New publication in 2026: Rapid Productivity Growth in Asia: Internal and External Financing

Developing Asia has achieved remarkable economic growth in the last several decades. This growth has moved almost all low-income countries in the region to middle-income status and lifted millions of people from poverty. Most developing countries in the region have experienced sustained periods of markedly higher per capita gross domestic product (GDP) growth than advanced economies have (Table 1). This catch-up process has reduced the income gap between developing Asia and high-income countries through productivity growth, structural transformation, and capital accumulation.