World Bank East Asia and Pacific Economic Update

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The World Bank East Asia and Pacific Economic Update is the World Bank's comprehensive, twice-yearly review of the region's economies prepared by the East Asia and Pacific regional unit of the World Bank.

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  • Publication
    World Bank East Asia and Pacific Economic Update, October 2019: Weathering Growing Risks
    (Washington, DC: World Bank, 2019-10-09) World Bank
    Growth in the developing East Asia and Pacific region slowed in the first half of 2019 given weakening global demand and heightened policy uncertainty amid ongoing trade tensions. Steady consumption growth helped to partly offset the effects of weakening exports and investment on growth. The region’s growth prospects face intensified downside risks, including further escalation of trade disputes, a sharper-than-expected slowdown in China, the United States and the Euro Area, along with a disorderly Brexit, and an abrupt change in global financing conditions. In some countries, rising indebtedness and other vulnerabilities, such as the constrained capacity for foreign debt rollover, could amplify the negative effects of external shocks. The regional growth moderation underscores the need to address key vulnerabilities and preserve economic dynamism among developing East Asia and Pacific economies. In the short run, countries with sufficient policy space should use available policy tools to stimulate domestic activities. Better quality spending, together with prudent debt management, is needed to safeguard fiscal sustainability. Deepening regional integration would help offset the negative impact of global protectionism. In the medium to long term, pursuing structural reforms that raise competitiveness, support trade and investment, and encourage innovation is critical to boosting productivity and growth.
  • Publication
    World Bank East Asia and Pacific Economic Update, October 2018: Navigating Uncertainty
    (Washington, DC: World Bank, 2018-10-03) World Bank
    Growth in developing East Asia and Pacific (EAP) was resilient during the first half of 2018. Although the external environment has become less favorable in some respects, the outlook for the region remains positive. After peaking in 2017, growth in developing EAP is expected to slow modestly in 2018, primarily reflecting the continued moderation in China’s economic expansion as its economy continues to rebalance. However, heightened uncertainty has intensified the risks to the region’s outlook. An escalation in trade tensions and heightened financial market turbulence, either due to an acceleration in U.S. monetary policy normalization or contagion from other emerging markets could threaten the region’s growth prospects. To navigate uncertainty, regional economies should reduce short-term vulnerabilities and enhance buffers, redouble their commitment to an open, rules-based international trade and investment framework, including through deeper regional economic integration, and deepen structural reforms. The intensification of risks underscores the need to continue to enhance economic security and promote economic mobility by: expanding and strengthening social assistance and insurance programs; investing in prenatal and early childhood development; and reducing gaps in educational access and quality for disadvantaged groups and in lagging areas.
  • Publication
    World Bank East Asia and Pacific Economic Update, April 2018: Enhancing Potential
    (Washington, DC: World Bank, 2018-04-11) World Bank
    Developing EAP grew slightly faster than anticipated in 2017. The growth of regional GDP excluding China is forecast to remain stable in 2018, while China's GDP growth is expected to moderate as the economy keeps rebalancing. Major downside risks include volatility associated with faster than expected monetary policy tightening in advanced economies and a rising threat of trade restrictions. Developing EAP countries would need to get ready to respond to increasing interest rates and find ways to raise potential growth in the medium run. Specifically, amid the rising risk of protectionism and changes in the global manufacturing landscape, countries should continue to enhance trade facilitation and integration, increase the effectiveness of schools and education systems, and upgrade capabilities to ensure that workers and managers have necessary skills. To provide economic security to the population, policies should focus on strengthening social assistance and insurance programs, and increasing resilience to systemic shocks.
  • Publication
    World Bank East Asia and Pacific Economic Update, October 2017: Balancing Act
    (Washington, DC: World Bank, 2017-10-03) World Bank
    The economic outlook for the developing EAP region remains positive, and will benefit from an improved external environment as well as strong domestic demand. The growth of regional GDP excluding China is forecast to accelerate in 2018, while China's GDP growth is expected to decline in 2018 and 2019, although remain higher than most countries in the region. Poverty is projected to continue its long-term decline. Major downside risks include financial sector vulnerabilities, large fiscal imbalances, and the possible escalation of geopolitical tensions. The improved outlook for global growth provides a window of opportunity for developing EAP to continue to reduce key vulnerabilities and strengthen the foundations for sustained and inclusive growth in the medium term. The region could also benefit from further developing tourism sectors and deepening of regional integration, to offset the emerging global protectionism. And policies to ensure inclusive growth should involve ensuring economic mobility and security for all, going beyond the primary focus on reducing poverty.
