Burma

Burma is home to ethnic Burmans and scores of other ethnic and religious minority groups that have resisted external efforts to consolidate control of the country throughout its history. Britain conquered Burma over a period extending from the 1820s to the 1880s and administered it as a province of India until 1937, when Burma became a self-governing colony.  Burma gained full independence in 1948. In 1962, General NE WIN seized power and ruled the country until 1988 when a new military regime took control. In 1990, the military regime permitted an election but then rejected the results after the main opposition National League for Democracy (NLD) and its leader AUNG SAN SUU KYI (ASSK) won in a landslide. The military regime placed ASSK under house arrest until 2010. In 2007, rising fuel prices in Burma led pro-democracy activists and Buddhist monks to launch a "Saffron Revolution" consisting of large protests against the regime, which violently suppressed the movement. The regime prevented new elections until it had drafted a constitution designed to preserve the military's political control; it passed the new constitution in its 2008 referendum. The regime conducted an election in 2010, but the NLD boycotted the vote, and the military’s political proxy, the Union Solidarity and Development Party, easily won; international observers denounced the election as flawed. Burma nonetheless began a halting process of political and economic reforms. ASSK's return to government in 2012 eventually led to the NLD's sweeping victory in the 2015 election. With ASSK as the de facto head of state, Burma’s first credibly elected civilian government drew international criticism for blocking investigations into Burma’s military operations -- which the US Department of State determined constituted genocide -- against its ethnic Rohingya population. When the 2020 elections resulted in further NLD gains, the military denounced the vote as fraudulent. In 2021, the military's senior leader General MIN AUNG HLAING launched a coup that returned Burma to authoritarian rule, with military crackdowns that undid reforms and resulted in the detention of ASSK and thousands of pro-democracy actors.Pro-democracy organizations have formed in the wake of the coup, including the National Unity Government (NUG). Members of the NUG include representatives from the NLD, ethnic minority groups, and civil society. In 2021, the NUG announced the formation of armed militias called the People's Defense Forces (PDF) and an insurgency against the military junta. As of 2024, PDF units across the country continued to fight the regime with varying levels of support from and cooperation with the NUG and other anti-regime organizations, including armed ethnic groups that have been fighting the central government for decades. 

land

653,508 sq km

total

676,578 sq km

water

23,070 sq km

slightly smaller than Texas

tropical monsoon; cloudy, rainy, hot, humid summers (southwest monsoon, June to September); less cloudy, scant rainfall, mild temperatures, lower humidity during winter (northeast monsoon, December to April)

1,930 km

highest point

Gamlang Razi 5,870 m

lowest point

Andaman Sea/Bay of Bengal 0 m

mean elevation

702 m

22 00 N, 98 00 E

strategic location near major Indian Ocean shipping lanes; the north-south flowing Irrawaddy River is the country's largest and most important commercial waterway

17,140 sq km (2020)

border countries

Bangladesh 271 km; China 2,129 km; India 1,468 km; Laos 238 km; Thailand 2,416 km

total

6,522 km

agricultural land

19.2% (2018 est.)

agricultural land: arable land

arable land: 16.5% (2018 est.)

agricultural land: permanent crops

permanent crops: 2.2% (2018 est.)

agricultural land: permanent pasture

permanent pasture: 0.5% (2018 est.)

forest

48.2% (2018 est.)

other

32.6% (2018 est.)

Southeastern Asia, bordering the Andaman Sea and the Bay of Bengal, between Bangladesh and Thailand

Mekong (shared with China [s], Laos, Thailand, Cambodia, and Vietnam [m]) - 4,350 km; Salween river mouth (shared with China [s] and Thailand) - 3,060 km; Irrawaddy river mouth (shared with China [s]) - 2,809 km; Chindwin - 1,158 kmnote – [s] after country name indicates river source; [m] after country name indicates river mouth

Indian Ocean drainage: Brahmaputra (651,335 sq km), Ganges (1,016,124 sq km), Irrawaddy (413,710 sq km), Salween (271,914 sq km)Pacific Ocean drainage: Mekong (805,604 sq km)

Southeast Asia

contiguous zone

24 nm

continental shelf

200 nm or to the edge of the continental margin

exclusive economic zone

200 nm

territorial sea

12 nm

destructive earthquakes and cyclones; flooding and landslides common during rainy season (June to September); periodic droughts

petroleum, timber, tin, antimony, zinc, copper, tungsten, lead, coal, marble, limestone, precious stones, natural gas, hydropower, arable land

population concentrated along coastal areas and in general proximity to the shores of the Irrawaddy River; the extreme north is relatively underpopulated

central lowlands ringed by steep, rugged highlands

0-14 years

24.4% (male 7,197,177/female 6,843,879)

15-64 years

68.5% (male 19,420,361/female 19,998,625)

65 years and over

7.1% (2024 est.) (male 1,770,293/female 2,296,804)

beer

0.5 liters of pure alcohol (2019 est.)

other alcohols

0 liters of pure alcohol (2019 est.)

spirits

1.55 liters of pure alcohol (2019 est.)

total

2.06 liters of pure alcohol (2019 est.)

wine

0.02 liters of pure alcohol (2019 est.)

15.7 births/1,000 population (2024 est.)

men married by age 18

5% (2016 est.)

women married by age 15

1.9%

women married by age 18

16%

19.1% (2017/18)

52.2% (2015/16)

3.7% of GDP (2020)

57.5% (2023 est.)

