Local time--:--:--Naypyidaw ·

Asia / South-Eastern Asia · Card 029

Myanmar

Myanmar is a country in South-Eastern Asia. Its capital is Naypyidaw.

Find Myanmar

● Capital · Gold highlights this card’s area.
Map: Natural Earth. Boundaries show geographic context, not a position on sovereignty. Small islands may use enlarged markers.

At a glance

Capital: Naypyidaw
Languages: Burmese
Currency: Burmese kyat (MMK)
Population: 54.9 million2025 · World Bank
Area: 676,578 km²261,228 square miles
Independence: 1948from the UK

Myanmar in context

Asia and its surrounding regions. The dot marks Naypyidaw; the mapped territory is highlighted in gold.

Natural Earth · locator map

Geography & languages

Physical geography

Central lowlands ringed by steep, rugged highlands.

Languages

Languages used in public life include Burmese.

Location

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

Flag

Three equal horizontal stripes of yellow (top), green, and red; centered on the green band is a five-pointed white star that overlaps onto the yellow and red stripes

Sources: CIA World Factbook · archived profile · AP · new presidency, April 2026

History & independence

Myanmar, then known as Burma, became independent from Britain in 1948. A military coup in 1962 began decades of military rule. Limited political opening was followed by another coup in 2021, widespread resistance and armed conflict.

1948
Independence from Britain
1962
Military coup
2021
Coup ends the elected government

Sources: CIA World Factbook · archived profile · AP · new presidency, April 2026

Economy

Main activities

Agriculture, natural gas, mining, garments and trade are important activities. Conflict, displacement and infrastructure disruption have seriously affected production and household livelihoods.

Industry and production

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

Sources: CIA World Factbook · archived profile · AP · new presidency, April 2026

Population & economic trends

Dated World Bank observations. Population uses selected years; real GDP uses all available annual observations.

Population, 1970–2025

Millions of people

54.92025 · millions of people

Population estimates may be revised. Selected years are shown.

Sources: World Bank · Population

View data table

Population: source values and plotted units
Year	People	Millions of people
1970	27,193,016	27.193
1980	33,227,204	33.227
1990	39,817,251	39.817
2000	45,290,841	45.291
2010	49,024,382	49.024
2020	53,016,522	53.017
2025	54,850,648	54.851

Real GDP, 1990–2025

Billions of constant 2015 US dollars

61.92025 · billions of constant 2015 US dollars

Constant prices adjust for inflation. This is total economic output, not current-dollar GDP or income per person. Missing years are left as gaps.

Sources: World Bank · Real GDP

View data table

Real GDP: source values and plotted units
Year	Constant 2015 US$	Billions of constant 2015 US dollars
1990	6,778,227,479	6.778
1991	6,734,127,185	6.734
1992	7,384,707,337	7.385
1993	7,830,700,107	7.831
1994	8,416,276,600	8.416
1995	9,001,043,827	9.001
1996	9,580,955,459	9.581
1997	10,122,431,106	10.122
1998	10,716,234,491	10.716
1999	11,889,140,285	11.889
2000	13,523,413,252	13.523
2001	15,057,508,855	15.058
2002	16,868,251,605	16.868
2003	19,203,491,833	19.203
2004	21,808,380,519	21.808
2005	24,767,548,772	24.768
2006	28,006,178,558	28.006
2007	31,364,521,323	31.365
2008	34,581,048,770	34.581
2009	38,229,352,561	38.229
2010	41,912,536,386	41.913
2011	44,256,068,473	44.256
2012	47,501,220,127	47.501
2013	51,503,673,421	51.504
2014	55,711,475,876	55.711
2015	59,607,290,408	59.607
2016	63,101,751,663	63.102
2017	66,973,743,449	66.974
2018	71,172,235,146	71.172
2019	75,854,734,834	75.855
2020	68,991,135,074	68.991
2021	60,700,903,303	60.701
2022	63,151,698,289	63.152
2023	63,756,973,610	63.757
2024	63,137,226,235	63.137
2025	61,867,003,259	61.867

Human development

The Human Development Index combines health, education and income. Scores range from 0 to 1.

HDI · 20230.609Medium human developmentRank 150 of 193 · 2025 report

Human Development Index over time

19900.347

20000.415

20100.515

20200.609

20230.609

66.9 yearsLife expectancy at birth

6.4 yearsMean schooling, adults aged 25+

The latest values refer to 2023. All historical scores use the same report edition. HDI does not describe every aspect of inequality or quality of life.

Sources: UNDP · Human Development Report 2025

Government

A military-dominated presidential system operates under the 2008 constitutional framework. A new president and cabinet took office in April 2026 after restricted elections. Major opposition groups were excluded, armed conflict continues, and the authorities do not control all territory.

Sources: CIA World Factbook · archived profile · AP · new presidency, April 2026

Knowledge check

Three questions about Myanmar.

QUESTION 1 OF 3

Which description fits Myanmar’s physical geography?

Sources & notes

Sources: CIA World Factbook · archived profile · AP · new presidency, April 2026

Prepared 24 September 2026. World Bank series: SP.POP.TOTL (persons) and NY.GDP.MKTP.KD (constant 2015 US dollars); downloaded 24 September 2026, provider update 13 July 2026. UNDP values use the 2025 report and 2023 observation year. These are dated statistical snapshots, not live population or economic counters.

Maps use Natural Earth geographic data. Background geography, flag descriptions and selected historical facts use archived public-domain CIA World Factbook profiles, supplemented by the sources linked above. The Factbook is no longer updated; dated statistics here come from the separately named providers.