Although almost half of the population of Yangon is poor, the poorest are the most affected. With low wages and rising prices of basic goods, the poorest cannot even afford to eat meat every day. The average monthly income of factory workers in Yangon is only 300,000 to 400,000 kyats, including overtime pay. Although the wages of basic workers have not increased, the value of the kyat has fallen sharply since the military coup due to the military council’s mismanagement of the economy, the printing of new banknotes to cover the budget deficit, and restrictions on business activities. To put it roughly, an egg cost about 100 kyats before the coup, but now it costs more than 400 to 500 kyats, and prices are rising about 5 times higher than before the coup. Since the salaries of employees are not enough, the prices of goods have increased, No business can survive in the long term because the electricity is unreliable. With everything being so tight, the poverty rate will only increase in the coming years.
