Key Indicators (KI) for Asia and the Pacific Series

Asia is well placed to meet the MDG target of halving the incidence of $1 a day poverty between 1990 and 2015. Part of the challenge the region faces is employing its large and growing labor force.

Despite impressive reductions in poverty, Asia and the Pacific was home to almost 690 million poor people in 2002. Poverty reduction is the region’s greatest development challenge.

Despite considerable progress in expanding and improving education systems, millions of children in Asia are still out of school, millions of adults remain illiterate, and there are many issues related to the quality of education.

In Asia and the Pacific, infant and child mortality rates have declined and many millions can look forward to longer and healthier lives. School enrollment and levels of literacy continue to rise, but successes in the region are uneven.

A little over half of humanity calls Asia its home. Asia generated a quarter of the world’s total output of goods and services and its share of world exports is 17 percent.

Key Indicators of Developing Asian and Pacific Countries 2000 provides historical and current economic, financial, environment and social statistics on 39 developing countries in Asia and the Pacific.

Key Indicators of Developing Asian and Pacific Countries 1999 provides historical and current economic, financial, environment and social statistics on 39 developing countries in Asia and the Pacific.