Two in Three People in Myanmar Face Poverty or Risk of Falling into Poverty

A new UNDP report, 'Layers of Deprivation: Multidimensional Poverty in Myanmar,' finds that more than two in three people in Myanmar are either living in multidimensional poverty or vulnerable to falling into it. The report highlights the country's severe poverty, driven by conflict, economic disruption, displacement, and repeated shocks. Deficits in health and living standards account for over 80% of multidimensional poverty, with households struggling to access healthcare, adequate housing, clean water, sanitation, and other essential services. The report also notes that poverty looks different across the country, with conflict, displacement, and restricted access to services being primary drivers in some areas, and long-standing gaps in livelihoods, education, infrastructure, and public services remaining dominant challenges in others. Rakhine stands out as one of the country's most severe multidimensional poverty hotspots, with over two-thirds of the population multidimensionally poor and nearly one-third severely poor.