KATHMANDU: The number of Nepali migrant workers leaving for foreign employment has decreased by 5.60% for the first time in a long period.

According to the Department of Foreign Employment, a total of 792,187 Nepalis (697,096 men and 95,091 women) received labor permits to work across more than 100 countries in the last fiscal year 2025/2026, marking a drop of 47,079 compared to the 839,266 individuals who left in the previous fiscal year.

Despite the decline in departures, remittance inflows have continued to rise steadily as more workers send earnings home through official banking channels.

The data highlights a significant shift toward skilled labor, with a dominant 482,643 of the departed workers classified as skilled, followed by 190,264 unskilled and 114,614 semi-skilled workers, alongside smaller groups of professional and highly skilled manpower.

Geographically, Gulf nations and Malaysia remain the top destinations, with the UAE leading at 183,580 departures, followed by Malaysia, Qatar, Saudi Arabia, and Kuwait.

European countries are rapidly gaining popularity due to higher earnings and better lifestyles, with Romania (33,920) and Cyprus (11,069) cracking the list of top ten destination countries, followed by significant turnouts in Croatia, Turkey, Malta, and Portugal.