{"doc_desc":{"title":"NPL-NSO-NMICS-2024-v01","idno":"DDI-NPL-NSO-NMICS-2026-v01","producers":[{"name":"National Statistics Office","abbreviation":"NSO","affiliation":"OPMCM","role":"Data Documentation"},{"name":"United Nations Children' Fund","abbreviation":"UNICEF","affiliation":"","role":"Technical and Finincial Supporter"}],"prod_date":"2026-06-08","version_statement":{"version":"Version 1.1 (June 2026)"}},"study_desc":{"title_statement":{"idno":"NPL-NSO-NMICS-2024-v01","title":"Nepal Multiple Indicator Cluster Survey 2024-25","sub_title":"Fourth round","alt_title":"NMICS 2024-2025","translated_title":"Nepal Bahusuchak Sarvekshan 2081\/82"},"authoring_entity":[{"name":"National Statistics Office (NSO)","affiliation":"OPMCM"}],"production_statement":{"producers":[{"name":"National Statistics Office","affiliation":"Office Of The Prime Minister and Council of Ministers","role":"Investigation"},{"name":"United Nations Children' Fund","affiliation":"UNICEF","role":"Technical and Financial Support"}],"copyright":"(c) 2026, National Statistics Office, Government of Nepal","funding_agencies":[{"name":"Government of Nepal","abbreviation":"GoN","role":""},{"name":"United Nations Children's Fund","abbreviation":"UNICEF","role":""}]},"distribution_statement":{"contact":[{"name":"Director of Publication, Dissemination and Library Section","affiliation":"NSO","email":"info@nsonepal.gov.np","uri":"https:\/\/microdata.nsonepal.gov.np"}]},"series_statement":{"series_name":"Multiple Indicator Cluster Survey - Round 7 [hh\/mics-7]","series_info":"The Nepal Multiple Indicator Cluster Survey (NMICS) is implemented as part of UNICEF's Global MICS Programme. Nepal has conducted four rounds of the survey: the first in 2010, limited to the Mid-Western and Far-Western Development Regions; the second in 2014 and the third in 2019, both with national coverage; and the fourth in 2024\u201325, which also covered the entire country and formed part of the seventh global round of MICS (MICS7)."},"version_statement":{"version":"v01: Final Data for Public Distribution.","version_date":"2026-02-09"},"study_info":{"keywords":[{"keyword":"Nepal Multiple Indicator Cluster Survey (NMICS) 2024\u201325","vocab":"","uri":""},{"keyword":"MICS7","vocab":"","uri":""},{"keyword":"National Statistics Office (NSO)","vocab":"","uri":""},{"keyword":"UNICEF","vocab":"","uri":""},{"keyword":"Household Survey","vocab":"","uri":""},{"keyword":"Children","vocab":"","uri":""},{"keyword":"Women","vocab":"","uri":""},{"keyword":"Men","vocab":"","uri":""},{"keyword":"Sustainable Development Goals (SDGs)","vocab":"","uri":""},{"keyword":"Social Statistics","vocab":"","uri":""},{"keyword":"Child Health","vocab":"","uri":""},{"keyword":"Maternal and Newborn Health","vocab":"","uri":""},{"keyword":"Nutrition","vocab":"","uri":""},{"keyword":"Education","vocab":"","uri":""},{"keyword":"Early Childhood Development","vocab":"","uri":""},{"keyword":"Child Protection","vocab":"","uri":""},{"keyword":"Reproductive Health","vocab":"","uri":""},{"keyword":"Water, Sanitation and Hygiene (WASH)","vocab":"","uri":""},{"keyword":"Birth Registration","vocab":"","uri":""},{"keyword":"Information and Communication Technology (ICT)","vocab":"","uri":""},{"keyword":"Mental Health","vocab":"","uri":""},{"keyword":"Vaccination","vocab":"","uri":""}],"topics":[{"topic":"Household Characteristics","vocab":"","uri":""},{"topic":"Drinking Water, Sanitation and Hygiene (WASH)","vocab":"","uri":""},{"topic":"Child Mortality","vocab":"","uri":""},{"topic":"Nutrition","vocab":"","uri":""},{"topic":"Child Health","vocab":"","uri":""},{"topic":"Reproductive and Maternal Health","vocab":"","uri":""},{"topic":"Newborn Health","vocab":"","uri":""},{"topic":"Early Childhood Development","vocab":"","uri":""},{"topic":"Education","vocab":"","uri":""},{"topic":"Information and Communication Technology (ICT)","vocab":"","uri":""},{"topic":"SDG Monitoring","vocab":"","uri":""}],"abstract":"The Nepal Multiple Indicator Cluster Survey (NMICS) 2024\u201325 was conducted by the National Statistics Office (NSO) in partnership with the United Nations Children's Fund (UNICEF) as part of the seventh round of the Global Multiple Indicator Cluster Survey (MICS7) programme. The survey was designed to generate high-quality, internationally comparable data on the situation of children, women, men, and households in Nepal, thereby addressing critical data gaps for evidence-based planning, policy formulation, and programme monitoring.\n\nImplemented with technical and financial support from UNICEF and additional support from the Government of Nepal, NMICS 2024\u201325 provides comprehensive information for monitoring national development priorities and international commitments, particularly the Sustainable Development Goals (SDGs). The survey serves as an important source of disaggregated data to identify inequalities across geographic areas and population groups and to support inclusive development policies aimed at improving the well-being of the most vulnerable populations.