A state of severe poverty in a no-win conflict erodes abilities of individuals and institutions to bounce back
Bangkok, 8 October 2026 – Years of conflict, economic disruption, displacement and repeated shocks are eroding the foundations that people across Myanmar rely on to survive, cope and recover, according to a new UNDP report released today. More than two in three people are now either living in multidimensional poverty or vulnerable to falling into it, leaving millions with little capacity to withstand further crises.
The report, Layers of Deprivation: Multidimensional Poverty in Myanmar, finds that overlapping deprivations in health, education and living standards now affect 68 percent of Myanmar’s population, with over 37 million people either living in multidimensional poverty or at risk of falling into it.
Using a multidimensional poverty methodology, the findings suggest that Myanmar is facing more than an income crisis. Many of the buffers that once helped families absorb shocks, such as savings, stable livelihoods, access to services and social support networks, are steadily disappearing.
Deficits in health and living standards account for more than 80 percent of multidimensional poverty, reflecting households’ challenges in accessing healthcare, adequate housing, clean water, sanitation and other essential services, particularly in conflict zones.
“Myanmar may no longer dominate international headlines, but the hardships facing millions of people continue to deepen,” said Kanni Wignaraja, UN Assistant Secretary-General and UNDP Regional Director for Asia and the Pacific. “We are seeing a depth of poverty in Myanmar that is eroding human development itself. This is a no-win war. Everyone is losing. The core muscle of the country is being systematically eroded.”
The report finds that poverty looks different across the country. In some areas, conflict, displacement and restricted access to services are the primary drivers. In others, long-standing gaps in livelihoods, education, infrastructure and public services remain the dominant challenges.
Rakhine stands out as one of the country’s most severe multidimensional poverty hotspots. More than two-thirds of the population are multidimensionally poor and nearly one-third are severely poor. The deprivation among some stateless and displaced populations, including Rohingya communities, may be understated because of limitations associated with phone-based data collection.
The findings also challenge assumptions that poverty is primarily rural. While Yangon records lower regional poverty rates than many conflict-affected states, it contains one of the country’s largest concentrations of multidimensionally poor people, reflecting deepening vulnerabilities among urban and peri-urban households.
The report comes at a time when households are confronting an accumulation of shocks. Climate-related shocks (at risk of floods, cyclones, droughts and landslides) affect around one in five households and are expected to intensify as a consequence of El Nino. At the end of August, an estimated 600,000 people were affected by flooding.
Recent external economic shocks have had a significant impact too. Rising fuel prices linked to the Gulf crisis, inflation and increasing food costs are placing additional strain on communities whose resilience has already been weakened by years of conflict and instability. Diesel and gasoline prices remain approximately at 87% and 85% above pre-crisis levels, and there are significant disparities by region, with prices in places like Chin, Rakhine, Kachin and Ayeyarwaddy two to four times higher than in Yangon.
“This global crisis layered itself on top of a local crisis, that was already on top of extreme climate events,” said Wignaraja. “Families may be able to cope with one lor two emergencies even with the little they have. Few can absorb conflict, displacement, illness, lost income and loss of crops and income occurring together or in close succession. Repeated shocks have exhausted the small buffers that communities rely on.”
Young people, who are coming of age amid conflict, insecurity, deep economic and social stresses, face particular strain. As opportunities shrink and uncertainty grows, many young people lose options on future pathways – on education, jobs, mobility and their futures. At least one million young people may have left Myanmar since 2021, one of the largest losses of human capital in the country’s recent history. At the same time, population is aging. As youth leave, the old are left carrying the care burden, keeping food on the table and ensuring family safety. These communities are now increasingly dependent on community support systems that are under severe strain.
Nearly half of households dependent on casual labour are multidimensionally poor. The analysis also shows that households that rely on casual labour, conflict-affected households, and migrant households face the highest poverty levels in the country.Without greater investment in decent livelihoods, education and essential services, these pressures risk pushing more people to pursue illegal activity or other desperate means
“The greatest risk facing Myanmar is not only the deepening of poverty today, but the narrowing of opportunities tomorrow,” said Wignaraja. “Myanmar remains one of the world’s most consequential crises. In many ways, the world can be losing the recovery of Myanmar. Societal recovery cannot wait for a conflict to end. Investing in livelihoods, education, healthcare, local markets and basic services remains essential to preserving the fundamental human capabilities the country will need to heal and move forward”.
Media contact: rbap.media@undp.org