People and Society of Myanmar

Nationality

Burmese (singular and plural)

Ethnic Groups

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

Population

54,409,800

Population in Major Urban Areas

RANGOON (capital) 4.457 million; Mandalay 1.063 million; Nay Pyi Taw 1.06 million

We highly recommend that you share your travel plans with your doctor so that you can best prepare for the endemic health-related challenges that confront travelers in Burma. Most medical facilities in Burma are inadequate for even routine medical care. There are very few medical personnel in Burma who are trained to U.S. standards. You should also know that, in an emergency, you would likely need to be medically evacuated to a hospital outside Burma. Medical evacuation from Burma is expensive and is transacted in cash. We strongly urge all travelers to secure medical evacuation insurance before coming to Burma. Most pharmaceuticals on sale in Burma have been smuggled into the country, and many are counterfeit or adulterated. Travelers should consider Burmese pharmaceuticals generally unsafe to use and should accordingly bring adequate supplies of their medications for the duration of their stay in Burma. All travelers are advised to bring a complete and detailed list of regularly used medicine, and dosages, in case of an emergency. HIV/AIDS is widespread among high-risk populations, such as prostitutes and illegal drug users. Malaria, dengue fever, tuberculosis, hepatitis, and other infectious diseases are endemic in many parts of the country. In early 2006 throughout 2007, and again in early 2010, brief avian influenza outbreaks resulted in the death of domestic poultry and some wild birds. In December 2007, the World Health Organization and Burmese Ministry of Health confirmed Burma’s first case of human infection with the H5N1 avian influenza virus. If you travel to Burma and other South Asian countries affected by avian influenza, we caution you to avoid poultry farms, contact with animals in live food markets, and any other surfaces that appear to be contaminated with feces from poultry or other animals. There were no reported human cases of H5N1 in Burma during the 2010 outbreaks.

Life Expectancy at Birth

Life expectancy at birth in Myanmar stands at approximately 67 years for the overall population, with women typically outliving men by several years. Female life expectancy averages around 69 years, while male life expectancy is closer to 65 years. These figures place Myanmar below the average for the broader Southeast Asian region, reflecting ongoing challenges in healthcare access, infrastructure, and public health systems. Several interconnected factors contribute to Myanmar's relatively modest life expectancy. The country has long faced limited access to quality medical care, particularly in rural and remote areas where the majority of the population resides. Communicable diseases such as tuberculosis, malaria, and respiratory infections remain significant health burdens. Maternal and infant mortality rates, while improved over recent decades, continue to be higher than those of regional peers, weighing down overall life expectancy statistics. Malnutrition is another contributing factor, especially among children and rural communities, and it compounds vulnerability to infectious diseases and chronic conditions. Access to clean drinking water and adequate sanitation, though improving gradually, remains inconsistent across the country. Myanmar's political instability and internal conflicts have compounded these public health challenges. The military coup of February 2021 severely disrupted healthcare services, leading to a sharp decline in routine immunizations, maternal health services, and the treatment of chronic diseases. Many trained medical professionals joined civil disobedience movements and ceased working in government facilities, further straining an already fragile health system. Humanitarian organizations have reported worsening health indicators in conflict-affected regions, and ongoing civil conflict continues to displace large portions of the population, limiting their access to even basic care. Prior to 2021, Myanmar had made measurable progress in improving life expectancy over the preceding two decades, largely through targeted public health campaigns, expanded vaccination programs, and international health assistance. However, the post-coup environment has reversed some of these gains and introduced significant uncertainty around future improvement. The deterioration of health infrastructure, combined with reduced international aid access in certain regions, has made it difficult to sustain earlier advances. For travelers and expatriates, it is advisable to ensure comprehensive travel health insurance and to carry necessary medications, as access to reliable medical facilities — particularly outside Yangon and Mandalay — can be limited and unpredictable.

