By Sandeep Chaudhary
District-wise Distribution of Bank and Financial Institution Branches in Nepal
The banking penetration across Nepal shows a mixed landscape, with significant disparities between provinces and districts. As of Baisakh 2081, Nepal has a total of 6,507 branches of licensed Banks and Financial Institutions (BFIs) across all 77 districts. This includes 5,083 Class 'A' (commercial) banks, 1,133 Class 'B' (development) banks, and 291 Class 'C' (finance) institutions, serving a population of approximately 2.91 crore people. The national average stands at one bank branch per 4,483 people.
Province-Level Insights:
Bagmati Province leads the chart with 2,286 branches (35% of total), largely driven by Kathmandu valley (Kathmandu: 1,135, Lalitpur: 286, Bhaktapur: 149), thanks to high urbanization and economic activity. The province has the lowest average population per branch at 2,676.
Koshi Province ranks second with 994 branches, serving nearly 5 million people at an average of 4,991 people per branch. Major contributors are Morang (248), Sunsari (185), and Jhapa (204).
Lumbini Province has 1,048 branches, with Rupandehi alone accounting for 325 branches.
Gandaki Province shows strong financial presence with 834 branches, notably in Kaski (301) and Tanahu (102). Manang, despite being a sparsely populated district, has 11 branches — translating to just 514 people per branch, the best ratio in the country.
Madhesh Province has 717 branches for over 6 million people, resulting in the worst branch-to-population ratio of 8,528 people per branch. Districts like Rautahat and Saptari are notably underserved.
Karnali Province, Nepal's least urbanized region, has only 240 branches, or one branch per 7,035 people. Districts like Jajarkot (11,139) and Rautahat (11,791) show extremely poor coverage.
Sudur Paschim Province reports 388 branches, translating to one branch per 6,945 people. Kailali and Kanchanpur are the financial hubs here.
