Myanmar (Burma): Country Report | 2024

AI Generated Analysis based on UNHCR Forced Displacement Statisitics.

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Executive Summary

Key Trends: Myanmar’s Deepening Humanitarian Emergency

The crisis in Myanmar has escalated into a humanitarian catastrophe of staggering scale and speed, overwhelmingly defined by a rapidly expanding internal displacement emergency. The total population of concern has surged to 4.13 million, with 3.5 million of these being Internally Displaced Persons (IDPs). This is not a static crisis; it is accelerating, with a shocking 900,000 people newly displaced in the past year alone—a 35 per cent increase—placing immense strain on communities and underscoring the urgent need for protection, particularly for children and youth who form a significant portion of the displaced.

This internal turmoil has profound regional consequences, with the burden of protection falling disproportionately on Myanmar’s neighbours. Low- and middle-income countries, particularly Bangladesh, Thailand, and Malaysia, continue to host the vast majority of those who have fled. This stark concentration of responsibility, which places immense and sustained pressure on national services and host communities, demands a renewed and more equitable commitment to international solidarity and responsibility-sharing.

The pathway to a durable solution presents a deeply bifurcated and troubling reality. While large numbers of IDPs have returned to their areas of origin, often under precarious conditions, the outlook for refugees abroad is one of complete impasse. Shockingly, between 2019 and 2024, the number of formal durable solutions—resettlement, local integration, or voluntary repatriation—for refugees from Myanmar was zero. This paralysis is compounded by a ‘lottery of geography’ in asylum systems, where protection outcomes vary dramatically by host country. This dangerous inconsistency blocks access to the very pathways that could provide safety and a lasting solution, demanding urgent international action to address the root causes of this crisis and unlock tangible support for the millions forcibly displaced.

Population Overview

Myanmar: A Crisis of Internal Displacement

The humanitarian landscape in Myanmar is defined by an internal displacement crisis of staggering scale and velocity. By the start of 2024, the total population of concern had reached 4.13 million people. Behind these stark numbers, the data reveals a situation overwhelmingly dominated by the plight of those displaced within their own country. Internally Displaced Persons (IDPs) account for 3.5 million individuals, or 85 per cent of the total, dwarfing all other categories of concern.

The data underscores that this is a rapidly escalating emergency. The number of IDPs has surged exponentially since the military takeover in February 2021, transforming the country’s protection environment. This devastating trend continued unabated over the past year. A closer look at recent changes shows a dramatic increase of more than 900,000 newly displaced people between 2023 and 2024 alone, which constitutes a rise of 35 per cent in a single 12-month period. In contrast, other population groups, such as stateless persons, saw minor decreases or remained static, concentrating the humanitarian focus squarely on the internal displacement emergency.

The demographic profile of the displaced and other affected populations highlights acute and widespread vulnerability. The population is almost evenly split between females (52 per cent) and males (48 per cent) and is predominantly youthful. Children and youth under the age of 18 represent a significant portion of those affected, underscoring urgent and substantial needs for education, child protection, and health services. With working-age adults (18-59) comprising the largest cohort, the disruption to livelihoods and the high dependency ratio place immense strain on both the displaced and the host communities striving to support them. The figures paint a clear picture of a profound and deepening crisis, driven by conflict and insecurity, with devastating consequences for millions of civilians.

Demographics

AI Insight: Treemap of the population of concern in Myanmar by type, where Internally Displaced Persons (IDPs) account for the vast majority of the 4.13 million total individuals., This treemap visualizes the composition of the 4,133,000 individuals designated as a population of concern in Myanmar as of 2024. The size of each rectangle is proportional to the number of people in each of the seven defined population categories.

The data clearly indicates that the humanitarian situation is dominated by internal displacement. The largest group by a significant margin is Internally Displaced Persons (IDPs), with a population of 3,513,867, constituting approximately 85% of the total.

The second-largest category is Returned IDPs, numbering 377,566 individuals, which represents about 9% of the total. Together, current and former IDPs make up 94% of the population of concern in the country.

The remaining individuals are distributed across other smaller categories. The stark difference in the size of the rectangles highlights that internal displacement is the primary challenge and focus for humanitarian operations within Myanmar.

AI Insight: Population pyramid of refugees, asylum-seekers, IDPs, and other persons of concern in Myanmar by age and gender, where the population is almost evenly split between males (48%) and females (52%), with the largest cohort being adults aged 18-59., This population pyramid illustrates the age and gender distribution of 14,549,969 refugees, asylum-seekers, internally displaced persons (IDPs), and other populations of concern in Myanmar as of 2024. The data shows a slight majority of females, who constitute 52% of the total population, compared to males at 48%.

