Census results identify big gaps

In a stark contrast, 30.3 per cent of the population has none of the items.
In Myanmar, one of the least-developed countries in the world, motorcycles and mopeds are the main transportation equipment of many people, 38.7 per cent of the population. Trailing behind are carts, 21.6 per cent. Only 3.1 per cent owns cars, trucks and vans.
Among 51.5 million population, 38,646 or 0.1 per cent hold foreign passports. A number of 11.2 million do not have any type of identity cards.
These are some of the results of the national census conducted in 412 townships in 15 states/regions from March 29 to April 10 in the country, the first time in 30 years. The census was supported by the United Nations Population Fund.
Vijay Nambiar, the UN Special Adviser for Myanmar, hailed the census as a "monumental achievement" that will benefit both the country's development and its democratic process, despite challenges that need to be addressed.
A statement delivered on behalf of Dr Babatunde Osotimehin, Executive Director of UNFPA, the United Nations Population Fund, said the results could help the Government and civil society "address disparities and inequalities across and within Myanmar society".
President Thein Sein opened the launch event in the capital city on Friday. Over 1,000 guests attended, including chief ministers from all of the country's 15 states and regions, ethnic and religious leaders, international donors, and representatives of UN agencies, international NGOs, civil society organisations and the private sector.
The number does not include over 1.09 million people in Rakhine State who self-identify as Rohingya. However, it does include 1.2 million people estimated to live in unincorporated areas in Rakhine, Kachin and Kayin states.
The census results show that Yangon Region has the largest population (7.36 million), followed by Ayeyawady (6.18 million), Mandalay (6.16 million), Shan (5.82 million), and Sagaing (5.32 million). These five States and Regions account for almost 60 per cent of the total population of the country.
The least populated States and Regions are Kayah (286,000), Chin (478,000) Nay Pyi Taw (1.16 million), Tanintharyi (1.40 million) and Kayin (1.57 million). These States and Regions only account for 9.5 per cent of the country’s population.
Comparing the proportion of the population by State and Region, Yangon Region now ranks as number one, surpassing both Ayeyawady and Mandalay Regions, which had a higher population than Yangon Region in the 1983 and 1973 censuses.

Highlights from the census report include:
- Population growth, currently at 0.89 per cent per year, is lower than half the 1970s rate and is slowing.
- There are only 93 males for every 100 females, reflecting significantly lower male life expectancy and higher migration by men.
- Half the population is under age 27, but the proportion of children has begun to fall.
- The average number of children per woman has declined to 2.3 from 4.7 in 1983.
- Life expectancy at birth, 66.8 years, has improved but is still one of the lowest in Southeast Asia. Life expectancy is six years longer for females than males.
- Infant and under-5 mortality rates are high nationwide (62 and 72 per 100,000 live births, respectively), and nearly twice as high in some states as in others.
- Almost 90 per cent of adults are literate, but in Shan state only 63 per cent are.
- 85 per cent of adult males and 50 per cent of females are in the workforce; unemployment is 4 per cent, and nearly twice as high for people aged 15-29.
- Only a third of households have electric lights, and a third have mobile phones, but half have televisions.
- Over 70 per cent of homes have improved water and sanitation, but far fewer do in some states.
Additional results that require more time for analysis and consultation, including data on ethnicity, religion, occupation and maternal mortality, are scheduled for release next year.
 The census results reported in today's launch show both progress since the last census in 1983 and ongoing challenges, including regional disparities and social indicators that lag behind Myanmar's neighbours.