that 95.5 percent of households nationwide have access to a telephone service - either a landline or mobile phone.

- Highest: Bagmati Province (97.1%)

- Lowest: Sudurpaschim Province (92.6%)

Survey Methodology

According to the NSO, data were collected from 540 clusters (enumeration areas) across Nepal:

- 304 clusters from urban areas

- 236 clusters from rural areas

From each cluster, 24 households were selected, resulting in a total sample of 12,960 households for the nationwide survey.

The findings provide a comprehensive statistical picture of Nepal’s progress in basic infrastructure access, while also underlining regional inequalities that remain a policy challenge for inclusive development.