Nepali students pursuing higher education overseas have spent an unprecedented amount in just one month, according to the latest report released by Nepal Rastra Bank (NRB).
As per the central bank’s Current Macroeconomic and Financial Situation report for the second month of the current fiscal year, students spent Rs 32.76 billion between mid-August and mid-September 2025. This marks a 16 percent increase compared to Rs 28.20 billion during the same period last year, highlighting the growing outflow of funds for foreign education.
Under the services account, total travel expenses — which include education-related travel — rose by 9.6 percent, reaching Rs 47.31 billion during the review period, up from Rs 43.18 billion in the corresponding period last year.
Despite the rise in travel spending, net service income continued to show a deficit, widening to Rs 31.16 billion from Rs 27.93 billion in the same period a year earlier.
On a positive note, travel income, which includes revenue generated from foreign visitors coming to Nepal, increased by 9.8 percent to Rs 11.58 billion, compared to Rs 10.55 billion last year.
The data underscores a persistent challenge for Nepal’s external sector — while travel earnings from tourism are gradually recovering, the surge in education-related spending abroad continues to widen the services trade deficit.