\n\nThe survey covers a broad range of social and demographic topics, including child mortality, maternal and newborn health, reproductive health, nutrition, child development, education, drinking water, sanitation and hygiene (WASH), child protection, information and communication technology, health insurance, tobacco and alcohol use, mental health, and other indicators related to the welfare of children, adolescents, women, and men.\n\nThe primary objectives of NMICS 2024\u201325 are to:\n\n\tProvide up-to-date information on the status of children, women, men, and households in Nepal;\n\tGenerate reliable data for monitoring and evaluating national development plans and programmes;\n\tMonitor progress towards the Sustainable Development Goals (SDGs) and other national and international commitments;\n\tProduce disaggregated statistics to identify disparities and support evidence-based policymaking for social inclusion;\n\tStrengthen the national statistical system by providing high-quality, internationally comparable data for planning, research, and development interventions; and\n\tComplement and validate information from other data sources while establishing benchmarks for future monitoring and evaluation.\n\n\nNMICS 2024\u201325 represents Nepal's fourth Multiple Indicator Cluster Survey and continues the country's commitment to generating robust evidence for improving the lives of children, women, and families across the nation.","time_periods":[{"start":"2024-12-15","end":"2025-05-10","cycle":""}],"coll_dates":[{"start":"2024-12-15","end":"2025-05-10","cycle":""}],"nation":[{"name":"Nepal","abbreviation":"NPL"}],"geog_coverage":"National,  province, urban and rural","analysis_unit":"Household, Women aged 15-49 years, Men aged 15-49 years, Children Under 5, Children Aged 5-17","universe":"The survey covered all de jure household members (usual residents), all women aged 15-49 years resident in the household, men aged 15-49 years resident in the alternative household, children aged 5-17 resident in the household, and all children aged 0-4 years (under age 5) resident in the household, Ecoli and arsenic test of resouce water & drinking water","data_kind":"Sample survey data [ssd]","notes":"The Nepal Multiple Indicator Cluster Survey (NMICS) 2024\u201325 collected comprehensive information on the health, education, nutrition, well-being, and living conditions of children, women, men, and households across Nepal. The survey was designed to produce nationally representative and internationally comparable estimates for monitoring the Sustainable Development Goals (SDGs) and other national development priorities.\n\nThe survey covered the following areas:\n\n1. Household\n\tHousehold listing and characteristics;\n\tEducation and literacy;\n\tHousehold energy use;\n\tAccess to drinking water, sanitation, and hygiene (WASH) facilities;\n\tHandwashing facilities and practices;\n\tInformation and communication technology (ICT) access and use;\n\tHousing conditions and household assets.\n\n2. Women (15\u201349 years)\n\tBackground characteristics;\n\tAccess to mass media and use of information and communication technology;\n\tMarriage and union status;\n\tFertility and birth history;\n\tFamily planning and unmet need for contraception;\n\tMaternal and newborn health;\n\tAntenatal, delivery, and postnatal care;\n\tSymptoms of illness and health-seeking behaviour;\n\tTobacco and alcohol consumption;\n\tMental Health.\n\n3.  Men (15\u201349 years)\n\tBackground characteristics;\n\tAccess to mass media and ICT;\n\tMarriage and fertility;\n\tTobacco and alcohol use;\n\tMental Health.\n\n4. Children Under Five Years\n\tChild background characteristics;\n\tBirth registration;\n\tEarly childhood development;\n\tChild discipline;\n\tBreastfeeding and infant and young child feeding practices;\n\tDietary diversity and nutrition;\n\tImmunization;\n\tCare-seeking for childhood illnesses;\n\tAnthropometric measurements for nutritional assessment.\n\n5. Children Aged 5\u201317 Years\n\tChild background characteristics;\n\tChild discipline;\n\tParental involvement;\n\tFoundational learning and educational participation;\n\tChild labour and selected child protection indicators.\n\n6. Water Quality Testing\n\n\tTesting of household drinking water for arsenic contamination;\n\tMicrobiological water quality assessment, including Escherichia coli (E. coli) contamination.\n\nThe broad scope of NMICS 2024\u201325 provides critical data for assessing the well-being of Nepal's population, identifying disparities among different groups, and supporting evidence-based planning, policy formulation, and programme evaluation at the national and subnational levels."},"method":{"data_collection":{"data_collectors":[{"name":"National Statistics Office","abbreviation":"NSO","affiliation":"OPMCM"}],"sampling_procedure":"The sample for the Nepal Multiple Indicator Cluster Survey (NMICS) 2024-25 was designed to produce reliable estimates for a wide range of indicators related to the well-being of children, women, and men at the national level, separately for urban and rural areas, and for each of the seven provinces.