Counted among the world’s poorest nations, Myanmar features the least open economy in Asia. The one-time wealthiest nation of Southeast Asia (under British administration), Myanmar went through years of stagnation and mismanagement. Decades ago, Myanmar was the largest rice exporter in the world but today is it the world’s most corrupt nation (as revealed in the 2007 Corruption Perceptions Index by corruption watchdog organization Transparency International). Due to extreme poverty, corruption, unemployment and highly underdeveloped infrastructure, the nation’s GDP grows at an average rate of 2.9% per year.
GDP (purchasing power parity):

GDP - real growth rate:
GDP - per capita (PPP):
$1,200 (2009 est.)
$1,200 (2008 est.)
$1,200 (2007 est.)
GDP (official exchange rate): $26.52 billion (2009 est.)
Labor force: 30.85 million (2009 est.)
Unemployment rate:
4.9% (2009 est.)
5% (2008 est.)
Budget:
Revenues: $1.142 billion
Expenditures: $2.354 billion (2009 est.)
Inflation rate (consumer prices):
7.7% (2009 est.)
26.8% (2008 est.)