What is the currency of Myanmar?

What is the currency of Myanmar? The currency of Myanmar is the Myanmar kyat.

The kyat has the ISO code MMK and is issued by the Central Bank of Myanmar. Its symbol is commonly written as K for the singular and Ks for the plural, often followed by “/-” in local notation. One kyat is divided into 100 pyas, although pya coins and very small denominations are rarely useful in ordinary transactions.

The modern kyat was introduced on 1 July 1952, replacing the Burmese rupee at par and establishing the decimal subdivision into pyas. Earlier kyat currencies existed, including silver and gold denominations used before British rule and a short-lived wartime kyat issued during the Japanese occupation.

The name kyat comes from kyattha, a historical Burmese unit associated with roughly 16 grams of silver. Myanmar’s currency has experienced severe inflation and exchange-rate instability, contributing to the disappearance of many low-value notes and coins from daily use. It is distinct from the Indian rupee, Vietnamese đồng, and Thai baht, despite Myanmar’s geographic proximity to all three currency areas.