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Myanmar’s use of colonial-era administrative boundaries as the basis for electoral constituencies creates a staggering degree of malapportionment that meets or exceeds the world’s highest levels. This article systematically assesses malapportionment and its implications for Myanmar’s democratization and broader political development. Myanmar’s malapportionment significantly over-represents ethnic minority and rural areas, even after controlling for other factors. This challenges the prevalent notion that the political system is decisively stacked in favour of the majority Bamar. Few practical effects of malapportionment have manifested thus far, since political actors have generally not incorporated it into their electoral strategies. As they do, non-Bamar will be well positioned to play a more decisive role in the country’s politics, adding to the broader challenge of Bamar centrality. But strategic responses to malapportionment may also trigger serious problems that harm governance and reduce the legitimacy of elections. Furthermore, malapportionment risks exacerbating ethnic tensions by fuelling a narrative of Bamar precarity. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]