KATHMANDU: The government has planned to conduct the second Economic Census, 2025 from mid-March to mid-July. The census aims to provide an accurate picture of the national economy through statistical information.

This information on it was shared at a programme organized here to unveil the schedule, log and theme of the census. The census will be conducted under the theme of ‘Economic Census for Measuring Economy’ from March 15 to July 16, 2025, according to the National Statistics Office.

Office Spokesperson and Deputy Chief Statistics Officer Dhundiraj Lamichhane informed that details of the census would be released gradually starting from the fiscal year, 2026-27. As he stated, the census is a significant initiative for gathering basic and reliable statistics, which are essential for formulating economic policies, plans and development strategies.

Lamichhane added that the main purpose of national economic enumeration is to collect data on the number, type, investment, employment, production, and service flow of industries, trade, businesses, services, cooperatives, and private–public institutions.

Shedding lights on the objective and importance of the survey, Chief Statistics Officer Dr Kamal Prasad Pokharel said this census would play a significant role in building a strong institutional foundation of economic statistics. He underscored, “It is expected that the economic census will make vital contribution in short-term and long-term economic plans prepared by the government, investment promotion and employment creation and receive details.”

Strengthening of the estimates of gross domestic product of the country, production of necessary data to change the base of national accounts, formulation of policies and plans of the government and assessment of the goals sets by the government are other objectives of the economic census.

The government had conducted the national economic census for the first time seven years back. A total of 923,356 business institutions across the country were recorded during first economic census and 3.228 million people were involved in the business institutions.

Similarly, around 30 per cent business firms had women managers. There were equal numbers of formal and informal institutions, according to the first economic census.

Economic activities to be measured are divided into 21 parts as per international industrial categorization. The study takes stock of the roles these sectors have played in the national economy. Basic information on 18 sectors out of 21 would be collected for the census.