Kayah State is inhabited by Kayah. Kayan or (Padaung) Mono. Kayaw. Yintalei. Gekho. Hheba. Shan. Intha. Bamar. Rakhine. Chin. Kachin.Kayin . Mon and Pao . Kayah State had a population of 158.400 in 1983 and in1996 the estimated population is over 240.000. Kayah State is situated in eastern Myanmar and bounded on the north by Shan State and on the east by Thailand and on the south and west by Kayin state. 49 per cent of the population are are Buddhists. 43 per cent are Christians and 6 per cent are Animists.