7.3 deaths/1,000 population (2024 est.)

Burma’s 2014 national census – the first in more than 30 years – revealed that the country’s total population is approximately 51.5 million, significantly lower than the Burmese Government’s prior estimate of 61 million.  The Burmese Government assumed that the 2% population growth rate between 1973 and 1983 remained constant and that emigration was zero, ignoring later sample surveys showing declining fertility rates and substantial labor migration abroad in recent decades.  These factors reduced the estimated average annual growth rate between 2003 and 2014 to about .9%.  Among Southeast Asian countries, Burma’s life expectancy is among the lowest and its infant and maternal mortality rates are among the highest.  The large difference in life expectancy between women and men has resulted in older age cohorts consisting of far more women than men. Burma’s demographic transition began in the 1950s, when mortality rates began to drop.  Fertility did not start to decrease until the 1960s, sustaining high population growth until the decline accelerated in the 1980s.  The birth rate has held fairly steady from 2000 until today.  Since the 1970s, the total fertility rate (TFR) has fallen more than 60%, from almost 6 children per woman to 2.2 in 2016.  The reduced TFR is largely a result of women marrying later and more women never marrying, both being associated with greater educational attainment and labor force participation among women.  TFR, however, varies regionally, between urban and rural areas, by educational attainment, and among ethnic groups, with fertility lowest in urban areas (where it is below replacement level). The shift in Burma’s age structure has been slow (45% of the population is still under 25 years of age) and uneven among its socioeconomic groups.  Any economic boost from the growth of the working-age population is likely to take longer to develop, to have a smaller impact, and to be distributed unequally.  Rural poverty and unemployment continue to drive high levels of internal and international migration.  The majority of labor migration is internal, mainly from rural to urban areas.  The new government’s growing regional integration, reforms, and improved diplomatic relations are increasing the pace of international migration and destination choices.  As many as 4-5 million Burmese, mostly from rural areas and several ethnic groups, have taken up unskilled jobs abroad in agriculture, fishing, manufacturing, and domestic service.  Thailand is the most common destination, hosting about 70% of Burma’s international migrants, followed by Malaysia, China, and Singapore.  Burma is a patchwork of more than 130 religious and ethnic groups, distinguishing it as one of the most diverse countries in the region.  Ethnic minorities face substantial discrimination, and the Rohingya, the largest Muslim group, are arguably the most persecuted population in the country.  The Burmese Government and the Buddhist majority see the Rohingya as a threat to identity, competitors for jobs and resources, terrorists, and some still resent them for their alliance with Burma’s British colonizers during its 19th century.  Since at least the 1960s, they have been subjected to systematic human rights abuses, violence, marginalization, and disenfranchisement, which authorities continue to deny.  Despite living in Burma for centuries, many Burmese see the Rohingya as illegal Bengali immigrants and refer to them Bengalis.  As a result, the Rohingya have been classified as foreign residents and stripped of their citizenship, rendering them one of the largest stateless populations in the world.   Hundreds of thousands of Burmese from various ethnic groups have been internally displaced (an estimated 644,000 as of year-end 2016) or have fled to neighboring countries over the decades because of persecution, armed conflict, rural development projects, drought, and natural disasters.  Bangladesh has absorbed the most refugees from Burma, with an estimated 33,000 officially recognized and 200,000 to 500,000 unrecognized Rohingya refugees, as of 2016.  An escalation in violation has caused a surge in the inflow of Rohingya refugees since late August 2017, raising the number to an estimated 870,000.  As of June 2017, another approximately 132,500 refugees, largely Rohingya and Chin, were living in Malaysia, and more than 100,000, mostly Karen, were housed in camps along the Burma-Thailand border. 

elderly dependency ratio

9.7

potential support ratio

10.3 (2021 est.)

total dependency ratio

46

youth dependency ratio

36.3

improved: rural

rural: 80.7% of population

improved: total

total: 85.3% of population

improved: urban

urban: 95.4% of population

unimproved: rural

rural: 19.3% of population

unimproved: total

total: 14.7% of population (2020 est.)

unimproved: urban

urban: 4.6% of population

2.1% of GDP (2019 est.)

Burman (Bamar) 68%, Shan 9%, Karen 7%, Rakhine 4%, Chinese 3%, Indian 2%, Mon 2%, other 5%

note

note: the largest ethnic group — the Burman (or Bamar) — dominate politics, and the military ranks are largely drawn from this ethnic group; the Burman mainly populate the central parts of the country, while various ethnic minorities have traditionally lived in the peripheral regions that surround the plains in a horseshoe shape; the government recognizes 135 indigenous ethnic groups

0.96 (2024 est.)

1 beds/1,000 population (2017)

female

28.5 deaths/1,000 live births

male

35.4 deaths/1,000 live births

total

32.1 deaths/1,000 live births (2024 est.)

