Myanmar
Republic of the Union of Myanmar │ ပြည်ထောင်စု သမ္မတ မြန်မာနိုင်ငံတော်
Since the early 1990s, the garment sector in Myanmar has contributed significantly to the national economy. Over the past three decades, the industry has experienced varied growth rates. Historically, the sector mainly served customers from Japan and the Republic of Korea. Interest from retailers in North America and Europe has been low. The sector was also excluded from accessing these markets when the U.S. and Europe imposed sanctions on the country in the first decade of the 21st century. Since the lifting of these sanctions (in 2011 and 2013, respectively), big fashion companies have increasingly sought factories in Myanmar to source their products. More than 80 per cent of Myanmar's 500,000 exporting factory garment workers are women, mostly between 16 and 27 years old.
The garment sector was expected to experience rapid growth until February 2021. The military coup has severely disrupted the garment sector in Myanmar, creating both instability and uncertainty over its future as a regional sourcing destination.
Given the current situation and the limited availability of reliable data, the Asia Garment Hub will not be uploading sustainability resources from/about Myanmar until further notice. We will however continue to maintain the Myanmar country page, as well as keeping users informed of industry relevant updates from Myanmar via our newsfeed.
Population
Total
54,577,997 (2023)
Gross Domestic Product
GDP per Capita (constant USD, thousand)
$1,169.10 (2022)
Human Development Index Ranking
HDI Rank (out of 191 countries)
144 (2022)
Garment/Textile Workers
Number of workers in the garment/textile sector
500,000 (2021)
Women Workers in the Garment/Textile Industry
Percentage of women workers employed in the garment/textile industry
82.8% (2023)
Number of Garment/Textile Factories
Number of factories in the garment/textile industry
530 active out of 819 total factories (2023)
Garment/Textile Industry Exports
(USD$ billion)
USD 5.56 billion (2022)
Garment/Textile Industry Size
Percentage of total exports
33% (2022)
Minimum Wage
Monthly minimum wage in USD
5,800 kyats ≅ 2.76 USD per day (2023)
Key Garment/Textile Export Markets
Top five countries ($USD value exported and subsequent percentage)
| Country | Percentage of Exports |
|---|---|
| Japan | 17.35% |
| Spain | 9.89% |
| Germany | 9.27% |
| Netherlands | 9.06% |
| United Kingdom | 8.9% |
Government Entities
Government agencies actively involved in the garment/textile industry
- Ministry of Industry, Planning and Finance (MoPFI)
- Ministry of Labour, Immigration and Population (MoLIP)
Worker Organizations
Trade unions, Union federations, and other worker organizations
- Confederation of Trade Unions Myanmar (CTUM)
- Myanmar Industries Crafts and Services Trade Unions Federation (MICS)
Employer/Industry Associations and Chambers of Commerce
Employers and industry related associations, private sectors associations and chambers of commerce
- Myanmar Garment Manufacturers Association (MGMA)
- Myanmar Textile Manufacturers Association (MTMA)
- Union of Myanmar Federation of Chambers of Commerce and Industry (UMFCCI)
Development Agencies/ International Organizations
National and international development organizations working within the garment/textile industry
- ILO Vision Zero Fund
- SMART Textile and Garments (SMART TaG)
- Aung Myin Hmu
- Friedrich-Ebert-Stiftung (FES)
Civil Society Organizations/ Non-governmental Organizations
Organizations working within the garment/textile industry
- Solidarity Center
Sources of data provided
- Population: https://population.un.org/dataportal/data/indicators/49/locations/104/start/2023/end/2023/table
- GDP Per Capita: https://data.worldbank.org/indicator/NY.GDP.PCAP.KD
- HDI: https://hdr.undp.org/data-center/specific-country-data#/countries/MMR
- Garment / Textile Workers: Myanmar Garment Manufacturer Association (MGMA) 20220114-Myanmar-Garment-Survey-2021-Report-inc-Copy-Right.pdf (myanmargarments.org)
- Women Workers in the Garment /Textile Industry: https://www.ilo.org/infostories/en-GB/Stories/discrimination/garment-gender#the-global-garment-industry-a-bird%E2%80%99s-eye-view-(1)
- Number of Garment / Textile Factories: https://eurocham-myanmar.org/wp-content/uploads/2023/11/Myanmar-Garment-Sector-Factsheet_November-2023.pdf
- Garment / Textile Industry Exports: https://tradingeconomics.com/myanmar/exports-by-category
- Garment / Textile Industry Size: https://tradingeconomics.com/myanmar/exports-by-category
- Minimum Wage: https://www.fairwear.org/programmes/countries/myanmar/
- Key Garment / Textile Export Market:
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