The Nepal Multiple Indicator Cluster Survey (NMICS) was carried out in 2014 by Central Bureau of Statistics, Government of Nepal, as part of the global MICS program. Technical support was provided by the United Nations Children’s Fund (UNICEF). UNICEF and the Government of Nepal provided financial support.
According to the key findings, the current under-five mortality rate is 38 per 1,000 live births while the neonatal mortality rate is 23 per 1,000 live births, which accounts for 61 percent of under-five deaths. Full immunization coverage against key childhood diseases of children under one is 85 percent. Two thirds of women attended at least one antenatal care visit (68 percent) and over half of the women had a skilled birth attendant during delivery (56 percent). Nearly half (49 percent) of women of reproductive age are marrying before the age of 18. Of them 16 percent were married before the age of 15. The adolescent fertility rate is 71 per 1,000 women. Stunting of children under five is 37 percent, underweight prevalence is 30 percent and wasting prevalence 11 percent. Nearly all households have access to improved sources of drinking water (93 percent). The proportion of households without improved drinking water using appropriate treatment methods is 14 percent. Though access to improved water has increased, about 71% of the water sources are contaminated with fecal coliform. In addition, 82 percent of households having access to water sources are exposed to water contaminated with fecal coliform which indicates further contamination of water in households. Sixty percent of households have access to improved sanitation facilities that are not shared.
Among children of school going age, 86 percent attend primary or secondary school. Almost all children attending primary school reach the fifth grade (99 percent) and complete it (99.5 percent). Nearly all children transition to secondary school (97 percent) from primary, but only two thirds of secondary school age children actually attend secondary or a higher form of education (66 percent). Gender parity index in attendance in primary and secondary schools stand at 0.99 and 1.02 respectively.