The Myanmar military's 1 February coup d’état exacerbated the already challenging economic situation in the country that had been driven by the COVID-19 pandemic. Production halted or slowed in many sectors and foreign investors have withdrawn. Meanwhile, cash shortages, struggling transport and logistics networks, rising fuel prices and input shortages have further inhibited business operations in the country.

Despite this, an overview of the economic performance of Myanmar on a more frequent and sectoral-differentiated basis is scant due to a lack of data to measure the full extent of the crisis. To meet this need, UNDP has established a mechanism to collect such data through an innovative approach using information from 100 experts, including business owners and business leaders, on areas such as production, demand and employment. The data collection occurred between the end of October and early November 2021.