MMR · snapshot 2026-08-09
Myanmar
Very HighOverride appliedOverall risk score
86.7
Percentile of scored universe
99th
Data coverage
84%
vs Australia (16.1)
+70.6
Rated Very High on its own indicators; a gate condition is also flagged.
The Very High rating stands on the computed score of 86.7 (Very High). The flagged condition — Australian autonomous sanctions framework (Myanmar) + FATF call for action — would floor the band at Very High even on weaker data.
Sanctions & banking access
Where sanctions make Myanmar hard to operate in — under Australian law, under US/EU extraterritorial reach, and in practice at the bank. Comprehensive frameworks force Very High; severe secondary exposure or severed banking floors the band at High; the rest is disclosure.
Australian sanctions
DFAT frameworks that legally restrict Australian companies
Australian autonomous sanctions framework (Myanmar) + FATF call for action
US/EU secondary sanctions
Extraterritorial programs that bind you regardless of Australian law
US/EU designations (MEHL, MEC, MOGE, state banks) require deep counterparty screening
Banking access
Will correspondent banks actually move your money out
Most foreign banks exited after 2021; designated state banks complicate routine payment routing
Category breakdown
Political Stability & Governance
Very High6 indicators · 100% coverage
Economic Resilience
Insufficient dataInsufficient data
Financial & Currency Risk
Very High5 indicators · 100% coverage
Business Environment
Insufficient dataInsufficient data
Security & Crime
Very High4 indicators · 100% coverage
Climate & Social Compliance
Very High4 indicators · 100% coverage
Technology & Digital
Very High3 indicators · 75% coverage
Cultural Distance
Insufficient dataInsufficient data · not in overall score
Key risks and considerations
Myanmar rates Very High for market entry — an overall risk score of 86.7, riskier than 99% of rated economies and 71 points riskier than Australia.
The rating is forced to Very High by an override: Australian autonomous sanctions framework (Myanmar) + FATF call for action. Whatever the underlying arithmetic says, this market is effectively closed to routine Australian business.
Beyond the Australian framework, US/EU designations require enhanced screening: US/EU designations (MEHL, MEC, MOGE, state banks) require deep counterparty screening. Further, correspondent banking is constrained: Most foreign banks exited after 2021; designated state banks complicate routine payment routing.
The main risk drivers are no double-tax agreement with Australia, pervasive organised crime (8.1/10), weak civic voice and accountability, a fragile rule of law and political instability.
Possible mitigations
- Sanctions exposure. Screen every counterparty against the DFAT Consolidated List and obtain specialist sanctions advice before any dealings — permits may be required and penalties are strict liability.
- Duty of care for people. DFAT advises against non-essential travel. Review duty-of-care obligations, prefer remote engagement, and use in-country agents rather than travelling staff where possible.
- Political violence. Consider political-violence and political-risk insurance, keep asset footprints light, and maintain an exit/continuity plan with defined triggers.
- Organised crime. Expect extortion, counterfeiting, and cargo-theft exposure: harden supply-chain security, vet logistics partners and distributors carefully, and avoid cash-heavy channels.
- Corruption and legal recourse. Run a strong anti-bribery program (Australian foreign-bribery law follows you abroad), conduct third-party due diligence, and seat dispute resolution offshore — arbitration clauses (e.g. SIAC or HKIAC) beat local courts.
- Getting money out. Confirm profit-repatriation channels before committing capital: seek central-bank pre-approvals where required, consider an export-first model over an in-country entity, and structure via clear remittance jurisdictions.
Generated automatically from this snapshot’s indicator data — a starting point for analysis, not advice.
