Youth tilt toward new parties, yet question their sustainability

Kathmandu, Jan. 16

Nearly 60 per cent of voters intend to seek out new political parties rather than repeat their choices from the previous election, according to a preliminary report of Nepal Voters’ Survey conducted by the Centre for Policy Research (CPR) and published on Friday.

The survey was conducted in early December 2025 with 1,100 participants in 34 districts, including one district with a high urban population from each province, based on population.

It found that while about 41 per cent of the electorate has already decided which party to support in the elections slated for March 5 this year, a substantial 40 per cent remain in the process of deciding or are currently undecided.

The findings have indicated an uncertain political future of the country, as 43 per cent of participants said that they would split their vote across different parties for the First-Past-The-Post (FPTP) and Proportional Representation (PR). It means that the parties that might not be able to see their candidates in direct polls will be sending more members to the parliament, thus increasing the chances for a hung parliament.

Likewise, the survey identified a generational pivot, with over 50 per cent of respondents believing that the Gen-Zs will play a decisive role in the final results of the elections. Among them, about 19 per cent said that this demographic group will be completely decisive.

However, the high participation of youth in the survey seemed to have affected the results. More than 55 per cent of the respondents are between 18 and 35 years of age. Likewise, 18 per cent are from the 36 to 45 years age group and 15 per cent 46 to 55 years age group. Women constituted 34 per cent of the sample.

 

Reliance on social media despite low trust

According to the survey results, 39 per cent of voters now rely on social media for political news, while 16 per cent obtain such information from national online media, 14.5 per cent from local online media, 9.2 per cent from newspapers and above 8 per cent each from radio and television.

But they have questioned the credibility of social media in terms of political news. Only 12.6 per cent have full trust in social media, but more than 51 per cent remained neutral about the credibility. This may present a fertile ground for the producers of propaganda and misinformation during the elections. However, the lack of complete trust in social media indicates that voters will critically evaluate information received through social platforms.

Although half of the respondents have low or no interest in politics and only 21 per cent of them have a high interest in it, 91 per cent of them said that they will vote, indicating enthusiasm in participating in the elections.

 

Economic issues get priority

In an interesting turn, the survey found that, unlike ideological or identity-based slogans that dominated the previous elections, the 2026 election appears to be shaping up as an economic referendum. Over 80 per cent of respondents cited economic indicators as the most influential factors. Issues such as inflation, employment opportunities, and personal income are set to be more decisive than regional or ethnic identity.

Voters also indicated that they are prioritising the personal integrity of candidates over party labels. Honesty, an anti-corruption image, and transparency were ranked as the top qualities sought in a representative, followed by education and health infrastructure as the primary areas requiring immediate government improvement.

Similarly, less than 20 per cent of the 1,100 respondents believe the upcoming election will be conducted fairly.

Meanwhile, 70 per cent of citizens believe the country is moving in the wrong direction. Nearly 60 per cent of citizens expressed scepticism regarding the ability of traditional parties to deliver radical improvements.

While new political parties are viewed more favourably, they have yet to secure a majority mandate of trust, with 75 per cent of voters questioning their long-term sustainability and stability.

Published in The Rising Nepal daily on 17 January 2026.