ABSTRACT
Approximately 70 per cent of the population of Myanmar—those living outside the cities of Yangon, Mandalay, and Naypyitaw and several major towns—can be defined as ‘rural’ residents. They tend to live in thinly populated areas with few paved streets and limited access to electricity, sewerage, and clean drinking water. These residents also have limited access to schools, healthcare, and higher education, and experience higher rates of poverty compared with their urban counterparts (IHLCA Project Technical Unit 2010). Agriculture is the main occupation of rural dwellers, but a minority earn a living as petty traders, shop owners, and operators of transport businesses. This chapter begins with a sketch of the main features that distinguish rural from urban areas in Myanmar. It then turns to general living conditions in rural areas and the challenges faced by rural populations in different regions of the country. Lastly, the chapter dwells on how rural residents use a variety of strategies to help them cope with multiple economic stresses.
