Land transactions across Nepal saw a sharp decline in the first month of the current fiscal year 2025/26, according to the Department of Land Management and Archives (DoLMA).
Between mid-July and mid-August (Shrawan), only 104,218 land deals were recorded across 135 land revenue offices, down nearly 20 percent from 127,206 transactions during the same period last year.
“About 500 local levels have yet to complete land classification. In areas without classification, stricter measures have been applied for plot registration, which has slowed transactions,” said DoLMA spokesperson Khimanand Acharya.
The slowdown was also linked to the Kathmandu Valley Development Authority’s (KVDA) decision to declare 94 plots in Kathmandu illegal. Survey and land revenue offices were instructed to halt transactions of these plots, adding to stagnation in the Valley.
Officials noted that delays in bank loan processing contributed further to the decline. Banks usually complete transactions in Asar (mid-June to mid-July) and disburse new loans in Bhadra (mid-August to mid-September), slowing property deals at the beginning of the fiscal year.
Land transactions have been on a downward trend for the past two years. DoLMA reported 1.6 million transactions in 2023/24, compared to 1.54 million in 2024/25—a drop of about 60,000 deals.
Despite the slowdown, land revenue in 2024/25 reached Rs 51.42 billion. From mid-July to mid-March that year, the government collected Rs 28.49 billion, up from Rs 25.43 billion in the same period of 2023/24. Exemptions worth Rs 469 million were provided, including Rs 349 million for women, Rs 110 million for differently-abled individuals, and Rs 10 million for others.
The department also resolved 1,424 cases of dual ownership, redistributing 281,600 square meters of land among rightful owners and tenants.
Nepal currently has 11.47 million landowners, with men holding 61 percent (6.98 million) and women 39 percent (4.48 million). In urban areas, women account for nearly half of all landowners. Land transactions between men and women were almost equal in 2023/24, with 403,451 men and 402,241 women involved in deals. Nationwide, 32.85 million plots are registered, including 22.02 million under men’s names and 9.76 million under women’s.
