Myanmar’s Favorable Demographic Profile for Growth
The large, youthful population should be conducive to strong economic growth, although birth rates are dropping substantially, which could lead to a potentially rapid transition to an ageing population. The total population is estimated at 61 million and is increasing at an annual rate of about 1.3 (CESR, ADB, and Australian Aid 2013b). The average age in 2010 was 27.8 years, and is forecast to rise to 29.8 in 2015 and 31.7 in 2020. The government was conducting a new population census in 2014.
The labor force is about 31 million people, according to the latest World Development Indicators data, although different sources cite numbers up to 32.5 million. The share of the workingage population (15–64) is about 70 of the total, the fifth highest among ASEAN’s 10 member countries. Furthermore, about 40 of the working-age population is between 15 and 29, and women account for almost half of the labor force (Figure 24).