The Irrawaddy (Burmese: ဧရာဝတီ; MLCTS: ei: ra wa. ti) is a newsmagazine published by the Irrawaddy Publishing Group (IPG), founded in 1992 by Burmese exiles living in Thailand. From its inception, IPG (formerly the Burma Information Group, or BIG) has taken an independent stance on Burmese politics, although as a publication produced by former Burmese activists who fled the brutal crackdown on anti-military protests in 1988, it has always been closely associated with the pro-democracy movement. Nonetheless, it remains unaffiliated with any of the political groups that have emerged since the 8-8-88 uprising.

The Irrawaddy is published in both English and Burmese, with a primary focus on Burma, although other Southeast Asian countries are also covered to a lesser extent. It is regarded as one of the foremost journalistic publications dealing with political, social, economic and cultural developments in Burma. In addition to news, it features in-depth political analysis and interviews with a wide range of Burma experts and other influential figures. It is frequently cited by international media outlets as a source of reliable information.

The Irrawaddy magazine was founded in 1999, Chiang Mai, Thailand by its current editor and director Aung Zaw. But, its origin dated back to 1992. Aung Zaw, who was a student activist from Rangoon University, Burma who left Burma after Martial Law imposed in 1988 and two years later, founded Burma Information Group (BIG), in Bangkok. He later updated its previous name of Burma Information Group to The Irrawaddy Publishing Group in 1999 in reasons of covering news features in South East Asia. Its main office was relocated to Chiang Mai, Thailand in 1995-96.