\nThe survey employed a stratified two-stage sampling design. Urban and rural areas within each province served as the primary sampling strata, with Kathmandu Valley urban treated as a separate stratum. In the first stage, a total of 540 census Enumeration Areas (EAs) were selected using systematic Probability Proportional to Size (PPS) sampling based on the household counts from the national census sampling frame.\nIn the second stage, an updated household listing was conducted in each selected EA, and 24 households were systematically selected using random systematic sampling procedures. Household selection was implemented using the standardized MICS household selection template.\nTo improve the precision of estimates for children under five years of age, households within each EA were classified into two groups: those with at least one child under five and those without. A disproportionate sampling strategy was applied, targeting 12 households with under-five children and 12 households without under-five children per cluster. Where fewer than 12 eligible households with under-five children were identified, all such households were included, and the remaining sample was drawn from households without under-five children to maintain the cluster sample size of 24 households.\nThe survey also included an Individual Men's Questionnaire administered in a 50 percent subsample of selected households. All men aged 15-49 years residing in these households were eligible for interview. The subsample was selected automatically through the MICS household selection template.\nAdditionally, a water quality testing component was incorporated. In each sampled cluster, a subsample of five households was selected using systematic random sampling for testing drinking water quality. Water samples were collected from both the household point of use and the source for Escherichia coli (E. coli) testing, while arsenic testing was conducted at the source only.","sampling_deviation":"No deviation from sample design.","coll_mode":"Computer Assisted Personal Interview [capi]","research_instrument":"Five standard questionnaires were used in the survey:\n\u00b7 a household questionnaire to collect basic demographic information on all de jure household members (usual residents), the household and the dwelling, and a water quality testing form administered in 5 households in each cluster of the sample,\n\u00b7 a questionnaire for individual women administered in each household to all women age 15-49 years.\n\u00b7 a questionnaire for individual men administered in every second household to all men age 15-49 years,\n\u00b7 an under-5 questionnaire was administered to mothers (or caregivers) of all children under 5 living in the household and for all children age 0-2 years who had completed the Questionnaire for Children Under Five, the records of vaccinations were recorded using the details from their vaccination cards, which were checked after the child received immunisations.\n\u00b7 a questionnaire for children and adolescents age 5-17 years, administered to the mother (or caregiver) of one randomly selected child age 5-17 years living in the household.","coll_situation":"The seventh round of MICS in Nepal utilised Computer-Assisted Personal Interviewing (CAPI). The data collection application was based on the CSPro (Census and Survey Processing System) software, Version 7.7.3, including a dedicated data management platform. Procedures and standards of the global MICS programme were adapted to the Nepal's MICS questionnaires.The CAPI application was tested in Sindhupalchok (Mountain),  Kavre (Hill) and Bara (Terai) districts during September 2024. Based on the results of the CAPI-test, modifications were made to the questionnaires and application.\n\nGiven that there had been many changes in the households enumerated in the 2021 Census, a new listing of households was conducted in all the sample enumeration areas prior to the selection of households. For this purpose, listing teams were trained to visit all the selected enumeration areas and list all households in each enumeration area. Listing was carried out over a five-month period from December 2023 to April 2024 by mobilizing 14 teams with two people (1 lister and 1 mapper) in each team.. Central and district level NSO staff members were trained and deployed for listing work. Adequate monitoring during field work was ensured by mobilizing Statistics Officers (SO) located in districts in addition to personnel from NSO's central office. A field monitoring plan was developed jointly by the NSO, UNICEF and ROSA\/HQ team as a guiding document for all the personnel involved during the monitoring of the data collection work in order to ensure consistency.