In 2024, fossil fuels supplied about 61% of electricity consumed in Myanmar (Burma), while low-carbon sources supplied about 39%. Gas alone accounted for just over half of the electricity mix, and coal contributed roughly 10%. Clean electricity came overwhelmingly from hydropower, which supplied nearly 38% of the total; biofuels contributed about 1%. Myanmar therefore remains heavily dependent on fossil electricity, with substantial room to expand clean generation and reduce the climate impacts and air pollution associated with fossil fuels.

Is Electricity Growing in Myanmar (Burma)?

Electricity consumption per person is not currently growing: it reached 464 kWh in 2024, down from the record of 475 kWh in 2023—a decline of roughly 10 kWh per person. Low-carbon electricity generation stood at 182 kWh per person, compared with its 2018 peak of 270 kWh, a fall of 88 kWh, or about a third. These declines are concerning: Myanmar needs to restore growth in electricity availability, particularly clean electricity, to support living standards, economic development, and future demand from electrification and digital services.

Suggestions

Myanmar can expand low-carbon electricity by adding solar alongside its substantial hydropower base and considering nuclear power for long-term growth. Relevant regional examples include Pakistan, where solar supplies about 24% of electricity and nuclear another 13%, and Sri Lanka, where solar contributes around 15%. These examples offer useful lessons for developing solar deployment, financing, and grid integration. For nuclear development, Myanmar could study South Korea, which generates a quarter of its electricity from nuclear, and France, where the share is about two-thirds, focusing on institutional expertise, workforce training, and long-term planning. Investment in transmission, storage, and electricity access would help translate new clean generation into more reliable supplies.

History

Myanmar’s recorded low-carbon electricity history is dominated by hydropower. After a decline of 0.7 TWh in 1998, generation expanded throughout the listed years of the 2000s, including increases of 0.9 TWh in 2000 and 1.2 TWh in 2009. Growth continued strongly through much of the 2010s, with gains of 2.4 TWh in 2011, 2.8 TWh in 2017, and 1.5 TWh in 2018. This progress was sharply reversed by declines of 3.6 TWh in 2019 and 1.7 TWh in 2020. Subsequent changes were smaller and mixed: generation rose by 0.7 TWh in 2021, fell by 0.4 TWh in 2022, and recovered by 0.4 TWh in 2023. That uneven recovery underscores the importance of restoring clean electricity growth and diversifying generation through solar and, over the longer term, nuclear power.

Electricity Imports and Exports

Balance of Trade