Population and Demographics

Myanmar (Burma) has a population of about 40 to 55 million. Current population figures are rough estimates because the last partial census, conducted by the Ministry of Home and Religious Affairs under the control of the military junta, was taken in 1983. No trustworthy nationwide census has been taken in Myanmar since 1931.

There are over 600,000 registered migrant workers from Myanmar (Burma) in Thailand, and millions more work illegally. Burmese migrant workers account for 80% of Thailand's migrant workers. Myanmar (Burma) has a population density of 75 persons per sq km, one of the lowest in Southeast Asia. Refugee camps exist along Indian-Burmese, Bangladeshi-Burmese and Burmese-Thai borders while several thousand are in Malaysia. Conservative estimates state that there are over 295,800 refugees from Myanmar, with the majority being Rohingya, Kayin, and Karenni.

Ethnic Groups

Myanmar (Burma) is ethnically diverse. The government recognises 135 distinct ethnic groups. While it is extremely difficult to verify this statement, there are at least 108 different ethnolinguistic groups in Burma, consisting mainly of distinct Tibeto-Burman peoples, but with sizable populations of Daic, Hmong-Mien, and Austroasiatic (Mon-Khmer) peoples. The Bamar form an estimated 68% of the population. 9% of the population are Shan. The Kayin make up 7% of the population. The Rakhine people constitute 4% of the population. Overseas Chinese form approximately 3% of the population. Mon, who form 2% of the population, are ethno-linguistically related to the Khmer. Overseas Indians comprise 2%. The remainder are Kachin, Chin, Anglo-Burmese, Anglo-Indians and other ethnic minorities.

Literacy

According to the UNESCO Institute of Statistics, the country's official literacy rate as of 2000 was 89.9%. Historically, Myanmar (Burma) has had high literacy rates. To qualify for least developed country status by the UN in order to receive debt relief, Burma lowered its official literacy rate from 78.6% to 18.7% in 1987. However, the US Department of State estimates that functional literacy is at 30%.

Religion

Buddhism in Myanmar (Burma) is predominantly of the Theravada sect intermingled with local beliefs. According to the military government, it is practised by 89% of the population, especially among the Bamar, Rakhine, Shan, Mon, and Chinese. Christianity is practised by 4% of the population, primarily among the Kachin, Chin and Kayin, and Eurasians because of missionary work in their respective areas. About a quarter of the country's Christians are Protestants, in particular Baptists of the Myanmar Baptist Convention; Roman Catholics make up the remainder. Four percent of the population practises Islam, mainly of the Sunni sect. Muslims are divided amongst Indians, Indo-Burmese, Persians, Arabs, Panthays, and Rohingyas.. Small segments of the population practise Hinduism.

Facts and Figures

• Population: 47,373,958
• Age Structure:
  • 0-14 years: 26.1% (male 6,277,073/female 6,084,001)
  • 15-64 years: 68.6% (male 16,089,764/female 16,425,299)
  • 65 years and over: 5.3% (male 1,075,868/female 1,421,953)
• Median Age:
  • Total: 27.4 years
  • Male: 26.8 years
  • Female: 28 years
• Population Growth Rate: 0.815%
• Birth Rate: 17.48 births/1,000 population
• Death Rate: 9.33 deaths/1,000 population
• Net Migration Rate: 0 migrant(s)/1,000 population
• Sex Ratio:
  • At birth: 1.06 male(s)/female
  • Under 15 years: 1.032 male(s)/female
  • 15-64 years: 0.98 male(s)/female
  • 65 years and over: 0.757 male(s)/female
  • Total population: 0.98 male(s)/female
• Infant Mortality Rate:
  • Total: 50.68 deaths/1,000 live births
  • Male: 57.33 deaths/1,000 live births
  • Female: 43.63 deaths/1,000 live births
• Life Expectancy at Birth:
  • Total population: 62.49 years
  • Male: 60.29 years
  • Female: 64.83 years
• Total Fertility Rate: 1.95 children born/woman
• HIV/AIDS:
  • Adult prevalence rate: 1.2%
  • People living with HIV/AIDS: 330,000
• Ethnic Groups:
  • Burman 68%
  • Shan 9%
  • Karen 7%
  • Rakhine 4%
  • Chinese 3%
  • Indian 2%
  • Mon 2%
  • Other 5%
• Religions:
  • Buddhist 89%
  • Christian 4% (Baptist 3%, Roman Catholic 1%)
  • Muslim 4%
  • Animist 1%
  • Other 2%
• Languages:
  • Burmese
  • Minority ethnic groups have their own languages
• Literacy:
  • Total population: 89.9%
  • Male: 93.9%
  • Female: 86.4%