Nepal, Nov. 8 -- In almost every village in Nepal, someone is missing from almost every household. A husband in Qatar. A son in Malaysia. A daughter in the Gulf or a brother in Japan. People who may not come home for years pay for the new roof, the school fees and the motorbike in the yard.

The economic story is well known. According to Nepal Rastra Bank, remittance inflows in fiscal year 2025/26 reached Rs2.363 trillion, equal to about 35.8 percent of GDP. The Department of Foreign Employment issued 792,187 labour approvals in the same year, down from 839,266 in 2024/25 but still enormous for a country of Nepal's size.

The human story is told less often, especially the part about those who stay behind.

A burden carried at home

When a...