How Men and Women Connect on Facebook, by Province

A higher score means they frequently friend each other; a lower score means men mostly friend men and women mostly friend women. Madhesh stands apart from every other province — while Karnali, the country's poorest, records the most cross-gender mixing.

Based on users' top 200 connections (ages 18–65); lower online access among rural Terai women means real-world gender divides may be even greater.
Chart: Tufan NeupaneSource: Cross-Gender Social Ties, Bailey et al. 2025 / HDX Download image