Asia’s successful economic performance has lifted millions out of poverty. Because the region’s high population countries such as China, India and Indonesia grew particularly fast, poverty declined substantially for the region as a whole. Nineteen out of 33 economies more than halved their extreme poverty rate in the same period.
Earlier literature examined determinants of international capital flows especially during the period of high and persistent capital inflows to emerging economies during 2009–2013.1 The literature mainly identified the push and pull factors and explained how these factors affect the capital flows into emerging Asia “on average.” In other words, the literature calculated the effects of these factors “on the mean” of the distribution of capital flows.
The most significant change in inter-Asian migration in recent years has been the shift from male-centred production migration to reproductive migration. Of all migrants in Asia, women represented 42 percent in 2015. Reproductive migration is voluntary migration to form partnerships, help raise children, or work as nurses or domestic carers. The number of female reproductive migrants in Asia has increased dramatically. This has resulted in the ‘feminisation’ of migration.
Economic growth in both developing and advanced economies has slowed since the global financial crisis. Developing Asia’s growth also moderated after the crisis, largely driven by the slowdown in the People’s Republic of China (PRC).
The region’s economy expanded on average 7.6% annually during 2001–2010, but growth slowed to an annual average of 6.5% during 2011–2015. ADB is projecting further deceleration to 5.7% in each 2016 and 2017.
In recent years, Southeast Asia has experienced what are, if viewed in historical perspective, three ‘miracles’: economic growth, the disappearance of mass atrocities, and efforts to promote regional peace and community building.
Despite strong linkages in the past during the colonial period and strong ethnic and traditional ties, South Asian countries have become increasingly more diverse since their independence. While they are geographically closely connected, this does not mean that they are well integrated. Countries in the region have vastly different sizes, populations, and topography, and there are significant differences in their economies and income per capita.
Asia’s food systems are under an unprecedented confluence of pressures. Balancing future food demand and supply in ways that protect the most vulnerable, while also being sustainable, must be a first order policy priority.
A hotly contentious issue that has driven rage and anger across the Sea of Japan is closer to being resolved after Japan and South Korea agreed on a settlement.
Japan will pay World War II’s victims of sex slavery—known as “comfort women”— a total of $8.3 million, or 1 billion yen, which will go to the 46 still-living victims. It is unclear if the South Korean government will give all of those funds directly to victims—or takes the funds for themselves, as it did half a century ago.
The green revolution has done wonders for Asia. Yields for most crops, particularly the region’s main staple of rice, have doubled over recent decades. In the Lower Mekong Delta, considered Asia’s rice bowl, the new technologies and crop strains that the green revolution brought were a big success.
China and other East Asian, middle-income countries face an interesting new quandary: they are getting old before they are getting rich. As a result, according to the World Bank, these nations must ask themselves how to overhaul their health care and pension systems to compensate.