Languages

Burmese (official)

major-language sample(s)

ကမ္ဘာ့အချက်အလက်စာအုပ်- အခြေခံအချက်အလက်တွေအတွက် မရှိမဖြစ်တဲ့ အရင်းအမြစ် (Burmese)The World Factbook, the indispensable source for basic information.

note

note: minority ethnic groups use their own languages

female

72.1 years

male

68.5 years

total population

70.3 years (2024 est.)

definition

age 15 and over can read and write

female

86.3% (2019)

male

92.4%

note

note: most public schools were closed immediately after the coup in 2021, and attendance has remained low since schools reopened; literacy is expected to decline from 2019 to 2023

total population

89.1%

5.610 million RANGOON (Yangon) (capital), 1.532 million Mandalay (2023)

179 deaths/100,000 live births (2020 est.)

female

31.6 years

male

29.9 years

total

30.8 years (2024 est.)

24.7 years (2015/16 est.)

note

note: data represents median age at first birth among women 25-49

adjective

Burmese

noun

Burmese (singular and plural)

-1.4 migrant(s)/1,000 population (2024 est.)

5.8% (2016)

0.74 physicians/1,000 population (2019)

female

29,139,308 (2024 est.)

male

28,387,831

total

57,527,139

population concentrated along coastal areas and in general proximity to the shores of the Irrawaddy River; the extreme north is relatively underpopulated

0.71% (2024 est.)

Buddhist 87.9%, Christian 6.2%, Muslim 4.3%, Animist 0.8%, Hindu 0.5%, other 0.2%, none 0.1% (2014 est.)

note

note: religion estimate is based on the 2014 national census, including an estimate for the non-enumerated population of Rakhine State, which is assumed to mainly affiliate with the Islamic faith; as of December 2019, Muslims probably make up less than 3% of Burma's total population due to the large outmigration of the Rohingya population since 2017

improved: rural

rural: 81.3% of population

improved: total

total: 85.2% of population

improved: urban

urban: 93.9% of population

unimproved: rural

rural: 18.7% of population

unimproved: total

total: 14.8% of population (2020 est.)

unimproved: urban

urban: 6.1% of population

female

11 years (2018)

male

10 years

total

11 years

0-14 years

1.05 male(s)/female

15-64 years

0.97 male(s)/female

65 years and over

0.77 male(s)/female

at birth

1.06 male(s)/female

total population

0.97 male(s)/female (2024 est.)

female

19.7% (2020 est.)

male

68.5% (2020 est.)

total

44.1% (2020 est.)

1.97 children born/woman (2024 est.)

rate of urbanization

1.85% annual rate of change (2020-25 est.)

urban population

32.1% of total population (2023)

7 regions (taing-myar, singular - taing), 7 states (pyi ne-myar, singular - pyi ne), 1 union territory regions: Ayeyarwady (Irrawaddy), Bago, Magway, Mandalay, Sagaing, Tanintharyi, Yangon (Rangoon) states: Chin, Kachin, Kayah, Karen, Mon, Rakhine, Shan union territory: Nay Pyi Taw

etymology

Rangoon/Yangon derives from the Burmese words yan and koun, which mean "danger" and "no more" respectively and provide the meaning of "end of strife"; Nay Pyi Taw translates as: "Abode of Royals" or "the capital city of a kingdom"

geographic coordinates

16 48 N, 96 10 E

name

Rangoon (aka Yangon, continues to be recognized as the primary Burmese capital by the US Government); Nay Pyi Taw is the administrative capital

time difference

UTC+6.5 (11.5 hours ahead of Washington, DC, during Standard Time)

citizenship by birth

no

citizenship by descent only

both parents must be citizens of Burma

dual citizenship recognized

no

note

note: an applicant for naturalization must be the child or spouse of a citizen

residency requirement for naturalization

none

amendments

proposals require at least 20% approval by the Assembly of the Union membership; passage of amendments to sections of the constitution on basic principles, government structure, branches of government, state emergencies, and amendment procedures requires 75% approval by the Assembly and approval in a referendum by absolute majority of registered voters; passage of amendments to other sections requires only 75% Assembly approval; military granted 25% of parliamentary seats by default; amended 2015

history

previous 1947, 1974 (suspended until 2008); latest drafted 9 April 2008, approved by referendum 29 May 2008

conventional long form

Union of Burma

conventional short form

Burma

etymology

both "Burma" and "Myanmar" derive from the name of the majority Burman (Bamar) ethnic group

former

Socialist Republic of the Union of Burma, Union of Myanmar

local long form

Pyidaungzu Thammada Myanma Naingngandaw (translated as the Republic of the Union of Myanmar)

local short form

Myanma Naingngandaw

note

note: since 1989 the military authorities in Burma and the deposed parliamentary government have promoted the name Myanmar as a conventional name for their state; the US Government has not officially adopted the name

chief of mission

Ambassador (vacant); Chargé d’Affaires Susan STEVENSON (since 10 July 2023)

email address and website

ACSRangoon@state.govhttps://mm.usembassy.gov/

embassy

110 University Avenue, Kamayut Township, Rangoon

FAX

[95] (1) 751-1069

mailing address

4250 Rangoon Place, Washington DC  20521-4250

telephone

[95] (1) 753-6509

chancery

2300 S Street NW, Washington, DC 20008

chief of mission

Ambassador (vacant); Chargé d'Affaires THET WIN (since 22 June 2022)

consulate(s) general

Los Angeles

email address and website

washington-embassy@mofa.gov.mmhttps://www.mewashingtondc.org/

FAX

[1] (202) 332-4351

telephone

[1] (202) 332-3344

cabinet

Cabinet appointments shared by the president and the commander-in-chief; note - on 2 February 2021, the military leadership replaced the Cabinet with the State Administrative Council (SAC), which is the official name of the military government in Burma