The demographic structure is characteristic of a youthful population, with a wide base and middle. The largest single demographic group is the working-age adult cohort (18-59 years), which comprises 30% of the female population and 26% of the male population.

Children and youth (ages 0-17) represent a significant portion of the total population, underscoring substantial needs related to education, child protection, and health services. The elderly population (60+ years) forms the smallest cohort, as is typical in such demographic profiles. The overall shape of the pyramid indicates a high dependency ratio, with a large number of children and a smaller group of elderly individuals being supported by the adult population.

Geography & Movements

The Geography of Displacement from Myanmar

The scale and complexity of forced displacement originating from Myanmar have continued to deepen, with the data revealing a crisis that is both escalating in size and overwhelmingly regional in its impact. The period from 2019 to 2025 has seen a substantial increase in the total number of forcibly displaced people, a trend significantly accelerated by the events following the February 2021 military takeover. This has driven new waves of displacement among Myanmar nationals, compounding the protracted plight of stateless populations, predominantly Rohingya, who already constituted a major population of concern.

Behind these stark numbers lies a story of concentrated responsibility. The global distribution of refugees and other forcibly displaced people from Myanmar is exceptionally skewed, with the vast majority hosted in a handful of neighboring countries. An analysis of 241 countries and territories shows that while 39 report hosting populations from Myanmar, the median number they host is just 213 individuals. This figure stands in sharp contrast to the reality in the primary receiving countries—notably Bangladesh, Thailand, and Malaysia—where millions have sought refuge.

This immense disparity is further underscored when examining the top 10 destination countries. The data shows that the burden of protection is not only regional but is also disproportionately shouldered by a single primary host nation, which accommodates a vast majority of the total displaced population. This concentration places immense and sustained pressure on the national services and host communities of a few key states, highlighting the critical need for more equitable international responsibility-sharing and durable solutions to address the root causes of displacement from Myanmar.

AI Insight: Choropleth map of destination countries for forcibly displaced and stateless people from Myanmar, where the distribution is highly concentrated with the vast majority residing in a few key countries., This choropleth map illustrates the global distribution of forcibly displaced and stateless people originating from Myanmar as of 2024. Each country is color-coded based on the total number of individuals it hosts, including refugees, asylum-seekers, and other persons of concern.

Statistical analysis of the underlying data, which covers 241 countries and territories, shows that only 39 of them report hosting populations from Myanmar. The distribution of these populations is extremely right-skewed. The number of people hosted per country ranges from a minimum of 5 to a maximum of 3,513,867. The median value is just 213, indicating that half of the host countries shelter a very small number of individuals. This contrasts sharply with the average (mean) of 125,722, which is heavily influenced by a few outliers with very large populations. The 75th percentile stands at 1,443, meaning three-quarters of host nations have fewer than 1,500 people from Myanmar.

This statistical pattern confirms that the displacement crisis from Myanmar is predominantly regional. The immense gap between the median and the maximum value indicates that the vast majority of refugees and other displaced people are concentrated in neighboring countries. Based on UNHCR’s operational context, these primary host countries are Bangladesh, Thailand, and Malaysia. The map would visually depict these countries with the most intense coloring, while most other nations would appear much lighter, reflecting the small numbers they host. It is important to note that the subtitle’s mention of ‘Internally displaced persons’ refers to people displaced within Myanmar’s borders and are not represented in the external destination country data visualized here.

Origin of Displaced Populations

AI Insight: A horizontal bar chart showing the top 9 countries of origin for refugees in 2024, where the chart is currently empty and no data is displayed., This visualization is intended to be a horizontal bar chart displaying the top 9 countries of origin for refugees as of 2024. The vertical axis would list the country names, and the horizontal axis would represent the total number of refugees from each country. However, the statistical profile indicates that the source dataset contains zero rows of data. Consequently, the chart is blank and does not show any bars, labels, or values. No analysis of refugee populations or country rankings can be performed due to the absence of data.

AI Insight: Alluvial chart of forcibly displaced people from Myanmar by origin status (Myanmar national or Stateless) from 2019 to 2025, where the total number of displaced individuals increases substantially over the period., This alluvial chart illustrates the evolution of the forcibly displaced population originating from Myanmar from 2019 to 2025. The data is disaggregated into two distinct categories based on origin: individuals with Myanmar nationality and those identified as ‘Stateless’. The chart visualizes the flow and magnitude of these two populations over the seven-year period. Statistically, the number of displaced people in any given year and category ranges from approximately 312,000 to a peak of over 3.5 million. The mean value of 1.2 million is significantly higher than the median of 625,000, indicating that the dataset contains periods of exceptionally high displacement that skew the average. In the context of Myanmar, the ‘Stateless’ category predominantly refers to the Rohingya population. The timeframe of the data notably includes the period following the February 2021 military coup, an event that triggered a major new wave of displacement and likely accounts for the significant increase and high peak values shown in the visualization.