\n\nTraining for the fieldwork was conducted for 30 days in November to December 2024. Training included lectures on interviewing techniques and the contents of the questionnaires, and mock interviews between trainees to gain practice in asking questions. Participants first completed full training on paper questionnaires, followed by training on the CAPI application. The trainees spent 5 days in field practice and two days on a full pilot survey in Bhaktapur district. The training agenda was based on MICS7 training agenda. \nAll measurers received dedicated training. For anthropometry, the training schedule was for a total of 7 days, including two days of practice in the field and institutions, dedicated standardisation tests8, and pilot. For water quality testing, the training schedule was for a total 9 days, including the pilot survey together with the full team of fieldworkers. From the 24 participants trained as measurers, a total of 17 were selected for the survey fieldwork based on performance. Field Supervisors attended additional training on the duties of team supervision and responsibilities.","act_min":"Data collection was carried out by 17 field teams. Each team consisted of three female interviewers, one male interviewer, one anthropometrist (measurer), and one supervisor.\nThe supervisor was responsible for overseeing and coordinating all field activities, including managing team operations, assigning workloads, monitoring interview quality, maintaining field control records, and ensuring the timely submission of completed questionnaires and progress reports. Supervisors also coordinated with local authorities and facilitated logistical arrangements for fieldwork.\nThe anthropometrist was responsible for collecting accurate anthropometric measurements of eligible respondents in accordance with standardized survey protocols.\nFieldwork for the survey commenced on 15 December 2024 and was completed on 10 May 2025. Throughout the data collection period, regular supervision and quality control measures were implemented to ensure adherence to survey procedures and maintain high data quality standards. In addition to routine field supervision, periodic monitoring visits were conducted by central and provincial-level officials to assess field performance, provide technical guidance, and ensure compliance with established protocols.","weight":"The NMICS 2024-25 sample was not self-weighting because approximately equal sample sizes were allocated across provinces despite differences in their population sizes. Consequently, sampling weights were calculated to account for unequal probabilities of selection and to ensure nationally and provincially representative estimates.\nThe calculation of household weights considered the overall probability of selection, incorporating both the first-stage selection of EAs and the second-stage selection of households. Since updated household listings often differed from the original census counts used for sampling, selection probabilities were recalculated for each sampled EA separately for households with and without children under five years of age.\nSample weights were further adjusted for non-response. Household non-response adjustments were calculated within each sampling stratum as the inverse of the household response rate. Similarly, separate non-response adjustment factors were computed for eligible women, men, children under five, children aged 5-17 years, and water quality testing.\nFor the Individual Men's Questionnaire, weighting accounted for both the 50 percent household subsample and individual non-response. The weighting procedure implicitly incorporated the subsampling factor along with adjustments for incomplete interviews.\nFor children aged 5-17 years, one eligible child was randomly selected from each sampled household. After adjustment for questionnaire response rates, the normalized household weight was multiplied by the number of eligible children in the household to produce child-specific weights.\nFor the water quality testing component, the basic household weights were adjusted by the inverse of the subsampling rate and further corrected for non-response separately for household and source water testing.\nFinal survey weights were obtained by multiplying the inverse selection probabilities by the appropriate non-response adjustment factors. These weights were then normalized so that the weighted total of completed interviews equaled the unweighted national sample size. Similar normalization procedures were applied to the weights for households, women, men, children under five, children aged 5-17 years, and water quality testing.\nThe adjusted (normalized) household weights ranged from 0.076685 to 7.500560 across the 540 sampled clusters. These weights were appended to all survey datasets and applied in the estimation of survey indicators to produce representative national and subnational results.","cleaning_operations":"For NMICS 7, data were transmitted to the National Statistics Office (NSO) central office through the Internet File Streaming System (IFSS), which was integrated into the data collection management application installed on supervisors' tablets. Data synchronisation was conducted on a daily basis whenever operationally feasible.