Myanmar’s Crisis Deepens: Millions Face Overlapping Shocks and Poverty
Myanmar's crisis worsens as 68% face multidimensional poverty. UNDP report highlights collapsing systems and rising vulnerabilities.
POLICY WIRE — Yangon, Myanmar — A new UNDP report reveals that over two-thirds of Myanmar’s population now experience or are at risk of multidimensional poverty, driven by conflict, economic instability, climate disasters, and a devastating earthquake in March 2025.
The report, titled ‘Layers of Deprivation: Multidimensional Poverty in Myanmar,’ underscores the collapse of essential services such as shelter, healthcare, education, and livelihoods, impacting millions. Kanni Wignaraja, UNDP Regional Director for Asia and the Pacific, warned that the country is witnessing a deepening crisis that erodes human development and leaves no one unscathed.
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More than 37 million people, or 68% of the population, are affected by overlapping challenges, with health and living standards accounting for over 80% of the deprivation. Rakhine State remains one of the most severe poverty hotspots, while urban areas like Yangon also show high concentrations of multidimensionally poor households. Climate shocks, rising costs, and limited opportunities for youth further compound the crisis, with nearly half of casual labor-dependent families trapped in extreme poverty.
Reporting by Policy-Wire (PW)