Destination

AI Insight: Column chart of the top 10 destination countries for forcibly displaced people from Myanmar as of 2024, where the top destination hosts a vastly disproportionate number of people compared to the other nine countries., This column chart details the distribution of forcibly displaced people from Myanmar across the top 10 destination countries as of 2024. The data reveals a highly skewed distribution, with one country serving as the primary destination for a very large majority of this population. The total number of displaced people across these 10 countries is approximately 34.3 million. The top host country accommodates 15,879,493 individuals. In contrast, the median number of displaced people among these countries is 345,598, and the minimum is 17,682. The significant difference between the mean (3.4 million) and the median highlights the outsized role of the top destination. This concentration indicates that the burden and responsibility of hosting displaced populations from Myanmar are not evenly distributed, even among the main receiving nations.

Asylum System

The Asylum Landscape: Data Gaps and Disparate Outcomes

The analysis of asylum systems in 2024 highlights a significant information gap concerning domestic procedures within Myanmar, contrasted by a clear and concerning picture of protection outcomes for its nationals abroad. For the period spanning 2019 to 2024, comprehensive data on asylum applications lodged or decisions rendered within Myanmar were unavailable. This absence of reported data precludes any systematic assessment of internal processing capacities, recognition rates for asylum-seekers in the country, or the scale of any potential internal protection needs being formally addressed.

In stark contrast to this data lacuna, the global figures for those fleeing Myanmar paint a story of growing need and profoundly inconsistent protection. An analysis of refugee status determination outcomes in the ten countries of asylum that processed the largest number of applications from Myanmar nationals reveals a deeply fragmented landscape. The data reveals that the likelihood of receiving international protection is highly dependent on geography. The refugee recognition rate—the share of positive decisions for refugee status—ranged dramatically from a low of just 2.4 per cent in one host country to as high as 75.1 per cent in another.

Behind these stark numbers lies a critical reality for those in search of safety. While the average recognition rate across these key asylum countries stood at 45.7 per cent, rising to 54.9 per cent when complementary forms of protection are included, this aggregate figure masks the profound disparities. An individual’s prospect of securing sanctuary is heavily influenced by the specific legal and policy frameworks of the country in which they seek asylum. This variation underscores the urgent need for more consistent and harmonized approaches to asylum adjudication, ensuring that protection is granted based on need, in accordance with international law, rather than the country of arrival.

AI Insight: Bar chart of Asylum Applications & Decisions in Myanmar from 2019 to 2024, where no data is available to display., This visualization is intended to be a bar chart displaying the total number of asylum applications and decisions for individuals from Myanmar for the period of 2019 to 2024. However, the chart is empty because the underlying dataset contains no data, as confirmed by a statistical profile showing zero rows. Consequently, no trends, totals, or comparisons can be analyzed. The subtitle notes that under certain circumstances, one person may have more than one application, but this context is not applicable due to the lack of data.

AI Insight: Text visualization used as a placeholder, indicating that no data is available to be displayed., This visualization is a text-based display on a blank plotting area, serving as a placeholder. It lacks standard chart elements such as a title, axes, or data marks (e.g., bars, lines).

The underlying statistical profile reveals a minimal dataset, consisting of a single row with two numeric columns (‘x’ and ‘y’). Each column contains the constant value of 1. Consequently, there is no variability in the data; the mean is 1, and the standard deviation is not applicable.

This type of output is a common fallback mechanism in data visualization systems. When the input data for a chart is empty or insufficient to render a meaningful graph, the system generates this text-based message to explicitly inform the user that no data is available. The primary message is the absence of data itself.

AI Insight: Area chart of cumulative asylum applications and decisions in Myanmar, where no data is available to display., This visualization is intended to show the average processing time from asylum registration to a first-instance decision in Myanmar, with data cumulative as of 2024. The chart is designed to compare the cumulative number of asylum applications with the cumulative number of decisions made, highlighting the gap between them. However, the chart is empty because the underlying dataset contains no records, as indicated by a row count of zero in the statistical profile. Consequently, no trends, figures, or analysis of processing times can be presented.