chief of state

Prime Minister, State Administration Council Chair, Sr. Gen. MIN AUNG HLAING (since 1 August 2021)

election results

2020:  the National League for Democracy (NLD) won 396 seats across both houses, well above the 322 required for a parliamentary majority, which would have ensured that its preferred candidates would be elected president and second vice president in the Presidential Electoral College; however, on 1 February 2021 the military claimed the results of the election were illegitimate and launched a coup d'état that deposed State Counsellor AUNG SAN SUU KYI and President WIN MYINT of the NLD, causing military-affiliated Vice President MYINT SWE (USDP) to become Acting President; MYINT SWE subsequently handed power to coup leader MIN AUNG HLAING; WIN MYINT and other key leaders of the ruling NLD party were placed under arrest following the military takeover2018: WIN MYINT elected president in an indirect by-election held on 28 March 2018 after the resignation of HTIN KYAW; Assembly of the Union vote for president - WIN MYINT (NLD) 403, MYINT SWE (USDP) 211, HENRY VAN THIO (NLD) 18, 4 votes canceled (636 votes cast)

elections/appointments

prior to the military takeover in 2021, president was indirectly elected by simple majority vote by the full Assembly of the Union from among 3 vice-presidential candidates nominated by the Presidential Electoral College (consists of members of the lower and upper houses and military members); the other 2 candidates become vice presidents (president elected for a 5-year term); general election last held on 8 November 2020; the military junta has pledged to hold new general elections but has repeatedly announced delays

head of government

Prime Minister, State Administration Council Chair, Sr. Gen. MIN AUNG HLAING (since 1 August 2021)

note

note 1: the military took over the government on 1 February 2021 and declared a state of emergencynote 2: prior to the military takeover, the a state counsellor served the equivalent term of the president and was similar to a prime minister in that the holder acted as a link between the parliament and the executive branch

state counsellor

State Counselor AUNG SAN SUU KYI (since 6 April 2016); note - under arrest since 1 February 2021; formerly served as Minister of Foreign Affairs and Minister for the Office of the President

design consists of three equal horizontal stripes of yellow (top), green, and red; centered on the green band is a large white five-pointed star that partially overlaps onto the adjacent colored stripes; the design revives the triband colors used by Burma from 1943-45, during the Japanese occupation

military regime

4 January 1948 (from the UK)

has not submitted an ICJ jurisdiction declaration; non-party state to the ICCt

ADB, ARF, ASEAN, BIMSTEC, CP, EAS, EITI (candidate country), FAO, G-77, IAEA, IBRD, ICAO, ICRM, IDA, IFAD, IFC, IFRCS, IHO, ILO, IMF, IMO, Interpol, IOC, IOM, IPU, ISO (correspondent), ITU, ITUC (NGOs), NAM, OPCW (signatory), SAARC (observer), UN, UNCTAD, UNESCO, UNIDO, UNWTO, UPU, WCO, WHO, WIPO, WMO, WTO

highest court(s)

Supreme Court of the Union (consists of the chief justice and 7-11 judges)

judge selection and term of office

chief justice and judges nominated by the president, with approval of the Lower House, and appointed by the president; judges normally serve until mandatory retirement at age 70

subordinate courts

High Courts of the Region; High Courts of the State; Court of the Self-Administered Division; Court of the Self-Administered Zone; district and township courts; special courts (for juvenile, municipal, and traffic offenses); courts martial

mixed legal system of English common law (as introduced in codifications designed for colonial India) and customary law

description

prior to its dissolution after a coup, the bicameral Assembly of the Union or Pyidaungsu consisted of:House of Nationalities or Amyotha Hluttaw, (224 seats; 168 members directly elected in single-seat constituencies by absolute majority vote with a second round if needed and 56 appointed by the military; members served 5-year terms)prior to its dissolution after a coup, the House of Representatives or Pyithu Hluttaw, (440 seats, currently 433; 330 members directly elected in single-seat constituencies by simple majority vote and 110 appointed by the military; members served 5-year terms)

election results

House of Nationalities - percent of vote by party - NLD 61.6%, USDP 3.1%, ANP 1.8%, MUP 1.3%, KySPD 1.3%, other 5.9%, military appointees 25%; seats by party - NLD 138, USDP 7, ANP 4, MUP 3, KySPD 3, SNLD 2, TNP 2, other 2, vacant 7 (canceled due to insurgency), military appointees 56 House of Representatives - percent of vote by party - NLD 58.6%, USDP 5.9%, SNLD 3.0%, other 7.5%, military 25%; seats by party - NLD 258, USDP 26, SNLD 13, ANP 4, PNO 3, TNP 3, MUP 2, KySPD 2, other 4, vacant 15 (canceled due to insurgency), military appointees 110

elections

House of Nationalities - last held on 8 November 2020 House of Representatives - last held on 8 November 2020

note

note 1: the Assembly of the Union was dissolved on 1 February 2021 after a military coup led by Sr. General MIN AUNG HLAING; it was replaced by the State Administration Councilnote 2: the military junta overturned the results of the 8 November legislative elections

lyrics/music

SAYA TIN

name

"Kaba Ma Kyei" (Till the End of the World, Myanmar)

note

note: adopted 1948; Burma is among a handful of non-European nations that have anthems rooted in indigenous traditions; the beginning portion of the anthem is a traditional Burmese anthem before transitioning into a Western-style orchestrated work

selected World Heritage Site locales

Pyu Ancient Cities; Bagan

total World Heritage Sites

2 (both cultural)

