A majority of households in Burma are constructed from bamboo; only two percent have flush toilets; a little over 16 percent have electricity; and only one in ten have running water. Just a third of Burmese have a telephone, while six percent have internet access in their homes. Millions more people drive a bullock cart than a car.
Released on Friday by the Ministry of Immigration and Population, Burma’s first census in over 30 years serves as a timely reminder of how undeveloped the country really is – and how much potential exists for growth.
Conducted nationwide from door to door between 29 March and 10 April 2014, and backed by the UN Population Fund (UNFPA), the results of the census were unveiled at a ceremony in Naypyidaw on Friday.
“It is my hope that the main census results will be interpreted correctly and will effectively inform the planning and decision-making processes in our quest for national development,” said Minister for Immigration and Population Khin Yi.
According to the data, Burma’s official population stands at 51,486,253, with women accounting for 51.78 percent. Seventy percent count themselves as rural; only 30 percent list themselves as urban dwellers.
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