100%
90%
80%
79%
70%
60%
65%
50%
53%
40%
Non-owner
Mobile owner
30%
20%
26%
10%
0%
2015
2016
Urban
2015
2016
Rural
Figure 4: Mobile ownership in Myanmar in 2016- urban vs rural (% of 15-65 population)
Mobile ownership among women had increased with 52% owning mobile phones. However the gender gap
remains, with men being 28% more likely to own a mobile phone than women. The average expenditure on
purchasing a mobile phone was MMK 105,198 (USD 87) and total average monthly spend on top-ups was MMK
7,494 (USD 6) Expenditure on top-ups was 50% greater in urban areas than rural areas.
Over a quarter of active SIM owners owned more than one SIM card; a third of those between the ages of 15-33
owned more than one SIM card, while the corresponding figure for older cohorts was lower. Fifty six percent of
those with more than one SIM said it was to get coverage wherever they went.
Thirty nine percent of the population didn’t own a mobile phone in 2016. The main reason stated for the lack of
ownership was that they could not afford a handset (43%), followed closely by the perception that they didn’t
need one (41%). The proportion of respondents who stated that they didn’t need a phone has increased since
2015, perhaps in the line with the notion that those who aspired to buy a phone in the past have already got
connected.
Smartphone and Internet use
Computer use was low in Myanmar; only 3% of the population 15-65 had ever used a computer in 2016. Among
that small group of computer users, only 16% had accessed the Internet within the day.
Thereby, smartphones were the primary mode of accessing the Internet. The data showed that 78% of mobile
owners used smartphones in 2016. No gender gap was observed in smartphone ownership among mobile
owners, as in the previous year. Smartphone penetration in rural areas has increased, leading to a reduction in
the urban-rural gap. Smartphone penetration is still highest among the younger cohorts with 93% of mobile
owners between 15-24 owning smartphones, but older cohorts are also catching up. However, only 47% of