'Economic Inequality' Evidence from Nepal

The study of economic issues beyond income and wealth has become very crucial to the 21st Century. Instead of just focusing on financial prosperity, academicians, public, and the Governments have given additional attention to social justice, wellbeing, inequality, and the poverty of human being. Widening inequality is threatening human rights and social justice of the world and alarming social harmony. On that lens, Nepal is still behind with the issue of economic growth and GDP. Although Nepal's long-term vision has set as "Preposterous Nepal, Happy Nepali", there is less focus on social indicators. Whereas the issues of social and economic inequalities from the corner of ethnic, geographical and gender domain have drawn the attention of the Government and policymakers.

To explore the depth and causes of economic inequality across Nepal's geography, gender, and ethnicity, both primary and secondary data been applied. The primary survey has been applied to observe the consistency and reliability of the secondary data. Instead of quantitative data of economic inequality, the subjective indicators of social wellbeing, happiness are also analysed from the conceptual framework of the Capability approach introduced by Amartya Sen, which has underpinned the HDI of the United National and the GNH of Bhutan.

While examining economic inequality via descriptive, inferential statistics and various indexes: Gini Coefficient, Atkinson Index, Palma ratio, the results have concluded the existence of economic disparities within and between different social clusters. Furthermore, various econometric models also formulated. The outcome concluded that the urban public is dominant over rural society regardless of economic or social indicators. Besides, the economic, social inequality between gender (Male / Female) and different ethnic clusters of Nepal (Braman-Chhetri, Janjati-Bishyan, Madheshi-Taraiwashi and Dalits) is endorsed by the hypothesis test. The various suggestions and recommendation have outlined provided for policymakers and further researchers.