Independence Day, 4 January (1948); Union Day, 12 February (1947)

chinthe (mythical lion); national colors: yellow, green, red, white

Arakan National Party or ANP Democratic Party or DP Kayah State Democratic Party or KySDP Kayin People's Party or KPP Kokang Democracy and Unity Party or KDUP La Hu National Development Party or LHNDP Lisu National Development Party or LNDP Mon Unity Party (formed in 2019 from the All Mon Region Democracy Party and Mon National Party)National Democratic Force or NDF National League for Democracy or NLD National Unity Party or NUP Pa-O National Organization or PNO People's Party Shan Nationalities Democratic Party or SNDP Shan Nationalities League for Democracy or SNLD Ta'ang National Party or TNP Tai-Leng Nationalities Development Party or TNDP Union Solidarity and Development Party or USDP Unity and Democracy Party of Kachin State or UDPKS Wa Democratic Party or WDP Wa National Unity Party or WNUP Zomi Congress for Democracy or ZCD 

note

note: more than 90 political parties participated in the 2020 elections; political parties continued to function after the 2021 coup, although some political leaders have been arrested by the military regime; in 2023, the regime announced a new law with several rules and restrictions on political parties and their ability to participate in elections; dozens of parties refused to comply with the new rules; the regime's election commission has subsequently banned more than 80 political parties, including the National League for Democracy

18 years of age; universal

rice, sugarcane, vegetables, beans, maize, groundnuts, fruits, plantains, coconuts, onions (2022)

note

note: top ten agricultural products based on tonnage

on alcohol and tobacco

0.6% of household expenditures (2022 est.)

on food

56.4% of household expenditures (2022 est.)

expenditures

$10.22 billion (2019 est.)

note

note: central government revenues (excluding grants) and expenses converted to US dollars at average official exchange rate for year indicated

revenues

$10.945 billion (2019 est.)

Current account balance 2017

-$4.917 billion (2017 est.)

Current account balance 2018

-$2.561 billion (2018 est.)

Current account balance 2019

$67.72 million (2019 est.)

note

note: balance of payments - net trade and primary/secondary income in current dollars

slowly recovering Southeast Asian economy; household incomes weaken domestic consumption; growing trade deficit; declining employment; high inflation and reduced currency power; agriculture sector remains most stable 

Currency

kyats (MMK) per US dollar -

Exchange rates 2016

1,234.87 (2016 est.)

Exchange rates 2017

1,360.359 (2017 est.)

Exchange rates 2018

1,429.808 (2018 est.)

Exchange rates 2019

1,518.255 (2019 est.)

Exchange rates 2020

1,381.619 (2020 est.)

Exports 2018

$15.728 billion (2018 est.)

Exports 2019

$17.523 billion (2019 est.)

Exports 2021

$20.4 billion (2021 est.)

note

note: balance of payments - exports of goods and services in current dollars

garments, precious stones, natural gas, dried legumes, rice (2022)

note

note: top five export commodities based on value in dollars

China 36%, Thailand 13%, Germany 6%, Japan 6%, US 4% (2022)

note

note: top five export partners based on percentage share of exports

exports of goods and services

21.4% (2017 est.)

government consumption

13.8% (2017 est.)

household consumption

59.2% (2017 est.)

imports of goods and services

-28.6% (2017 est.)

investment in fixed capital

33.5% (2017 est.)

investment in inventories

1.5% (2017 est.)

agriculture

20.4% (2023 est.)

industry

38.1% (2023 est.)

note

note: figures may not total 100% due to non-allocated consumption not captured in sector-reported data

services

41.5% (2023 est.)

$64.815 billion (2023 est.)

note

note: data in current dollars at official exchange rate

Gini Index coefficient - distribution of family income 2017

30.7 (2017 est.)

note

note: index (0-100) of income distribution; higher values represent greater inequality

highest 10%

25.5% (2017 est.)

lowest 10%

3.8% (2017 est.)

note

note: % share of income accruing to lowest and highest 10% of population

Imports 2018

$18.664 billion (2018 est.)

Imports 2019

$17.356 billion (2019 est.)

Imports 2021

$23.1 billion (2021 est.)

note

note: balance of payments - imports of goods and services in current dollars

refined petroleum, fabric, synthetic fabric, crude petroleum, fertilizers (2022)

note

note: top five import commodities based on value in dollars

China 45%, Thailand 16%, Singapore 14%, Malaysia 4%, Indonesia 4% (2022)

note

note: top five import partners based on percentage share of imports

1.53% (2023 est.)

note

note: annual % change in industrial value added based on constant local currency

agricultural processing; wood and wood products; copper, tin, tungsten, iron; cement, construction materials; pharmaceuticals; fertilizer; oil and natural gas; garments; jade and gems

Inflation rate (consumer prices) 2017

4.57% (2017 est.)

Inflation rate (consumer prices) 2018

6.87% (2018 est.)

Inflation rate (consumer prices) 2019

8.83% (2019 est.)

note

note: annual % change based on consumer prices

22.884 million (2023 est.)

note

note: number of people ages 15 or older who are employed or seeking work

24.8% (2017 est.)

note

note: % of population with income below national poverty line

Public debt 2017

33.6% of GDP (2017 est.)

note

note: data in 2021 dollars

Real GDP (purchasing power parity) 2021

$276.462 billion (2021 est.)

