This education sector analysis (ESA) was undertaken to inform the development of the next Nepal school education sector plan (ESP), which will follow the completion of the School Sector Development Plan (SSDP, 2016-2021) in July 2021. Undertaken as an essential part of education sector planning, the ESA provides an in-depth and comprehensive assessment of the current status of Nepal's education system, reviews documents on progress and achievements, identifies key trends and challenges, and recommends evidence-based policy choices. The ESA also examines the enabling environment for the intent of the high-level declaration of the Public School Enabling Decade (PSED). It was carried out in 2020 jointly by the Government of Nepal and education sector development partners, with technical expertise mobilized for specific purposes. The new ESP, which covers the period from 2021/22 to 2030/31, is intended to guide the strengthening of the education sector within the framework of the federal system of governance. The new plan is expected to contribute to the country's ambition to graduate to a Middle-Income Country by 2030 and the goal of a 'Prosperous Nepal, happy Nepali' by 2043. The analysis also provides a baseline of the country's status against the targets in its Sustainable Development Goal 4 Framework.