The Situation of Older Persons in Myanmar – an Overview

In Myanmar, as in most of Southeast Asia, not only are the numbers of persons in older ages rapidly increasing but their share of the total population is growing, resulting in population ageing. Yet little information has been available about older persons in the country due to a lack of empirical studies. To remedy this, HelpAge International sponsored the 2012 Myanmar Ageing Survey (MAS) with funding provided by the UNFPA and Age International. The survey serves as the primary source of data for the present article. The MAS took place in March and April 2012 throughout Myanmar with the exception of Kachin state due to security reasons. It is the first largely nationally representative survey of its kind in Myanmar. A total of 4,080 persons aged 60 and older were interviewed in 150 rural villages and 90 urban wards within 60 townships. Results are weighted to account for the sample design which involved interviewing one respondent per household and a modest oversampling of persons 70 and older. The situation of older persons in Myanmar is of particular interest given that it is the poorest country in Southeast Asia with the lowest per capita GDP (IMF 2013). It also has some of the worst health indicators and a very weak health sector (The Lancet 2013). Mortality is quite high, with life expectancy at birth for 2005-10 estimated by the UN as 64.2, six years below that for Southeast Asia overall (United Nations 2013a). Moreover, for the period 2010-15, life expectancy at age 60 is projected to be 16.6 years, well below that for Asia (19.3) and even below the average for all countries designated as least developed (United Nations 2013b).