Nepal leads South Asia in cutting teen pregnancy rates

Nepal has emerged as a positive outlier in South Asia, dramatically reducing adolescent pregnancy and childbirth rates by 35 percent over the past two decades. This achievement is particularly notable given the country's history of conflict, political instability, a major earthquake, and the COVID-19 pandemic.

The decline in adolescent fertility rate to 71 births per 1,000 women aged 15-19 in 2022, down from 110 in 2001, and a drop in adolescent pregnancy from 56 percent to 14 percent, surpasses progress in many countries with similar socio-economic conditions.

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Nepal witnessed a decade-long armed conflict, prolonged political instability, a devastating earthquake and the Covid pandemic, among other challenges, during this period. Despite these challenges, Nepal made remarkable progress in reducing adolescent pregnancy and childbirth.

However, the report by CREHPA, AFIDEP, and EGH highlights significant disparities. Adolescent pregnancy remains higher among girls from poorer families, those with less education, and within Dalit and Muslim communities, with the latter showing no change in rates between 2016 and 2022. Madhesh and Karnali provinces also recorded the highest rates, indicating uneven progress.

Despite the overall success in reducing pregnancies, unintended births have risen from 25 percent in 2001 to 31 percent in 2022. This trend is most pronounced among adolescents from the wealthiest families and urban areas, suggesting a complex interplay of factors influencing reproductive choices and outcomes.

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Nepal has been identified as one such positive outlier in South Asia. Positive outlier countries are those whose progress across a range of global health issues has surpassed that of other countries with comparable characteristics.