Preliminary census results released by the Ministry of Immigration and Population (MIP) and the United Nations Population Fund (UNFPC) show that Burma has a total population of 51.41 million—24.8 million of which are men and 26.5 million of which are women.
The census results, which were released last Saturday, also indicated that the most populous places in Burma are Rangoon Division (7.55 million people); Irrawaddy Division (6.175 million people); and Mandalay Division (6.145 million people).
The census results further concluded that Karenni State is the least populous region in the country.
In regards to population density, the census revealed that Burma has 76 people per square kilometer. The most densely populated region is Rangoon, while Kachin and Chin States are the most sparsely populated regions.
In addition, it was found that the average household has 4.4 people, and the regions with the most household members are found Kachin and Chin States, while the regions with the least number of household members are Naypyidaw City and Magway, Pegu, and Irrawaddy Divisions.
The preliminary census results stated that Burma’s total population is 51.41 million, but this figure doesn’t include Burmese citizens living abroad (except for individuals working at Burmese embassies and consulates abroad). Census workers were also unable to collect data from some citizens in parts of Maungdaw, Mrauk U, and Arakan State’s Sittwe District.
At a press conference in Rangoon on August 30th the Minister of Immigration, U Khin Yi, stated that information collected from the census questionnaires and the 41 key statistics derived from the census data will be revealed in May 2015.
According to the United Nations, every country must conduct a census once a decade in order to measure the country’s development and population growth rate. According to the UNFPA, 200 countries have conducted a population census since 2005.
