Government and power in Myanmar
Who leads Myanmar, how the World Bank's governance indicators score it, how many women sit in parliament and government, what the state spends and taxes, and the official bodies that hold power to account. System of government: Unitary state under military-led government (formally a parliamentary republic under the 2008 Constitution).
Who leads Myanmar?
- Head of state: Win Myint (President of the Republic of the Union of Myanmar)
- Head of government: No Prime Minister
- Foreign minister: Aung San Suu Kyi (Union Minister for Foreign Affairs of the Republic of the Union of Myanmar)
Source: Heads of State, Heads of Government, Ministers for Foreign Affairs: Public List (United Nations Protocol and Liaison Service), list dated 15 October 2026. All world leaders.
Governance scores
The World Bank's Worldwide Governance Indicators combine surveys of households and firms with assessments by public, private and non-governmental bodies. Each score runs from 0 to 100; higher means the sources rate governance better. They measure perceptions, and each has a margin of error.
- Voice and accountability
- Measures how far citizens can choose their government, and freedom of expression, association and the media.
- Political stability and absence of violence
- Measures the likelihood of political instability or politically motivated violence, including terrorism.
- Government effectiveness
- Measures the quality of public services and the civil service, and how independent they are from political pressure.
- Regulatory quality
- Measures the government's ability to make and carry out policies that let the private sector develop.
- Rule of law
- Measures confidence in and respect for the rules of society, including contract enforcement, property rights, the police and the courts.
- Control of corruption
- Measures how far public power is used for private gain, including petty and grand corruption and "capture" of the state by elites.
How does Myanmar score on voice and accountability?
Voice and accountability: 19.4 out of 100 in 2025, 190th highest of 193 UN member states with a score (regional median 65.7). Ten years earlier, in 2015, it was 36.8.
Source: World Bank · saved copyHow does Myanmar score on political stability?
Political stability and absence of violence: 28.5 out of 100 in 2025, 188th highest of 193 UN member states with a score (regional median 81.7). Ten years earlier, in 2015, it was 45.7.
Source: World Bank · saved copyHow does Myanmar score on government effectiveness?
Government effectiveness: 19.2 out of 100 in 2025, 186th highest of 193 UN member states with a score (regional median 54.5). Ten years earlier, in 2015, it was 29.2.
Source: World Bank · saved copyHow does Myanmar score on regulatory quality?
Regulatory quality: 30.4 out of 100 in 2025, 180th highest of 193 UN member states with a score (regional median 53.6). Ten years earlier, in 2015, it was 35.9.
Source: World Bank · saved copyHow does Myanmar score on the rule of law?
Rule of law: 29.5 out of 100 in 2025, 185th highest of 193 UN member states with a score (regional median 65.5). Ten years earlier, in 2015, it was 39.
Source: World Bank · saved copyHow does Myanmar score on control of corruption?
Control of corruption: 21.7 out of 100 in 2025, 173rd highest of 193 UN member states with a score (regional median 54). Ten years earlier, in 2015, it was 28.8.
Source: World Bank · saved copyHow many women are in Myanmar's parliament?
Women held 15.3% of seats in the national parliament (single or lower chamber) in 2021, 140th highest of 189 countries with data. Source: Inter-Parliamentary Union, via the World Bank.
Source: World Bank · saved copyHow many of Myanmar's ministers are women?
Women held 3.8% of ministerial posts in 2019, 178th highest of 190.
Source: World Bank · saved copyHow much does the government of Myanmar spend?
Central government spending (expense) was 13.8% of GDP in 2019.
Source: World Bank · saved copyHow much tax does the government of Myanmar collect?
Central government tax revenue was 6.0% of GDP in 2019, 133rd highest of 137.
Source: World Bank · saved copyHow much does Myanmar spend on the military?
Military spending was 6.6% of GDP in 2024, 5th highest of 151 (Stockholm International Peace Research Institute, via the World Bank).
Source: World Bank · saved copyHow big are the armed forces of Myanmar?
Armed forces personnel numbered 463,000 in 2020.