  • Publication
    World Bank East Asia and Pacific Economic Update, October 2016: Reducing Vulnerabilities
    (Washington, DC: World Bank, 2016-10-04) World Bank
    Growth in developing East Asia Pacific (EAP) has remained broadly stable in the past 6 months. It is expected to decline gradually during 2016-18, driven entirely by the ongoing slowdown in China, partly offset by a pick-up in the large ASEAN economies. This outlook is subject to elevated risks, and it is critical to address underlying vulnerabilities. China should continue measures to bring the growth in debt under control. Among other large economies, risk can be reduced through enhanced micro- and macroprudential policies. Across EAP, maintaining fiscal buffers is a priority; in Mongolia, Timor-Leste, and to a lesser degree Vietnam, substantial consolidation is needed. Over the longer term, China should maintain its commitment to rebalancing toward consumption-led growth. Across the rest of EAP, enhanced expenditure on infrastructure must be accompanied by measures to improve its efficiency. Boosting inclusion will require a focus on reducing undernutrition, harnessing technology to transform financial services, and exploiting innovations in social protection to reduce vulnerability to shocks. The East Asia Pacific Economic Update provides biannual analyses of development trends and economic policy issues across the East Asia and Pacific region.
  • Publication
    World Bank East Asia and Pacific Economic Update, April 2016: Growing Challenges
    (Washington, DC, 2016-04-10) World Bank
    In the past 6 months, developing East Asia and Pacific has faced a challenging external environment, but growth has generally remained resilient. Over the next 3 years, growth is expected to ease modestly. China will continue its gradual shift to a more sustainable growth path. Some economies will be affected by low commodity prices and weaker external demand. This outlook is subject to elevated risks. Countries should prioritize monetary and fiscal policies that reduce their exposure to risks and strengthen market confidence. In China, there is a need to reduce leverage. In several countries, action is required to enhance transparency, strengthen accountability, and redefine the role of the state. Efforts to reduce barriers to trade should be redoubled, with a particular focus on non-tariff measures and regulatory barriers, including to trade in services. The region must increase its readiness to benefit from the digital revolution, and in particular develop the essential “analog complements” to digital technologies.
  • Publication
    World Bank East Asia and Pacific Economic Update, October 2013 : Rebuilding Policy Buffers, Reinvigorating Growth
    (Washington, DC, 2013-10-31) World Bank
    Global growth momentum accelerated during the second and third quarters of 2013, while many downside risks lingered in the background. Strengthening of global growth momentum will help developing East Asia maintain a growth rate in excess of 7 percent, retaining its status as the global growth leader. Domestic demand, which has been the main driver of growth in the East Asia and Pacific (EAP) region in the post-global financial crisis period, is slowing. The decision by the United States (U.S.) Federal Reserve (Fed) to delay tapering of quantitative easing (QE) has restored capital flows to emerging markets, giving the authorities a second opportunity to take measures to lower risks from future volatility. As the global growth cycle undergoes change, adjustments to fiscal and monetary policy are warranted in many EAP countries. With growth running at or above potential for most countries in the region, progress at upgrading growth and reducing poverty depends crucially on structural reforms. While the balance of risks to base case regional forecast lies on the downside, several upside risks have recently emerged. The three immediate headline risks include a less orderly tapering of the U.S.'s unconventional monetary policies, prolonged fiscal deadlock in the U.S., and a sharper than expected slowdown of the Chinese economy. In this context, the report is divided into following three parts: part one is recent developments and outlook; part two is selected emerging issues; and part three is the medium-term development agenda.
  • Publication
    World Bank East Asia and Pacific Economic Update, April 2013 : A Fine Balance
    (Washington, DC, 2013-04-25) World Bank
    The developing economies of the East Asia and Pacific (EAP) region grew by 7.5 percent in 2012, lower than the 8.3 percent growth recorded in 2011, but still higher than that of any other region. Within the region, available data in the first quarter of the year indicate that external weakness may be abating, while domestic demand remains resilient. The expectation of some stabilization in external demand, coupled with still resilient domestic activity, may be showing in the industrial production and purchasing manager's index numbers, which are generally positive. The growth forecasts for EAP for 2013 and 2014 remain roughly similar to those of December last year. Both the global and regional outlooks are subject to several risks, most of which are by now familiar. Though the developing economies of East Asia are generally well-prepared to absorb external shocks, an emerging concern is the risk of over-heating in some of the larger economies in the region. Policy makers in developing EAP should strive to strike the right balance between managing the near-term risks, and sustaining and increasing inclusive growth in the medium-term by enhancing the underlying productive capacity-human and physical-of these economies.
