Nepal
Leading cause: Heart Disease · 78% plant-based · 70.8 yr life expectancy · UHC 58/100
What People Eat
Cardiovascular and dietary profile drawn from WHO Global Health Estimates. Plant-based score reflects the share of whole plant foods (grains, legumes, vegetables, fruit, nuts) in the typical national diet.
Disease Burden
Leading cause of death: Heart Disease · 215 / 100k
Bars show each rate against the global range; the tick marks the world median.
Heart disease (215/100k) leads, even on a largely plant-based dal-bhat (lentils and rice) diet. High salt, indoor cooking smoke (behind a heavy respiratory burden), and low health spending shape outcomes more than dietary fat.
Healthcare System
Sources: WHO UHC Service Coverage Index (SDG 3.8.1) & WHO Global Health Expenditure Database. Latest available year.
What Could Improve
- Reduce salt and indoor cooking smoke, key drivers of the cardiovascular and respiratory burden.
- Protect the protective dal-bhat diet while expanding rural healthcare access.
Explore the evidence: Heart Disease
WHO Global Health Estimates · 2022 · age-standardized country data
→ 215 CVD deaths per 100k · 78% plant-based diet