The population of Burma in 2003 was estimated by the United Nations at 42,281,000, which placed it as number 28 in population among the 193 nations of the world. In that year approximately 5% of the population was over 65 years of age, with another 33% of the population under 15 years of age. There were 98 males for every 100 females in the country in 2003. According to the UN, the annual population growth rate for 2000–2005 is 1.28%, with the projected population for the year 2015 at 55,762,000. The population density in 2002 was 72 per sq km (187 per sq mi).
It was estimated by the Population Reference Bureau that 28% of the population lived in urban areas in 2001. The capital city, Yangon, had a population of 4,101,000 in that year. The next largest city is Mandalay, numbering 532,985. According to the United Nations, the urban population growth rate for 2000– 2005 was 2.9%.