Population, GDP, natural resources, leaders and history of Burma: the Magna Factbook country file, with its Magna grade (MCC, ranked #141 of 195).
Burma — in Southeastern Asia, bordering the Andaman Sea and the Bay of Bengal, between Bangladesh and Thailand. Political status: military regime. The country's capital is Rangoon (aka Yangon, continues to be recognized as the primary Burmese capital by the US Government); Nay Pyi Taw is the administrative capital; it covers 676,578 sq km. Independence: 4 January 1948 (from the UK). Terrain: central lowlands ringed by steep, rugged highlands. Climate: tropical monsoon; cloudy, rainy, hot, humid summers (southwest monsoon, June to September); less cloudy, scant rainfall, mild temperatures, lower humidity during winter (northeast monsoon, December to April). Population: 57.9 million (2025 est…
| Capital | Rangoon (aka Yangon, continues to be recognized as the primary Burmese capital by the US Government); Nay Pyi Taw is the administrative capital |
|---|---|
| Population | 57,931,718 (2025 est.) |
| GDP (PPP) | $287.559 billion (2024 est.) |
| GDP per capita (PPP) | $5,300 (2024 est.) |
| Real GDP growth | -1% (2024 est.) |
| Inflation | 8.8% |
| Unemployment | 3.1% |
| Public debt | 35.7% of GDP (2016 est.) |
| Exports | $20.4 billion (2021 est.) |
| Imports | $23.1 billion (2021 est.) |
| Life expectancy | 70.3 years (2024 est.) |
| Median age | 31.1 |
| Urbanization | 32.1% of total population (2023) |
| Government | military regime |
| Independence | 4 January 1948 (from the UK) |
| Languages | Burmese (official) |
MCC · 42/100 — The Magna grade is our 0–100 composite of structural national power — five dimensions, 100+ indicators. It is the Bureau's own assessment, not a mirror of World Bank or CIA figures.
Momentum 0 — Quarterly momentum: the Bureau's read on the country's trajectory over the last quarter, from −10 (deteriorating fast) to +10 (accelerating).
The quarter's signal was silence: no major domestic development, no external shock, no diplomatic breakthrough.
The country's course remains what it was in June — set by structural realities that no single quarter rewrites.
Oil, Timber, Tin, Antimony, Zinc, Copper, Tungsten, Lead, Coal, Marble, Natural gas, Hydropower.
Min Aung Hlaing — Chairman, State Administration Council. Acting President Sr. Gen. MIN AUNG HLAING (since 31 July 2025)
Burma maintains 46 embassies abroad, hosts 42 foreign diplomatic missions, holds permanent missions to ASEAN Jakarta, UN New York, UN Geneva. The breadth of a diplomatic network is a direct measure of diplomatic power — it shows how far a country’s influence, alliances and interests reach.
| Embassies abroad | 46 |
|---|---|
| Foreign missions hosted | 42 |
| Multilateral missions | ASEAN Jakarta, UN New York, UN Geneva |
Source: Lowy Institute Global Diplomacy Index 2024 (released 2024-02-25), https://globaldiplomacyindex.lowyinstitute.org/; Wikipedia 'List of diplomatic missions of Myanmar', https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/List_of_diplomatic_missions_of_Myanmar; '... in Myanmar', https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/List_of_diplomatic_missions_in_Myanmar
Transport networks are economic power made physical — ports, runways, railways and pipelines decide what a country can move, sell and defend.
| Sea access | Coastal — 1930 km of coastline. |
|---|---|
| Airports (total) | 74 + 6 heliports (registration prefix XY) |
| Major seaports | Bassein, Mergui, Moulmein Harbor, Rangoon, Sittwe |
| Railways | 5031 km |
Mandalay International Airport (MDL) — Mandalay; Nay Pyi Taw International Airport (NYT) — Naypyitaw; Yangon International Airport (RGN) — Yangon; Dawei Airport (TVY) — Dawei; Heho Airport (HEH) — Heho; Kawthoung Airport (KAW) — Kawthoung; Kengtung Airport (KET) — Kengtung; Kyaukpyu Airport (KYP) — Kyaukpyu; Lashio Airport (LSH) — Lashio; Loikaw Airport (LIW) — Loikaw.
Showing 10 of 15 major airports.
Sources: OurAirports public-domain extract (2026-10-02); per-entry Wikipedia links included; CIA World Factbook via cia_factbook snapshot (2026-09-28)
| Political system | military regime |
|---|---|
| Next election | No election currently scheduled. |
MCC · 42 Ranked #141 of 195 countries in the Magna Country Rankings. Full ranking breakdown for Burma.
