EU-Nepal Partnership

Over the last two decades, Nepal has achieved significant milestones in its development. The population living below the national poverty line has almost halved from 1995 to 2010. The indices for primary school enrollment and maternal mortality rate also indicate dramatic improvements in the living standards of the Nepalese people.

Despite these gains, Nepal remains the poorest country in South Asia and ranks 157th out of 187 countries in the Human Development Index list for 2011. Nepal has received large amounts of international development aid and depends on the international support to deliver basic social services. The European Union has allocated half of its funding to Nepal to support educational reform in the country.