Bagmati Province leads national indicators across literacy, income, and poverty measures

Bagmati Province has recorded a literacy rate of 82.1 percent, outpacing the national average of 76.2 percent, according to figures shared by Province Minister for Economic Affairs and Planning Prabhat Tamang.

The province is also on track to post economic growth of 5.40 percent this fiscal year, ahead of the national target of 3.85 percent. Its economy is projected to contribute 36.7 percent of Nepal's total gross domestic product roughly Rs 2,423 billion out of the national total of Rs 6,600 billion.

On income, residents of Bagmati Province are expected to earn a per capita income of 2,644 US dollars this year, the highest among all seven provinces and well above the national average of 1,535 US dollars.

The province also fares better on poverty. While 20.27 percent of Nepalis fall below the absolute poverty line nationally, the figure in Bagmati stands at 12.59 percent. Multidimensional poverty, a broader measure that accounts for factors beyond income, such as access to health and education affects 7 percent of the province's population, compared to 17.4 percent nationally.