Nepal spent Rs 332.27 billion on importing petroleum products in fiscal year 2025/26, marking a 15.5 percent increase from Rs 287.65 billion in the previous fiscal year, according to the Department of Customs (DoC).
Petroleum products accounted for 15.85 percent of the country’s total imports of Rs 2.096 trillion, underscoring Nepal’s continued dependence on imported fossil fuels. Diesel remained the largest imported petroleum product, costing Rs 172.43 billion, followed by petrol (Rs 77.26 billion), LP gas (Rs 60.28 billion), aviation fuel (Rs 26.64 billion) and kerosene (Rs 677 million).
Diesel alone recorded the sharpest increase, with its import bill rising nearly 35 percent from Rs 128 billion a year earlier. Together, diesel, petrol and LP gas accounted for Rs 309.97 billion, placing them among Nepal’s top five imported commodities.
The report highlights that Nepal’s petroleum imports continue to rise despite growing domestic hydropower generation and increasing electrification of transport and household energy use. It also noted that unprocessed soybean oil, worth Rs 132.77 billion, was the country’s second-largest imported commodity during the fiscal year.
