Remittance inflows to Nepal jumped 29.9 percent year-on-year to Rs 177.41 billion in the first month of FY 2025/26, according to the “Current Macroeconomic and Financial Situation Report” released by Nepal Rastra Bank (NRB) on Monday. In US dollar terms, inflows rose 25 percent to USD 1.27 billion between mid-July and mid-August.
The number of Nepali migrant workers heading abroad also increased. First-time approvals for foreign employment reached 44,466, while renewals stood at 23,644—both higher than last year’s figures.
NRB data further showed the balance of payments (BoP) remained at a surplus of Rs 89.30 billion (USD 641.2 million), nearly double the Rs 40.90 billion surplus recorded in the same period last year. The improvement was largely driven by a current account surplus of Rs 78.14 billion (USD 561 million), up from Rs 33.08 billion (USD 246.8 million) a year earlier.
Net capital transfer rose sharply to Rs 1.04 billion from Rs 223.2 million in the same period last fiscal year. However, foreign direct investment (FDI) declined to Rs 691.5 million from Rs 799.8 million.
Nepal’s gross foreign exchange reserves climbed to Rs 2.806 trillion (USD 20.03 billion), enough to cover 20.4 months of prospective merchandise imports or 16.6 months of goods and services imports.
