Hit Tine Briefing #1: What did people say their main concerns are in H1 of 2024?

We are introducing Hit Tine briefing; aiming to share the voices and concerns that we have collected from the community members throughout periods. As this study is not controlled in any form there may be various factors impacting the outcome. 

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Hit Tine started an open civic consultation session named “State Your Concerns” in which several questions inquired about the community member’s current concerns and issues that they are facing. This briefing represents the findings from the session period between December 2023 to June 2024. There were a total of 323 responses from 186 participants across the country, stating the issues facing in their daily lives and how they are coping with them.

Their voices were analyzed over time to provide a snapshot of the current socio-economic state in Myanmar and identify emerging trends, aiming to emphasize the concerns and priorities of Myanmar communities amidst ongoing conflicts.

Participants Overview

Among the 186 individuals, 96 participants identified as male responsible for 172 responses in total, 87 participants identified as female while responsible for 146 responses in total and 3 participants identified as Others and responsible for 5 responses. 

The respondents hail from various regions across the country as below -

What did people voice out as their main concerns?

Food scarcity and high cost of living - representing over 50% of all issues 

A total of 170 responses state that “Food scarcity and high cost of living” are their main concern. More than half of the male respondents (53.5%) stated that it is an issue, and 45.3% of female respondents stated that food scarcity and high cost of living is also an issue. In terms of age, this issue is the most prevalent among 19-30 age groups reflecting the economic pressure on young adults. 

Regionally, Kachin State (19.4%) and Sagaing Region (17.1%) report the highest concerns, while Yangon and Bago Regions also show significant concerns (15.3% each), highlighting widespread economic issues across different parts of the country.

Other relevant information we found interesting - 

• All Myanmar Advisor’s May 2024 Chicken Curry Index shows an increase of 17.53% MoM and 34.8% YoY - AMA’s CCI Report

• 12.9M people or 23% of the population are projected to face high levels of acute food insecurity and of them, 2.4 million are projected to be in Emergency - Global Network Against Food Crisis 2024 Report

Insights from Cross-Analysis: Issues by region

‘Concerns around access to education’ are significant, with 11.1% of respondents reporting this issue, and across various regions. Rakhine State has the highest level of concern regarding education, with 20.0% of respondents highlighting this issue. Additionally, the relatively high percentages in regions such as Shan State (16.7%), Mandalay Region (14.3%), and Magway Region (14.3%) suggest that these areas also experience significant educational concerns.

Yangon Region and Kachin State have higher concerns about ‘economic opportunities’ (16.6%) and ‘unemployment’ (13.8%) respectively. ‘Environmental damage and natural disasters’ is notably high in Kachin State, making it unique compared to other regions.

Other relevant information we found interesting - 

• Between February 2020 and February 2022, public schools in Myanmar were closed for a staggering 532 days, making it the country with the longest school closures in the East Asia and Pacific (EAP) region - World Bank Blog

• The proportion of the population aged 6–22 years enrolled in educational institutions across the country has decreased from 69.2 percent in 2017 to 56.8 percent in 2023 - World Bank Report

• Imports of heavy rare earth extracts (HREE) from Myanmar to China skyrocketed from their previous highs of 19,500 tons in 2021 to reach 41,700 tonnes in 2023 – and most of the HREE from Myanmar originate from Kachin State - Global Witness Blog

Looking through Gender lenses

Certain issues, such as concerns around ‘Access to education and healthcare’, are slightly more frequently reported by female respondents. Issues like ‘Job scarcity and unemployment’, as well as the ‘Environmental damage and natural disasters’, are more reported by male respondents.

Other relevant information we found interesting - 

• Many young people are going abroad for work, including a significant number of young women, and they are finding it more difficult to find jobs - Mizzima news

Generation differences in voiced concerns

Age groups 0-18 (17.5%) and 60+ (18.8%) report the highest amount of ‘Concerns around access to education’ - potentially indicating worries about the education of the next generations, 

While age groups 19-30 (10.3%) and 31-45 (12.9%) show concerns about job scarcity and unemployment. 

Relevant information we found interesting - 

• The International Labour Organization (ILO) reports that more than 1.6 million workers have lost their jobs, a staggering figure for a country with a population of around 54 million. The garment industry, a key sector in Myanmar, has seen drastic reductions in factory operations and worker wages. Economic challenges have also driven substantial migration, with the International Organization for Migration (IOM) noting that approximately 40,000 Myanmar nationals leave the country monthly due to economic hardships and conflict​ International Labour Organization

• The dramatic rise in unemployment and poverty since the coup. Due to a reduction in business activity, the suspension of projects funded by official development assistance, and lower government expenditures on infrastructure investment, Myanmar shed an estimated 1.2 million jobs in the wake of the military takeover, according to the International Labour Organisation. This, in turn, has led to a doubling of the poverty rate, from 26% to almost half of the population. Myanmar Now

• A quarter (24.1 percent) of people living in eight of Yangon's poorest townships have often not had any income in the last 12 months - UNDP Report

Hit Tine will continue to provide insights and briefings based on the data we have collected from communities nationwide and abroad.

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