Index · Historical

Development Regions of Nepal

Nepal's 5 development regions — the top tier of the country's pre-2015 administrative system, each grouping 2–3 zones. First created as 4 regions in 1972, split into 5 in 1980, and dissolved in favor of 7 provinces in 2015.

Showing 5 of 5 entries

Updated Sep 6, 2026

Eastern Development Region

Zones: Mechi, Koshi, Sagarmatha
# Districts: 16
Headquarters: Dhankuta
Population (2011): 5,811,555
Area (km²): 28,456

Central Development Region

Zones: Janakpur, Bagmati, Narayani
# Districts: 19
Headquarters: Hetauda
Population (2011): 9,656,985
Area (km²): 27,410

Western Development Region

Zones: Gandaki, Lumbini, Dhaulagiri
# Districts: 16
Headquarters: Pokhara
Population (2011): 4,926,765
Area (km²): 29,398

Mid-Western Development Region

Zones: Rapti, Bheri, Karnali
# Districts: 15
Headquarters: Birendranagar
Population (2011): 3,546,682
Area (km²): 42,378

Far-Western Development Region

Zones: Seti, Mahakali
# Districts: 9
Headquarters: Dipayal
Population (2011): 2,552,517
Area (km²): 19,999

Development Region	Zones	# Districts	Headquarters	Population (2011)	Area (km²)
Eastern Development Region	Mechi, Koshi, Sagarmatha	16	Dhankuta	5,811,555	28,456
Central Development Region	Janakpur, Bagmati, Narayani	19	Hetauda	9,656,985	27,410
Western Development Region	Gandaki, Lumbini, Dhaulagiri	16	Pokhara	4,926,765	29,398
Mid-Western Development Region	Rapti, Bheri, Karnali	15	Birendranagar	3,546,682	42,378
Far-Western Development Region	Seti, Mahakali	9	Dipayal	2,552,517	19,999

Source: Wikipedia — Development regions of Nepal (CC BY-SA 4.0)