Source: World Bank · saved copyHow good are Myanmar's official statistics?
The World Bank's Statistical Performance Indicator, which scores how well a country's official statistics system works, was 64.5 out of 100 in 2024, 112th highest of 187.
Source: World Bank · saved copyHow many births are registered in Myanmar?
81.3% of births of children under 5 were registered with a civil authority (2016).
Source: World Bank · saved copyHow many people in Myanmar use the internet?
45.4% of people used the internet in 2020.
Source: World Bank · saved copyOfficial bodies that hold power in Myanmar
Parliament
- Pyidaungsu Hluttaw (Union Parliament)Laws enacted, session records and members of the Union Parliament and its two houses.
Courts
- Supreme Court of the UnionCourt notifications, rulings and information on the judiciary.
Government below the national level
- Regions (7) and states (7), plus Nay Pyi Taw Union Territory: Assemblies (hluttaw) 75% elected, 25% military appointees; chief minister appointed by the President
- Self-administered zones (5) and one self-administered division: Leading bodies made up of local assembly members and military representatives
- Districts (about 74) and townships (330): Civil servants of the General Administration Department and other Union ministries
- Wards (urban) and village tracts (rural): Administrator chosen by heads of ten-household groups under the 2012 law (before the coup); since 2021 many replaced or appointed by the military authorities
How local power works in Myanmar
Places in Myanmar
Sources
- World Bank: Worldwide Governance Indicators: Voice and accountability (governance score 0-100), read 23 October 2026 · saved copy (SHA-256 70f2804fd1e2…)
- World Bank: Worldwide Governance Indicators: Political stability and absence of violence (governance score 0-100), read 23 October 2026 · saved copy (SHA-256 1317de0c85e1…)
- World Bank: Worldwide Governance Indicators: Government effectiveness (governance score 0-100), read 23 October 2026 · saved copy (SHA-256 a775e808dc65…)
- World Bank: Worldwide Governance Indicators: Regulatory quality (governance score 0-100), read 23 October 2026 · saved copy (SHA-256 83b57e36ff8c…)
- World Bank: Worldwide Governance Indicators: Rule of law (governance score 0-100), read 23 October 2026 · saved copy (SHA-256 0bccc3c054e8…)
- World Bank: Worldwide Governance Indicators: Control of corruption (governance score 0-100), read 23 October 2026 · saved copy (SHA-256 3b15a5340cdd…)
- World Bank: World Development Indicators: Seats held by women in national parliament (SG.GEN.PARL.ZS), read 23 October 2026 · saved copy (SHA-256 1ae1dc13981a…)
- World Bank: World Development Indicators: Women in ministerial positions (SG.GEN.MNST.ZS), read 23 October 2026 · saved copy (SHA-256 a4e448a5b8bd…)
- World Bank: World Development Indicators: Central government spending (GC.XPN.TOTL.GD.ZS), read 23 October 2026 · saved copy (SHA-256 808094019f50…)
- World Bank: World Development Indicators: Tax revenue (GC.TAX.TOTL.GD.ZS), read 23 October 2026 · saved copy (SHA-256 08c94b750f31…)
- World Bank: World Development Indicators: Military spending (MS.MIL.XPND.GD.ZS), read 23 October 2026 · saved copy (SHA-256 a7f6913a783b…)
- World Bank: World Development Indicators: Armed forces personnel (MS.MIL.TOTL.P1), read 23 October 2026 · saved copy (SHA-256 fa4663c743ba…)
- World Bank: World Development Indicators: Statistical Performance Indicator (overall score) (IQ.SPI.OVRL), read 23 October 2026 · saved copy (SHA-256 08ac7cde9129…)
- World Bank: World Development Indicators: Births registered (SP.REG.BRTH.ZS), read 23 October 2026 · saved copy (SHA-256 f8d443034ba7…)
- World Bank: World Development Indicators: People using the internet (IT.NET.USER.ZS), read 23 October 2026 · saved copy (SHA-256 0d78dc658329…)
Each saved copy is the file exactly as downloaded, kept so the figures can be checked even if the source changes. Report an error.