\nThe IFSS also enabled the central office to distribute application updates and other communications to field teams throughout the data collection period.\nData editing was carried out during both fieldwork and post-fieldwork phases, in accordance with the Guidelines for Secondary Editing, a customised version of the standard MICS6 data editing protocols. The process included systematic consistency checks, validation procedures, and correction of identified errors to ensure data quality and internal consistency.","method_notes":"Data processing for NMICS-4 was conducted using IBM SPSS Statistics, Version 23. Model syntax files and tabulation plans developed by UNICEF under the global MICS programme were customized to align with the Nepal questionnaire and used for data analysis and table production.\nQuality control procedures included double data entry of all questionnaires and the implementation of internal consistency checks. Standard data processing programs developed under the global MICS7 framework, adapted to the MICS 7 instruments, were applied throughout to ensure data accuracy, consistency, and comparability."},"analysis_info":{"response_rate":"A total of 14,080 eligible women aged 15-49 years were identified, of whom 13,762 were successfully interviewed, yielding a response rate of 97.7 percent. Among 4,830 eligible men aged 15-49 years, 4,646 completed interviews, corresponding to a response rate of 96.2 percent. For children aged 5-17 years, 7,401 eligible children were identified, and interviews with mothers or primary caregivers were completed for 7,352 children, resulting in a response rate of 99.3 percent. Among 5,986 children under five years of age listed in the household questionnaire 5,867 mothers or caregivers were interviewed, yielding a response rate of 98.0 percent. The response rate of the water quality testing for Arsenic and E-coli at source are 98.2 percent for each. These high response rates demonstrate the strong coverage and representativeness of the NMICS 2024-25 .","sampling_error_estimates":"Sampling errors for NMICS 2024-25 estimates were calculated using standard procedures developed under the global MICS programme, taking into account the complex survey design, including stratification, clustering, and sampling weights. Calculations were performed using CSPro and the Complex Samples module of IBM SPSS Statistics. Standard measures of sampling variability, including standard errors, coefficients of variation, confidence intervals, design effects, and relative standard errors, were produced for selected Sustainable Development Goal (SDG) and MICS indicators at national and subnational levels to assess the precision of survey estimates.","data_appraisal":"In addition to sampling error estimates, data quality was assessed through the examination of weighted and unweighted denominators for survey indicators. As normalized sampling weights were applied, comparisons between weighted and unweighted counts provided an indication of relative sampling rates across domains. For selected household-level indicators, including access to electricity, clean cooking fuels and technologies, drinking water, sanitation, handwashing facilities, and social transfers, unweighted counts represent the number of sampled households, while weighted counts represent the corresponding population residing in those households. These procedures were used to support the evaluation of the reliability and representativeness of the survey estimates."}},"data_access":{"dataset_use":{"conf_dec":[{"txt":"The confidentiality of information collected through NMICS 7 is protected under the provisions of the Statistics Act of Nepal and the National Statistics Office (NSO) data confidentiality policies. All information obtained from respondents is treated as strictly confidential and is used solely for statistical purposes. Personal identifiers are removed from the public-use datasets, and no information that could directly identify an individual, household, or other reporting unit is disclosed. Access to identifiable information is restricted to authorized personnel in accordance with applicable legal and administrative requirements.","required":"yes","form_no":"","uri":""}],"contact":[{"name":"Chief Statistician","affiliation":"National Statistics Office","email":"csonepal@nsonepal.gov.np","uri":"https:\/\/microdata.nsohttps:\/\/microdata.nsonepal.gov.np"}],"cit_req":"National Statistics Office (NSO), Nepal. Nepal Multiple Indicator Cluster Survey 2024-25 (NMICS 2024-25).Information provided by Microdata Catelog\/National Data Archive (NADA): https:\/\/microdata.nsonepal.gov.np\/index.php\/catalog on [date].","conditions":"The dataset has been available for public via online.","disclaimer":"The National Statistics Office, Nepal bears no responsibility for any outcomes or for interpretations or inferences arising from the use of the dataset, or use of the information provided on the study."}}}}