Abstract

• This paper studies income inequality among urban households in Mandalay which is the largest city in upper Myanmar. From the development perspective, poverty and inequality is one of the socioeconomic issues in Myanmar. In case of Myanmar, although only 30 percent of the population lives in urban areas, inequality levels in urban areas are higher than those in rural areas. Therefore, this study attempts to measure income inequality among urban households in Mandalay. The study is based on primary data obtained by surveying sample households in Mandalay. In measuring inequality, the study uses Gini coefficient and also it analyzes expenditure pattern of households, and debt burden of low-income households. The study found that in measuring income inequality in Mandalay, Gini coefficient is moderately low but households in bottom quintile are spending more than or almost all of their income on consumption expenditure and vulnerable to be in debt. One-fourth of households are in debt, having burden at shark rates.