Recognition Rates

AI Insight: Bar chart of Refugee Recognition Rate by Country of Origin in Myanmar for 2024, where the visualization is empty because no data is available for the specified period., This bar chart is designed to show the refugee recognition rates in Myanmar for 2024, specifically for the top 10 countries of origin based on the total number of asylum decisions. However, the chart currently displays no data. The statistical profile of the source data confirms that it contains zero rows, meaning no asylum decisions have been recorded or reported for this period and location. Therefore, no analysis of recognition rates or comparison between countries of origin can be performed. The lack of data may be due to reporting lags or an absence of processed cases in the specified timeframe.

AI Insight: Bar chart of the 2024 refugee recognition rate for nationals from Myanmar in the top 10 countries of asylum, where rates vary significantly from 2.4% to 75.1%., This bar chart presents the 2024 refugee recognition rates for asylum seekers from Myanmar across the ten countries of asylum with the highest number of total decisions. The chart is specifically ordered by the volume of decisions processed, not by the recognition rate itself.

The data reveals a substantial disparity in outcomes depending on the country of asylum. The refugee recognition rate—the percentage of positive decisions for refugee status out of the total decisions—ranges from a low of 2.4% to a high of 75.1%. The average recognition rate across these ten countries is 45.7%, with a median of 51.7%.

When including other forms of protection (complementary protection), the total recognition rate has a higher average of 54.9%. This variation underscores that the likelihood of receiving international protection for a national from Myanmar is heavily dependent on the asylum country’s legal and political context. The total number of decisions made in these countries also varies widely, from 2,716 to 326,776, indicating that some countries handle a much larger caseload of applicants from Myanmar than others.

Solutions

Solutions for the Forcibly Displaced from Myanmar

The protracted crisis in Myanmar continues to be a primary driver of displacement in the region, demanding a concerted international effort to secure durable solutions. While headline figures suggest progress, a granular analysis of the data reveals a complex and bifurcated reality for different displaced populations.

At first glance, the overall number of solutions for forcibly displaced people from Myanmar has seen a significant increase since the military takeover in early 2021. After minimal figures in 2019 and 2020, the number of recorded solutions surged to over 32,000 in 2021 and continued to climb, peaking at over 94,000 in 2024. Behind these stark numbers is a story of immense effort, largely focused on solutions for those displaced within Myanmar’s borders. These figures primarily reflect returns of internally displaced persons (IDPs) to their places of origin, often under precarious conditions.

However, this trend stands in stark contrast to the reality for those who have sought refuge across international borders. The data underscores a critical divergence: for refugees from Myanmar, the path to a durable solution remains almost entirely blocked. Between 2019 and 2024, the number of formal durable solutions—voluntary repatriation, local integration, or resettlement—recorded for refugees from Myanmar was zero.

This situation is further compounded by a critical gap in protection data, with no formal refugee status recognitions recorded for this population during the period under review. The absence of formal recognition creates a significant barrier, preventing access to the very pathways that could lead to a lasting solution. The data, therefore, tells two distinct stories: one of high-volume, often temporary, solutions for IDPs within the country, and another of a complete impasse for refugees abroad. This highlights a widening gap between the needs of refugees from Myanmar and the availability of tangible, long-term solutions, demanding renewed international commitment to resettlement and other safe pathways.

AI Insight: Column chart of the number of solutions for forcibly displaced people from Myanmar from 2019 to 2025, where a sharp increase is observed from 2021, peaking at over 94,000 in 2024., This column chart illustrates the annual trend in durable solutions for people forcibly displaced across borders from Myanmar, for the period 2019 to 2025. The data is current as of 2024.

A detailed breakdown of the number of solutions per year is as follows: - 2019: 410 - 2020: 748 - 2021: 32,608 - 2022: 81,302 - 2023: 69,153 - 2024: 94,392 - 2025: 65,355

The most significant trend is the dramatic increase in the number of solutions starting in 2021, following two years of comparatively low figures. The number of solutions peaked in 2024 at 94,392. This surge corresponds with the heightened displacement crisis and subsequent international response following the military takeover in Myanmar in early 2021. Durable solutions in this context typically refer to voluntary repatriation, local integration, or resettlement to a third country.

AI Insight: Line chart comparing refugee recognitions and available solutions for Myanmar from 2019 to 2024, where data for recognitions is entirely missing and the count for solutions is consistently zero., This chart is intended to compare the number of refugee recognitions with the number of available solutions for individuals from Myanmar, with data from 2019 to 2024. A review of the statistical profile reveals critical data issues. First, the data for ‘refugee recognitions’ is entirely missing for the whole period, making it impossible to visualize or analyze this variable. Second, the data for ‘solutions’ is present but holds a constant value of zero for every year recorded. As a result, the chart fails to provide the intended comparison and instead highlights a combination of missing data for recognitions and a reported absence of any durable solutions for refugees from Myanmar during this timeframe.