Real GDP (purchasing power parity) 2022

$287.624 billion (2022 est.)

Real GDP (purchasing power parity) 2023

$290.507 billion (2023 est.)

note

note: annual GDP % growth based on constant local currency

Real GDP growth rate 2021

-12.02% (2021 est.)

Real GDP growth rate 2022

4.04% (2022 est.)

Real GDP growth rate 2023

1% (2023 est.)

note

note: data in 2021 dollars

Real GDP per capita 2021

$5,100 (2021 est.)

Real GDP per capita 2022

$5,300 (2022 est.)

Real GDP per capita 2023

$5,300 (2023 est.)

note

note: personal transfers and compensation between resident and non-resident individuals/households/entities

Remittances 2021

1.93% of GDP (2021 est.)

Remittances 2022

2.03% of GDP (2022 est.)

Remittances 2023

2.31% of GDP (2023 est.)

note

note: holdings of gold (year-end prices)/foreign exchange/special drawing rights in current dollars

Reserves of foreign exchange and gold 2018

$5.646 billion (2018 est.)

Reserves of foreign exchange and gold 2019

$5.824 billion (2019 est.)

Reserves of foreign exchange and gold 2020

$7.67 billion (2020 est.)

6.02% (of GDP) (2019 est.)

note

note: central government tax revenue as a % of GDP

note

note: % of labor force seeking employment

Unemployment rate 2021

4.34% (2021 est.)

Unemployment rate 2022

2.83% (2022 est.)

Unemployment rate 2023

2.84% (2023 est.)

female

8.9% (2023 est.)

male

10.3% (2023 est.)

note

note: % of labor force ages 15-24 seeking employment

total

9.7% (2023 est.)

from coal and metallurgical coke

2.693 million metric tonnes of CO2 (2022 est.)

from consumed natural gas

7.48 million metric tonnes of CO2 (2022 est.)

from petroleum and other liquids

21.174 million metric tonnes of CO2 (2022 est.)

total emissions

31.347 million metric tonnes of CO2 (2022 est.)

consumption

1.453 million metric tons (2022 est.)

exports

89,000 metric tons (2022 est.)

imports

305,000 metric tons (2022 est.)

production

1.268 million metric tons (2022 est.)

proven reserves

252 million metric tons (2022 est.)

consumption

15.473 billion kWh (2022 est.)

exports

1.317 billion kWh (2022 est.)

installed generating capacity

6.993 million kW (2022 est.)

transmission/distribution losses

3.591 billion kWh (2022 est.)

electrification - rural areas

62.8%

electrification - total population

73.7% (2022 est.)

electrification - urban areas

93.9%

biomass and waste

1.3% of total installed capacity (2022 est.)

fossil fuels

50.6% of total installed capacity (2022 est.)

hydroelectricity

47.6% of total installed capacity (2022 est.)

solar

0.5% of total installed capacity (2022 est.)

Total energy consumption per capita 2022

9.244 million Btu/person (2022 est.)

consumption

3.788 billion cubic meters (2022 est.)

exports

13.099 billion cubic meters (2022 est.)

imports

219.822 million cubic meters (2021 est.)

production

16.78 billion cubic meters (2022 est.)

proven reserves

637.129 billion cubic meters (2021 est.)

crude oil estimated reserves

139 million barrels (2021 est.)

refined petroleum consumption

148,000 bbl/day (2022 est.)

total petroleum production

7,000 bbl/day (2023 est.)

subscriptions per 100 inhabitants

1 (2020 est.)

total

688,185 (2020 est.)

government controls all domestic broadcast media; 2 state-controlled TV stations with 1 of the stations controlled by the armed forces; 2 pay-TV stations are joint state-private ventures; 1 state-controlled domestic radio station and 9 FM stations that are joint state-private ventures; transmissions of several international broadcasters are available in parts of Burma; the Voice of America (VOA), Radio Free Asia (RFA), BBC Burmese service, the Democratic Voice of Burma (DVB), and Radio Australia use shortwave to broadcast in Burma; VOA, RFA, and DVB produce daily TV news programs that are transmitted by satellite to audiences in Burma; in March 2017, the government granted licenses to 5 private broadcasters, allowing them digital free-to-air TV channels to be operated in partnership with government-owned Myanmar Radio and Television (MRTV) and will rely upon MRTV’s transmission infrastructure; following the February 2021 military coup, the regime revoked the media licenses of most independent outlets, including the free-to-air licenses for DVB and Mizzima (2022)

.mm

percent of population

44% (2021 est.)

total

23.76 million (2021 est.)

domestic

fixed-line is just under 1 per 100, while mobile-cellular is roughly 126 per 100 (2021)

general assessment

Burma, one of the least developed telecom markets in Asia, saw growth in mobile and broadband services through expanded foreign access and investment in the 2010s and roll outs 4G and limited 5G network infrastructures; infrastructure expansion has been challenged by armed conflict, severe weather events, unreliable electricity, inefficient bureaucracy, and decreased foreign investment since the 2021 military coup; digital divide affects rural areas; fixed broadband remains low due to number of fixed-lines and widespread installation of the mobile network platforms; multiple m-banking platforms; tests for NB-IoT; benefit from launch of regional satellite; government censors online content and restricts Internet and mobile network quality in political crisis (2023)

international

country code - 95; landing points for the SeaMeWe-3, SeaMeWe-5, AAE-1 and Singapore-Myanmar optical telecommunications submarine cable that provides links to Asia, the Middle East, Africa, Southeast Asia, Australia and Europe; satellite earth stations - 2, Intelsat (Indian Ocean) and ShinSat (2019)

subscriptions per 100 inhabitants

(2022 est.) less than 1

total subscriptions

535,000 (2022 est.)

subscriptions per 100 inhabitants

107 (2022 est.)

total subscriptions

57.807 million (2022 est.)

