BANGKOK/YANGON -- Nearly half of the population in Myanmar will be living in poverty by early next year, roughly double the number from five years ago, due to the economic slump brought on by the pandemic and political turmoil triggered by the military's seizure of power, the United Nations Development Program said Wednesday.
The percentage of people living below the poverty line -- defined by the UNDP as 1,590 kyats ($0.90) a day -- in the whole country will almost double to 46.3% from 24.8% in 2017, the organization said. In the urban areas, 37.2% will have fallen into poverty by early 2022, more than trebling from 11.3% in 2017.