  • Publication
    World Bank East Asia and Pacific Economic Update 2012, Volume 2 : Remaining Resilient
    (Washington, DC, 2012-12) World Bank
    Economies in the East Asia and Pacific (EAP) region have generally remained resilient in 2012 amidst a lackluster and, at times, volatile external environment. In 2012, the region's economy is projected to grow by 7.5 percent, lower than the 8.3 percent growth recorded in 2011, but set to recover to 7.9 percent in 2013. Growth in EAP is still the highest of any developing region and constitutes almost 40 percent of global growth. With the weakness in global demand for exports, domestic demand has remained the main driver of growth for most economies. In 2012, aside from weak external demand, the region's growth slowdown resulted from China's economic performance, which is projected to reach 7.9 percent in 2012, 1.4 percentage points lower than 2011 and the lowest annual growth rate since 1999. This decline is mainly due to lower domestic demand growth in the first part of 2012, driven by stabilization measures implemented in 2011. East Asia excluding China is expected to grow by 5.6 percent in 2012, one percentage point higher than in 2011. The rebound in economic activity in Thailand following the floods of 2011, strong growth in the Philippines, and relatively mild slowdowns in Indonesia and Vietnam contributed to this increase. Fiscal and monetary policies were generally supporting growth in 2012. More recently, monetary policy rates have rightly been held steady, as most economies now operate at or close to full capacity. For 2013, the authors expect the region to benefit from continued strong domestic demand and a mild global recovery that would nudge the contribution of net exports to growth back into positive territory, a trend projected to continue into 2014. For China, the authors expect this year's monetary easing, local fiscal stimulus and more rapid approval of large investment projects to boost growth to about 8.4 percent. By 2014, China is projected to be growing at around 8 percent, which is in line with the country's potential growth rate. This rate is gradually declining as productivity and labor force growth are tailing off. This edition of the East Asia half-yearly update introduces two new sections one that looks at selected emerging issues in the region, including Myanmar, covered for the first time in this update. The section on the medium term regional development agenda focuses on jobs and disaster risk management.
  • Publication
    World Bank East Asia and Pacific Economic Update 2012, Volume 1 : Capturing New Sources of Growth
    (Washington, DC, 2012-05) World Bank
    Growth in developing East Asia and the Pacific remained strong in 2011, although it slowed from its post-crisis peaks. Strong domestic demand offset weaker external demand from the United States and Western Europe. Looking ahead, the external environment is likely to remain weak. The best prospects for the region to maintain high rates of growth, job creation, and poverty reduction are through rebalancing towards domestic demand and investing in productivity increases and further international integration. The region remains vulnerable to the continued uncertainty in Europe through trade and financial linkages. Although last December's fiscal pact and liquidity support from the European Central Bank helped stabilize financial markets, recent political events and market developments point to continued challenges. Renewed market volatility and a further slowdown in European economies cannot be ruled out. The European Union (EU), along with the US and Japan, accounts for over 40 percent of the region's direct export shipments and an estimated 60 percent if intraregional trade linked to production networks is taken into account. A serious disruption in the EU would also have knock-on effects on East Asia's exports and growth by lowering growth in other regions, particularly Eastern Europe. Moreover, European banks provide a third of trade and project finance in Asia. Policies to support the movement of labor among countries can contribute to higher productivity. Migration in developing East Asia has helped fill labor shortages in host countries and remittance flows have contributed to poverty reduction and macroeconomic stability in home countries. Yet, as in other parts of the world, existing bilateral and regional migration policies do not always allow migrants to move efficiently to where returns are highest or allow firms to obtain the workers they need, and these policies may contain incentives for undocumented migration. Improved regional migration policies could enhance the gains from regional economic integration and allow those countries facing a negative demographic drag on economic growth in the next generation to obtain much-needed labor inputs.