Infant Mortality Rate

Burma's infant mortality rate reflects the ongoing challenges the country faces in delivering adequate healthcare to its population, particularly in rural and conflict-affected regions. As of recent estimates, Burma records approximately 32 to 35 infant deaths per 1,000 live births, a figure that, while representing significant improvement over past decades, remains notably higher than regional neighbors such as Thailand and Malaysia. Infant mortality in Burma is driven by several interconnected factors. Neonatal conditions — including preterm birth complications, birth asphyxia, and neonatal infections — account for a substantial portion of deaths in the first year of life. Diarrheal diseases, acute respiratory infections, and vaccine-preventable illnesses also contribute meaningfully to infant deaths, particularly in areas with limited access to clean water and sanitation. Geographic disparities are pronounced. Infants born in rural areas, remote hill regions, or states experiencing ongoing armed conflict, such as Kachin, Shan, and Rakhine, face considerably higher mortality risks than those born in urban centers like Yangon or Naypyidaw. In these underserved regions, access to skilled birth attendants, postnatal care, and essential medicines is severely restricted. The political instability following the 2021 military coup has compounded these challenges substantially. Healthcare infrastructure has been disrupted, medical professionals have faced intimidation and displacement, and international humanitarian aid has encountered significant barriers to reaching vulnerable populations. UNICEF and other international agencies have raised concerns that years of incremental gains in child survival outcomes may be at risk of reversal. Historically, Burma's infant mortality rate has declined from levels exceeding 80 per 1,000 live births in the early 1990s, a testament to past immunization drives, maternal health initiatives, and improved nutritional programs. However, sustaining and accelerating this progress depends heavily on political stability, restored healthcare funding, and renewed investment in community-level health services — conditions that remain uncertain in the current environment.

Major Infectious Diseases

Very high

Literacy Definition

Age 15 and over can read and write

• Buddhist89.0%
• Christian4.0%
• Muslim4.0%
• other2.0%
• animist1.0%

Burmese

Burma is a nation of many races - some 135 ethnic groups, with their own languages and dialects, make up its population of nearly 45 million. It is impossible to mention more than a few of the races, for Burma is an anthropologist's paradise. The Burmese people call their own language Bamar or Myanmar and it is the main language spoken throughout the country. About 70 percent of the people of Burma speak one or other of the Burma Group of languages while the percentage of those speaking Burmese is estimated at ninety. Despite the diversity and geographic separation, the national groups share with each other a wide variety of social customs and cultures. The Burmese language vocabulary contains a large number of Pali and Sanskrit words. The earliest Burmese writing was the Myazedi Stone Inscription. which is a four-sided stone inscription constructed in 1113 A.D. during the Pagan Period. The inscription is written in Myanmar, Pyu, Mon, and Pali and was discovered in 1887.

• Burmese

Crime Information

Crime rates in Burma, especially toward foreigners, are lower than those of many other countries in the region. Nevertheless, the crime rate has been increasing. Violent crime against foreigners is rare. Don’t buy counterfeit and pirated goods, even if they are widely available. Not only are the bootlegs illegal in the United States, but if you purchase them, you may also be breaking local law.

Criminal Penalties

While you are traveling in Burma, you are subject to its laws, even if you are a U.S. citizen. Foreign laws and legal systems can be vastly different than our own. It is illegal to take pictures of Burmese officials and of certain buildings, such as military installations and government buildings. There are also some things that might be legal in Burma, but still illegal in the United States. You can be prosecuted under U.S. law if you buy pirated goods. Engaging in sexual conduct with children or using or disseminating child pornography in a foreign country is a crime prosecutable in the United States. While in Burma, you should carry your U.S. passport or a photocopy of passport data and visa pages at all times so that if you are questioned by Burmese officials, you will have proof of your U.S. citizenship readily available. It is important to remember, however, that your U.S. passport won’t help you avoid arrest or prosecution for violating local laws. Some foreigners have been denied even minimal rights in criminal proceedings in Burma, especially when suspected of engaging in political activity of any type. This includes, but is not limited to, denial of access to an attorney, denial of access to court records, and denial of family and consular visits. Although the current civilian government has repealed some of the laws that prohibited people from exercising many of the rights that U.S. citizens enjoy in the United States – including the freedoms of assembly and speech – there are still many laws on the books that criminalize things that are not illegal in the United States. For example, Burmese law forbids Burmese citizens from possessing dual nationality. Under the Burmese Motor Vehicle Act of 1964, driving while intoxicated is punishable by either six months in jail, a 500 kyat (equivalent to USD 50 cents) fine, or both. Based on the Vienna Convention on Consular Relations and customary international law, if you are arrested in Burma, you have the option to request that the police, prison officials, or other authorities alert the U.S. Embassy of your arrest, and to have communications from you forwarded to the U.S. Embassy.