73 (2024)

XY

6 (2024)

by type

bulk carrier 1, general cargo 44, oil tanker 5, other 51

total

101 (2023)

annual freight traffic on registered air carriers

4.74 million (2018) mt-km

annual passenger traffic on registered air carriers

3,407,788 (2018)

inventory of registered aircraft operated by air carriers

42

number of registered air carriers

8 (2020)

3,739 km gas, 1321 km oil (2017)

key ports

Bassein, Mergui, Moulmein Harbor, Rangoon, Sittwe

ports with oil terminals

3

small

5

total ports

7 (2024)

very small

2

narrow gauge

5,031 km (2008) 1.000-m gauge

total

5,031 km (2008)

paved

57,840 km (2017)

total

157,000 km (2013)

unpaved

99,160 km (2017)

12,800 km (2011)

since the country’s founding, the Tatmadaw has been deeply involved in domestic politics and the national economy; it ran the country for five decades following a military coup in 1962; prior to the most recent coup in 2021, the military already controlled three key security ministries (Defense, Border, and Home Affairs), one of two vice presidential appointments, 25% of the parliamentary seats, and had a proxy political party, the Union Solidarity and Development Party (USDP); it owns and operates two business conglomerates that have over 100 subsidiaries; the business activities of these conglomerates include banking and insurance, hotels, tourism, jade and ruby mining, timber, construction, real estate, and the production of palm oil, sugar, soap, cement, beverages, drinking water, coal, and gas; some of the companies supply goods and services to the military, such as food, clothing, insurance, and cellphone service; the military also manages a film industry, publishing houses, and television stationsthe Tatmadaw's primary operational focus is internal security, and it is conducting counterinsurgency operations against anti-regime forces that launched an armed rebellion following the 2021 coup and an array of ethnic armed groups (EAGs), some of which have considerable military capabilities; as of 2024, the Tatmadaw was reportedly engaged in combat operations in 10 of its 14 regional commands; it has been accused of committing atrocities in the conduct of its campaign against the pro-democracy movement and opposition forces the military is supported by pro-government militias; some are integrated within the Tatmadaw’s command structure as Border Guard Forces, which are organized as battalions with a mix of militia forces, EAGs, and government soldiers that are armed, supplied, and paid by the Tatmadaw; other pro-military government militias are not integrated within the Tatmadaw command structure but receive direction and some support from the military and are recognized as government militias; a third type of pro-government militias are small community-based units that are armed, coordinated, and trained by local Tatmadaw forces and activated as needed; the military regime has attempted to raise new militia units to help combat the popular uprisingEAGs have been fighting for self-rule against the Burmese Government since 1948; there are reported to be around 20 such groups operating in Burma with strengths of a few hundred up to 30,000 estimated fighters; some are organized along military lines with "brigades" and "divisions" and armed with heavy weaponry, including artillery; they control large tracts of the country’s territory, primarily in the border regions; key groups include the United Wa State Army, Karen National Union, Kachin Independence Army, Arakan Army, Ta’ang National Liberation Army, and the Myanmar Nationalities Democratic Alliance Armythe opposition National Unity Government claims its armed wing, the People's Defense Force (PDF), has more than 60,000 fighters loosely organized into battalions; in addition, several EAGs have cooperated with the NUG and supported local PDF groups (2024)

Burmese Defense Service (aka Armed Forces of Burma, Myanmar Army, Royal Armed Forces, the Tatmadaw, or the Sit-Tat): Army (Tatmadaw Kyi), Navy (Tatmadaw Yay), Air Force (Tatmadaw Lay); People’s MilitiaMinistry of Home Affairs: Burma (People's) Police Force, Border Guard Forces/Police (2024)

note

note 1:  under the 2008 constitution, the Tatmadaw was given control over the appointments of senior officials to lead the Ministry of Defense, the Ministry of Border Affairs, and the Ministry of Home Affairs; in March 2022, a new law gave the commander-in-chief of the Tatmadaw the authority to appoint or remove the head of the police forcenote 2: the Burma Police Force is primarily responsible for internal security; the Border Guard Police is administratively part of the Burma Police Force but operationally distinct; both are under the Ministry of Home Affairs, which is led by an active-duty military general and controlled by the military

estimated 150-300,000 armed forces personnel (2024)

the Burmese military's inventory is comprised mostly of older Chinese and Russian/Soviet-era weapons and equipment with a smaller mix of more modern acquisitions, mostly from China and Russia; Burma's defense industry is involved in shipbuilding and the production of ground force equipment based largely on Chinese and Russian designs (2024)

Military Expenditures 2019

4.1% of GDP (2019 est.)

