Part 3: Social Changes



Education:

Nepal 2000 2001 2002 2003 2004 2005
Literacy rate, adult total (% of people ages 15 and above) 48.59
Primary completion rate, total (% of relevant age group) 65.59 65.12 69.53 70.54 71.02 74.71
Ratio of girls to boys in primary and secondary education (%) 77.1 80.29 82.47 84.51 89.51
School enrollment, secondary (% gross) 35.34 38.32 41.95 42.72 45.66
School enrollment, tertiary (% gross) 4.15 4.41 4.98 4.9 5.64



Source: International Futures & World Bank

        As you can see, the primary education completion rate has been on the rise every year since 1960.  While there is not
much information provided in the above table about the adult literacy rate, it is easy to see that even if it was on the rise the
last five years, there couldn't be much of a difference.  Less then half of the adult population is considerd literate.  The ratio
of girls to boys is on the rise.  Starting at 77% and increasing to almost 90% in 2005, there are more and more girls in primary
and secondary school.  School enrollment in secondary and tertiary school is also on the rise.  Secondary school enrollment
has increased by more then 10% in only five years.  Tertiary school enrollment has not increased by as much, but is up about
1.5% in the same period.


Grade: B+

Gender Equality:


                                                                                
Sex Ratio:










 
at birth: 1.05 male(s)/female                                                                                                                                           
under 15 years: 1.067 male(s)/female
15-64 years: 1.057 male(s)/female
65 years and over: 0.942 male(s)/female
total population: 1.056 male(s)/female (2007 est.)


Women in the Workforce        
                                                         Agriculture                        Industry                    Services
                                                         W                M             W              M             W             M
Nepal                                             98.0            90.7            0.1            0.4            1.9            9.0          


Economic Activity by Sex
                                                    Adult Economic Activity Rate (%)                  Women's Share of
                                                                                                                       Adult Labor Force (%)
                                                            W                        M
Nepal                                                 57                        86                                           40

Source: CIA factbook & World Bank

            Here we can see that men outnumber women in population at birth, under 15 years of age, from 15-64 years of age,
 and in total population.  Women outnumber men in the over 65 years of age category because women have a longer life
expectancy.  Women in the workforce is a little misconceiving.  Women outnumber men in the agriculture, but this is not
necessarily a good thing.  For instance, there are almost no large farms in Nepal meaning that most farms have little profits.
In other words, even though there are a lot of women working in the agricultural sector, they are not making a lot of money.
Men are also outnumbering women in the industry and services sector.  These two industries have a much bigger oppurtunity
for more money and women are a very small portion of the workforce.  Women are also less then half of the adult labor force
have a much lower economic activity rate.

Grade: C+

Health and Welfare:

 

                                              Nepal's Infant Mortality
     
Source: International Futures     


        Above are several graphs that help determine how Nepal's health and welfare are doing.  As you can see
the life expectancy in Nepal has almost doubled since 1960.  Nepal's total fertility rate increased from 1962-1972,
but then decreased by about one-thrid by 2003.  It is rather clear after looking at the map that Nepal's infant
mortality rate is rather high.  It appears that the infant mortality rate is in between 62 and 98 deaths per 1,000
births.  Overall, Nepal is doing a pretty good job in this area with the exception of infant mortality.  

Grade: B



Population Problems:
Source: International Futures

Population pyramid for Nepal 2007 Population pyramid for Nepal 2025
Source: US Census Bureau & International Futures
 
            Above, you can see that the population of Nepal is getting rather larger, getting more then three times as large by
2100.  The population starts to grow at a slower pace by about 2080 and almost levels off by 2100.  This could be due
to the fact that the total fertility rate drops below the replacement rate by 2090.Not only is the population getting larger,
but it is also getting older, as women have fewer babies.  According to International Futures, the biggest age bracket is
going to be 30-34 year olds by 2100.  Again, this is due to the fact that women are having less and less babies and drop
below replacement rate by 2090.

Grade: B


Measures of HIV/AIDS Problems:


                                                                                                                2003                            2005
Estimated Adults (+15) Living with HIV/AIDS:                                 64,000                         74,000
Estimated Children (0-14) Living with HIV/AIDS:                                NA                              NA
Estimated Women (+15) Living with HIV/AIDS:                               13,000                         16,000
Estimated Adult Rate (15-49) (%):                                                        0.5                                0.5
Estimated Deaths (Adults and Children) due to AIDS:                      4,000                            5,100

Source: UNAIDS & WHO

        From the numbers above, it seems like there are not many HIV or AIDS problems.  The number of adults living with
HIV or AIDS has increased but the rate has not.  This means that the amount of people living with HIV or AIDS is increasing
at the same rate that the population is.  This is not necessarily a good thing though.  The best case scenario would be a
decreasing rate of infection but that is not happening in Nepal.

Grade: B+

Environmental Change


Series 2000 2001 2002 2003 2004 2005
Agricultural land (% of land area) 29 30 29 29 29 30
Forest area (sq. km) 39,000 .. .. .. .. 36,360
Improved water source (% of population with access) 85 .. .. .. 90 ..
Surface area (sq. km) 147,180 147,180 147,180 147,180 147,180 147,180
Source: World Development Indicators database

Most Environmental Facts about Nepal....

            There isnt's much to talk about when looking at Nepal's environmental change.  There are some
changes, but they are not that big of a change where concern is needed.  For instance, the percentage of
agricultural land has increased over the past five years, but only by one percent.  The surface of Nepal's
land has not changed at all.  One number that should be looked at is the improved water source.  Nepal
has been able to increase the percentage of the population with access to improved water by 5% in just
four years.  One number that could soon become a concern is the amount of forest area.  Nepal's forest
area has decreased by over 2,500 square kilometers in five years.  Overall, Nepal is doing well in terms
of environmental change.

Grade:  A-

Access to Modern Communication:

Mainline Telephones in use:                    595,800

Mobile Telephones in use:                      1.042 Million

Radio Broadcast Stations:                      6 AM, 5 FM and 1 Shortwave

Television Broadcast Stations:                1

Internet Hosts:                                       18,733

Internet Users:                                       249,400


        Nepal does not seem to have very much when in comes to modern communication.  Considering there are
25 million people living in Nepal and only 600,000 mainline phones and 1 million mobile phones, there is a
small proportion of the country that actually has access to a modern form of communication.  There are also
only 12 radio broadcast stations int he whole country, which is not a lot by any means.  One television broad-
cast station is also nothing to speak of.  Again, the same is true for internet hosts and users.  Nepal seems to
be behid in terms of modern communication.

Grade: C-


Migration:

Total Population:                                27,133,000
Migrant stock:                                    819,000

Number of Refuges:                            125,000

Net Migration:                                   -20,000

Immigration Policies:                           Maintain Current Level

Emmigration Policies:                          Raise Overall Level
       
            Nepal looses around 20,000 people to migration a year.  That seems like a large number, but is actually
only .005% of Nepal's overall population.  In terms of the region, South Central Asia, Nepal's net migration
is actually rather small.  Kazakhstan looses 120,000 people a year, and India looses 280,000 people a year.
As a percentage of their population, Kazakhstan's numbers are much more frightening becuase its' population
is just over half of Nepal's.  Nepal also has a rather large number of refuges compared to the rest of the region.
There are only three countries in the region that have more refugees.

Grade: C

Overall Grade: B-

While Nepal has made strides to improve the overall standard of living
for its people, there is still a lot of work that needs to be done.