The COVID 19 pandemic is having significant and, probably, lasting consequences on the Myanmar economy. The effects of the pandemic have resonated well beyond the healthcare sector and are affecting the livelihoods of millions of people in Myanmar. Growth is predicted to be sluggish in 2019/2020 (1.5%) and nearly 500,000 non-farm jobs could be lost (mostly among women and young people). Remittances will fall and with 329,052 Myanmar nationals returning home from other countries, as of August 2020, it’s likely that poverty will increase.

Data from this survey will help the government develop policies to ease the impact on laborers, workers and households. The Central Statistical Organization (CSO) and United Nations Development Programme (UNDP) have conducted the HVS, a nationally representative survey of 2,016 households. The sample is households who already participated in the Myanmar Living Conditions Survey (MLCS) 2017. The technical assistance was provided by UNDP.