Nepal, May 24 -- Nepal's graduation from Least Developed Country (LDC) status has been repeatedly deferred, and this time it may be postponed till 2029.

The country had already exceeded the Human Asset Index and Economic Vulnerability Index thresholds in 2015, 2018, and 2021 evidence of sustained socioeconomic progress through time. Postponement will not alter GDP or per capita income.

What matters is that Nepal's progress has been people driven: households, own account production, and women's care work strategies sustained resilience through crisis after crisis. Analysis of the Labour Force Survey shows these invisible sectors already contribute over 40% of GDP and sustain nearly 59% of livelihoods.

Recognising and formalising the...