Publication Date
Fall 2025
Abstract
This paper examines the causes and impacts of Nepal’s “lost generation,” a group of young people
leaving the country in high numbers. I begin by analyzing the causes of emigration, dividing factors into push and pull, and identifying the most important reasons young Nepalis are leaving the country. Next, I explore the impacts of emigration on Nepali society, explaining why the trend of young people working abroad makes Nepal an artificially aged nation. Here, I suggest that rapid population declines can erode the social fabrics and economies of smaller, less developed countries. Finally, I argue that political scientists interested in the impacts of population declines should broaden their focus beyond the developed world, considering the differential consequences of demographic change at lower levels of development.
Recommended Citation
Kulig, Kalina
(2025)
"Nepal’s Lost Generation: Emigration and Fertility in Asia,"
Araneum: Richmond Journal of American & Global Affairs: Vol. 3:
Iss.
1, Article 6.
Available at:
https://scholarship.richmond.edu/araneum/vol3/iss1/6