Wiki Countries Myanmar

Myanmar

Country profile: how Myanmar fits the patterns described in the main guide, with every development linked to its source.

Last updated . Every factual claim links to its source.

This profile mirrors and is kept in sync with the Myanmar entry in the main guide's case studies.

Overview

The junta staged a phased election in December 2025 and January 2026 amid ongoing civil war, dissolving Aung San Suu Kyi's party and prosecuting over two hundred people for criticizing the vote. The military-aligned Union Solidarity and Development Party was declared the winner in February 2026, taking 739 of 1,025 seats on roughly 55% turnout; at a January 30, 2026 summit in the Philippines, ASEAN declined to endorse the results, a position the UN and most Western governments have echoed.

Democracy indicators

Liberal Democracy Index, 1990–2025

V-Dem's Liberal Democracy Index for Myanmar was 0.02 in 1990, peaked at 0.25 in 2020, and stood at 0.01 in 2025 (scale 0–1). Dashed lines mark events described in the timeline below. Source: V-Dem via Our World in Data, retrieved November 7, 2026. Compare with other countries in the comparison tool.

Show the data
Country199020152025Regime type, 2025
Myanmar0.020.180.01Closed autocracy

Timeline

Key dated developments, each linked to the reporting that confirms it. Wording is kept neutral; where a government disputes a characterization, its stated position is included. See also the master timeline across all countries.

  1. Aung San Suu Kyi's National League for Democracy (NLD) won an outright parliamentary majority, although the constitution reserved a quarter of seats for the military. Source: Al Jazeera

  2. The NLD won decisively again. The military alleged fraud; the Asian Network for Free Elections said it saw no credible evidence of massive irregularities. Source: AP via KSAT

  3. The military detained Aung San Suu Kyi and other leaders, declared a state of emergency and put Senior Gen. Min Aung Hlaing in charge, citing alleged election fraud. Source: Axios

  4. The military government dissolved 40 parties, including the NLD, for failing to re-register under a new law. Source: AP via KSAT

  5. The military ended the state of emergency after seven six-month decrees. Min Aung Hlaing became acting president and head of a new security commission ahead of elections. Source: AP via The Washington Times

  6. The first phase of a three-stage election took place. The government said it marked a return toward democracy; a UN expert called it 'theater of the absurd performed at gunpoint'. Source: AP via Manila Bulletin

  7. The military-backed USDP won large majorities in both houses, with the military holding a quarter of seats by right. ASEAN said it would not endorse the process. Source: Al Jazeera

  8. The new parliament elected coup leader Min Aung Hlaing president with 429 of 584 votes. Source: Al Jazeera

Analytical lens

Concepts on this wiki that help explain this case: Regime Types: How Democracy Is Measured, Democratic Backsliding and Executive Aggrandizement.

See also