Asian Development Outlook (ADO) Series

Developing Asia is seen to maintain growth projections at 6.0% for 2018 and 5.9% for 2019. However rise in protectionist trade measures from other countries poses a clear downside risk to the region’s outlook.

The theme chapter of this year’s ADO explores technology and jobs. While new technologies will displace certain types of jobs, rising demand and higher output will create jobs, and new occupations and industries will emerge.

The growth outlook for developing Asia this year is upgraded to 6.0%, or 0.1 percentage points higher than the rate envisaged in September in Asian Development Outlook 2017 Update.

Developing Asia is forecast to expand by 5.9% in 2017 and 5.8% in 2018, a slight upgrade from projections in Asian Development Outlook 2017.

With export demand stronger than expected in the first quarter of 2017, the region’s GDP is forecast to expand somewhat faster than forecast in April in Asian Development Outlook 2017.

Developing Asia has continued to perform well, even as recovery in the major industrial economies remains weak. The region is forecast to expand by 5.7% in 2017 and 2018, nearly the 5.8% growth achieved in 2016.

Developing Asia’s growth outlook continues to be stable despite a slight downgrade to the 2016 forecast in the recent Asian Development Outlook 2016 Update.

Growth has held up in developing Asia despite a difficult external environment. The region is expected to grow steadily at 5.7% in 2016 and 2017, the forecasts in this Update unchanged from Asian Development Outlook 2016.

Developing Asia’s growth outlook this year is revised slightly down from that published in March in Asian Development Outlook 2016 with growth forecast for developing economies at 5.6%. For 2017, growth is seen unchanged at 5.7%.

Growth is slowing in many developing countries in Asia as a result of the continued weak recovery in major industrial economies and softer growth prospects for the People’s Republic of China.