Military Expenditures 2020

3% of GDP (2020 est.)

Military Expenditures 2021

3.5% of GDP (2021 est.)

Military Expenditures 2022

3.6% of GDP (2022 est.)

Military Expenditures 2023

3.9% of GDP (2023 est.)

18-35 years of age (men) and 18-27 years of age (women) for voluntary and conscripted military service; 24-month service obligation; conscripted professional men (ages 18-45) and women (ages 18-35), including doctors, engineers, and mechanics, serve up to 36 months; service terms may be extended to 60 months in an officially declared emergency (2024)

note

note: in February 2024, the military government announced that the People’s Military Service Law requiring mandatory military service would go into effect; the Service Law was first introduced in 2010 but had not previously been enforced; the military government also said that it intended to call up about 60,000 men and women annually for mandatory service; during the ongoing insurgency, the military has recruited men 18-60 to serve in local militias

source of precursor or essential chemicals used in the production of illicit narcotics; narcotics produced in Burma trafficked throughout the region, with routes extending beyond Southeast Asia to Australia, New Zealand, and Japan; largest opium poppy cultivator  globally with an estimated 47,100 hectares grown in 2023; not a major source or transit country for drugs entering the United States; domestic consumption of synthetic drug cocktails such as Yaba, “Happy Water,” and “Wei Tiong” (mixtures of drugs including caffeine, methamphetamine, tramadol, and MDMA) popular among the younger population and domestic drug consumption  substantial and widespread. (2021)

IDPs

1.975 million (government offensives against armed ethnic minority groups near its borders with China and Thailand, natural disasters, forced land evictions) (2023)

stateless persons

600,000 (2022); note - Rohingya Muslims, living predominantly in Rakhine State, are Burma's main group of stateless people; the Burmese Government does not recognize the Rohingya as a "national race" and stripped them of their citizenship under the 1982 Citizenship Law, categorizing them as "non-nationals" or "foreign residents;" under the Rakhine State Action Plan drafted in October 2014, the Rohingya must demonstrate their family has lived in Burma for at least 60 years to qualify for a lesser naturalized citizenship and the classification of Bengali or be put in detention camps and face deportation; native-born but non-indigenous people, such as Indians, are also stateless; the Burmese Government does not grant citizenship to children born outside of the country to Burmese parents who left the country illegally or fled persecution, such as those born in Thailand; the number of stateless persons has decreased dramatically because hundreds of thousands of Rohingya have fled to Bangladesh since 25 August 2017 to escape violence

tier rating

Tier 3 — Burma does not fully meet the minimum standards for the elimination of trafficking and is not making significant efforts to do so, therefore, Burma remained on Tier 3; for more details, go to:  https://www.state.gov/reports/2024-trafficking-in-persons-report/burma/

carbon dioxide emissions

25.28 megatons (2016 est.)

methane emissions

42.2 megatons (2020 est.)

particulate matter emissions

27.16 micrograms per cubic meter (2019 est.)

tropical monsoon; cloudy, rainy, hot, humid summers (southwest monsoon, June to September); less cloudy, scant rainfall, mild temperatures, lower humidity during winter (northeast monsoon, December to April)

deforestation; industrial pollution of air, soil, and water; inadequate sanitation and water treatment contribute to disease; rapid depletion of the country's natural resources

party to

Biodiversity, Climate Change, Climate Change-Kyoto Protocol, Climate Change-Paris Agreement, Comprehensive Nuclear Test Ban, Desertification, Endangered Species, Hazardous Wastes, Law of the Sea, Nuclear Test Ban, Ozone Layer Protection, Ship Pollution, Tropical Timber 2006, Wetlands

signed, but not ratified

none of the selected agreements

severe localized food insecurity

due to conflict, political instability, and economic constraints - the protracted political crisis is compromising the fragile conditions of vulnerable households; domestic prices of “Emata” rice, the most consumed variety in the country, were at record levels as of May 2023, constraining access to a key staple food (2023)

agricultural land

19.2% (2018 est.)

agricultural land: arable land

arable land: 16.5% (2018 est.)

agricultural land: permanent crops

permanent crops: 2.2% (2018 est.)

agricultural land: permanent pasture

permanent pasture: 0.5% (2018 est.)

forest

48.2% (2018 est.)

other

32.6% (2018 est.)

Mekong (shared with China [s], Laos, Thailand, Cambodia, and Vietnam [m]) - 4,350 km; Salween river mouth (shared with China [s] and Thailand) - 3,060 km; Irrawaddy river mouth (shared with China [s]) - 2,809 km; Chindwin - 1,158 kmnote – [s] after country name indicates river source; [m] after country name indicates river mouth

Indian Ocean drainage: Brahmaputra (651,335 sq km), Ganges (1,016,124 sq km), Irrawaddy (413,710 sq km), Salween (271,914 sq km)Pacific Ocean drainage: Mekong (805,604 sq km)

0.01% of GDP (2018 est.)

1.69% of GDP (2018 est.)

1.2 trillion cubic meters (2020 est.)

agricultural

29.57 billion cubic meters (2019 est.)

industrial

500 million cubic meters (2019 est.)

municipal

3.32 billion cubic meters (2019 est.)

rate of urbanization

1.85% annual rate of change (2020-25 est.)

urban population

32.1% of total population (2023)

municipal solid waste generated annually

4,677,307 tons (2000 est.)