Myanmar

Poverty in Myanmar

The number of people living in poverty in Myanmar fell from 48% in 2005 to 25% in 2017, driven by growth in urban manufacturing and services. In the face of the Covid-19 pandemic and other interconnected crises, however, this progress has begun to reverse.

By 2023/24, it was estimated that close to a third of the population was living in poverty. That equates to an increase of around seven million people since the pandemic began. And while poverty has increased in both rural and urban areas, the rise has been higher in towns and cities.

Overall, people with disabilities and displaced people now experience the highest rates of poverty, but millions of people across Myanmar are vulnerable to falling below the poverty line. Informal employment is also growing.

DEEP’s work in Myanmar

Everywhere we work, we seek answers to three questions:

Using household surveys, economic simulations and statistical analysis, we worked with partners to analyse how Covid-19, conflicts and climate change had undone progress on poverty – in Myanmar and around the world. This showed how a new urban, educated generation is living in poverty but less likely to work in agriculture. Our work also detailed ongoing challenges to tackling poverty in rural Myanmar.