Myanmar Civil Registration

Offices to Contact
National Civil Registration Office, local police registry offices

At the village level, data collection is the responsibility of the local workers of the General Administration Department, in collaboration with midwives. They work in close collaboration with the Department of Immigration for household listing.

At the township level, a medical officer, under the Ministry of Health and Sport (MOHS), issue the certificates.

At the national and sub-national levels, the gathering of vital events in a database is done by the Central Statistics Office (CSO) under the Ministry of Planning and Finance, which then publishes vital statistics.

Considering the complexity of such relations, coordination committees on Birth and Death Registration were formed at the national level, state/regional level, district level, township level, ward and village tract level. The national level committee is led by Deputy Minister for Immigration and Population.

United Nations ESCAP United Nations Building Rajadamnern Nok Avenue Bangkok 10200, Thailand

Phone: +66 2 2882593

Historical Background
BMD returns were not formally organized until the arrival of the British in 1826, when they gained the territory of Tenasserim, bordering Siam. Civil Administration was initially centered at Prince of Wales Island, Penang.

In 1834 the province became part of Bengal, however military administration was based in Madras until the 1840's. Records relating to baptisms, marriages and burials in Tenasserim may therefore appear in Chaplain's Returns in the UK or Madras (for military events) or in Madras, Penang or Bengal returns during this period.

The only official returns were Anglican and RC until the 1850's, when the Government of India provided means for returns of minority religions such as the Baptists.

Records from the Myanmar National Archives show that Baptist marriages were not reported until November 1858.

Coverage and Compliance
Time period: 1852-present

Population coverage: Before 1960, 20%; after 1960, 70%.

The registration of births and deaths in Myanmar started in 1907. The system was gradually improved in order to reach all the areas to register the vital events.

Births

 * Child’s name
 * Birth date and place
 * Parents’ names, residence, and occupation
 * Witnesses’ ages, relationships, residences

Marriages

 * Bride and groom names
 * Ages
 * Residences
 * Occupations
 * Marriage date and place
 * Sometimes ages and/or birth dates and places
 * Parents' names, residences, occupations
 * Witnesses' names
 * Names of former spouses

Divorces

 * Names
 * Ages
 * Dates
 * Places
 * Occupations
 * Residences

Often listed on the back of the marriage register.

Deaths

 * Name of deceased
 * Age
 * Death date and place
 * Occupation
 * Name of surviving spouse, if applicable
 * Informant’s name and residence
 * Cause of death
 * Sometimes:
 * -Birth date and place
 * -Parents’ names
 * -Children’s names