Indicators
| Indicator | Value | Risk score | Rating | Australia | Data source year | Source |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Political Stability & Governance | ||||||
| Voice & accountability (WGI) | 19.7 | 98.8 | Very High | |||
| Government effectiveness (WGI) | 21.0 | 95.4 | Very High | |||
| Regulatory quality (WGI) | 32.5 | 92.9 | Very High | |||
| Rule of law (WGI) | 25.8 | 96.9 | Very High | |||
| Control of corruption (WGI) | 22.5 | 89.6 | Very High | |||
| Political stability & absence of violence/terrorism (WGI PV) | 30.2 | 96.9 | Very High | |||
| Economic Resilience | ||||||
| GDP growth (3-yr average, %) | -0.7% (3-yr avg) | 90.0 | Very High | |||
| Growth volatility (10-yr std dev, pp) | ±6.7 pp | 86.3 | Very High | |||
| Government net debt (% of GDP) | 51.9 | 60.0 | High | |||
| Inflation (CPI %, vs income-group target) | — | — | Insufficient data | |||
| Current account (3-yr average, % of GDP) | — | — | Insufficient data | |||
| FX reserves (months of import cover) | — | — | Insufficient data | |||
| GDP per capita (PPP, current intl $) | $6,012 | 80.2 | Very High | |||
| Financial & Currency Risk | ||||||
| Capital-account openness (Chinn-Ito KAOPEN) | 0.16 | 78.0 | Very High | |||
| Currency stability (regime-aware classification) | Convertibility distress (parallel-market premium) | 90.0 | Very High | |||
| Sovereign credit risk (OECD country risk classification) | Category 7 / 7 | 92.0 | Very High | |||
| FATF listing (grey / black list status) | Black list (enhanced due diligence) | 85.0 | Very High | |||
| Double-tax agreement with Australia | None in force | 100.0 | Very High | |||
| Business Environment | ||||||
| FDI regulatory restrictiveness (OECD FDIRRI) | 0.14 | 57.3 | High | |||
| Logistics performance (World Bank LPI) | 2.3 | — | Insufficient data | |||
| Business readiness (World Bank B-READY pillar average) | — | — | Insufficient data | |||
| Investment protection with Australia in force (BIT or FTA investment chapter) | In force | 0.0 | Low | |||
| Security & Crime | ||||||
| Armed-conflict intensity (battle deaths per 100k, 5-yr) | 4.7 | 92.4 | Very High | |||
| Intentional homicide rate (per 100k) | 2.6 | 54.8 | High | |||
| Organised crime pervasiveness (GI-TOC criminality score) | 8.1 | 99.7 | Very High | |||
| DFAT Smartraveller advisory level | Level 4 — Do not travel | 95.0 | Very High | |||
| Climate & Social Compliance | ||||||
| Physical climate vulnerability (ND-GAIN vulnerability) | 0.488 | 67.6 | High | |||
| Disaster risk (INFORM Risk Index) | 7.0 | 91.6 | Very High | |||
| Modern-slavery prevalence (per 1,000) | 12.1 | 92.2 | Very High | |||
| Modern-slavery vulnerability score | 67.4 | 85.3 | Very High | |||
| Technology & Digital | ||||||
| E-government development (UN EGDI) | 0.5 | 71.2 | High | |||
| Internet users (% of population) | 45.4 | — | Insufficient data | |||
| Cybercrime origination (World Cybercrime Index) | 0.5 | 30.0 | Medium | |||
| Secure internet servers (per million people) | 23.6 | 90.0 | Very High | |||
Per-indicator ratings are quartile bands of the 0–100 risk score. The Australia column shows the same indicator’s raw value for the Australian baseline in this snapshot.
Cultural distance
GLOBE 2004 societal practices · rated on distance from Australia · not in the overall score
Context — not scored
Unemployment
3.0%
Displayed, never scored: ambiguous for an entrant and unreliable where informal employment dominates. (2025, ILO modelled)
Trade agreement
Free trade agreement with Australia in force
Market access is decision-relevant but a benefit, not a risk — kept out of the rating.
Regional advisories
No higher regional advisory levels
DFAT Smartraveller sub-national advice where it exceeds the overall level.
Compare with
A score means little on its own. These economies scored closest to Myanmar in this snapshot, which is the fastest way to see whether the rating is telling you something specific or something regional.