A recently published report, Nepal Labour Force Survey 2008, has highlighted a number of facts about the population that even we didn’t know. Most of the facts we publicise ourselves are concerned with education, literacy and malnutrition, but this survey is somewhat wider. Here are some of the key facts:
- Only 66% of Nepal’s workforce is “working” with 17% employed and 83% self employed
- Across the entire workforce, 74% work in agriculture which is the major contributor to the nation’s GDP but often involving only seasonal work with subsistence wages
- Literacy rate is now 63%, a 14% increase over 10 years
- Firewood is the main fuel for cooking used by 68% of the population
- Only 56% of households have electricity
- Only 45% of the population has tap water with 39% using hand pumps
These figures once again emphasise the low standard of living in Nepal overall with such low proportions of the population having an income, having electricity, being able to read, having piped water.
What’s needed is a “pop star” to go on a trek and become affected by the plight of this forgotten land.!
1 comment:
These stats. are an eye opener! Maybe the UK government needs to look further afield than Africa when distributing aid. Then again there may be no political mileage in it for them, because if it is not Africa then it doesn't appear on the news and isn't in vogue.
"Slipper".
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