Statistical Yearbook for Asia and the Pacific
Years 2007, 2008 and 2009
Rich in information content, the Yearbook includes data, charts
and a textual overview of well over 200 indicators, covering all spheres of the
work of the Economic and Social Commission for Asia and the Pacific, as well as
such cross-cutting issues as poverty and gender.
The baseline year for the
data is 1990 – intentionally the same as that for the Millennium Development
Goals, so the Yearbook can also be used for tracking progress towards the Goals.
The Yearbook uses the internationally comparable data available at the time of
publication. For more recent estimates and forecasts, readers can also consult
another ESCAP publication, the Economic and Social Survey of Asia and the
Pacific. The publication can be downloaded, as a whole or in parts, from the
ESCAP website at: www.unescap.org/stat/data/syb2009/. Bookmark the site for
your future reference, not least because it has a link to the Yearbook database,
which includes full-length time series, including those that were used to derive
numerous indicators.
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From the Asian Development bank
Asia Development Outlook 2006
This 18th edition of the Asian Development Outlook provides a
comprehensive economic analysis of 43 economies in developing Asia and the
Pacific. Using the Asian Development Bank's unique knowledge of the region, it
examines trends and prospects in Central Asia, East Asia, South Asia, Southeast
Asia, and the Pacific, in the context of global economic movements. An important
theme is how developing Asia can best position itself to maximize the benefits
of international trade.
Aggregate gross domestic product for the region expanded by a robust 7.4% in
2005. Growth was underpinned by a favorable external environment and by
continuing progress on domestic reform issues. The People's Republic of China
and India both grew rapidly.
Asian Development Outlook 2009
The Asian Development Outlook, popularly known as the ADO,
is a series of annual economic reports on the developing
member countries (DMCs) of the Asian Development Bank. The ADO
provides a comprehensive analysis of macroeconomic and
development issues for the DMCs of ADB.
The ADO features:
- an assessment of economic trends and prospects for the
world and for the developing economies of Asia and the
Pacific
- economic profiles, economic management issues,
development policy concerns, and economic projections, for
the DMCs of ADB
- theme chapter covering important issues confronting the
region
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From The World Bank - September 2006
Africa's Silk Road:
China and India's New Economic Frontier
China and India Breaking New Economic Ground in Africa;
South-South Trade and Investment Create Imbalance, Opportunities
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United Nations University
WIDER Conference on
Spatial Inequality in Asia
UNU Tokyo, 28-29 March 2003
Themes addressed by the conference:
- Spatial inequality in China
- Inequality and conflict
- Poverty and inequality in India
- Poverty in Asia
- Location and Migration
- Trade and inequality
- Spatial inequality in Asia
- Spatial inequalities in Former Soviet Union
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From the Asian Development Bank
The Asian Development Outlook
an assessment of economic trends and prospects for the
world and for the developing economies of Asia and the Pacific
economic profiles, economic management issues, development policy concerns, and economic
projections, for the DMCs of ADB
theme chapter covering important issues confronting the region.
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Asian Development Bank topics:
ADB focuses on various development issues to carry out its
mission of reducing poverty in the Asia and Pacific region.
Its projects, programs, policies,
and strategies prioritize these areas, which aim to improve
the lives of the 903 million people in the region who struggle to
survive on less than US$1.25 a day.
The In Focus series
provides overviews of key development issues.
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| Some case studies on the social
effects of privatization: |
BAHRAIN
Scarce transparency in services
policies. It is expected that Bahrain, with increasing
poverty and unemployment, will soon be the first Gulf Cooperation Council state to
legislate privatisation. After beginning in a few sectors, such as transportation and
sanitation, privatisation is expected to gain momentum and be extended to the ports and
electricity production. |
BANGLADESH
Corruption and mismanagement threaten
jute mills. The jute sector was dominant in the economy
in terms of manufacturing sector output, employment, and foreign exchange earnings. It
contributed 87% of total merchandise export earnings at the time of the country’s
independence. The change of government in 1975 paved the way for a change in the
nationalisation policy and a process of privatisation was initiated. This report discusses
the impact of the nationalisation and later privatisation of the jute mills on the
national economy and on the jute workers. ATIUR RAHMAN ISMAIL HOSSAIN |
CAMBODIA
The long road to poverty eradication. Despite official policy pronouncements and some genuine efforts to
reform the health and education sectors, structural obstacles, most particularly low
budgetary allocations and disbursement systems that are slow and not always transparent,
block progress and have a debilitating effect on the quality and delivery of services. The
deep structural macro-economic problems worsen year after year and paralyse the whole
public health sector. Access to key natural resources are auctioned off to be
commercialised, leading to further impoverishment of the population. THIDA C. KHUS |
INDIA
Erosion of rights and marketisation of
development. The national development paradigm is a
paradox. On the one hand, there is a professed commitment to meeting the Millennium
Development Goals by respecting, protecting and fulfilling economic, social and cultural
rights. On the other hand, there is clear policy prioritisation towards privatisation of
services that affect the basic rights of the most marginalised, such as education, health,
water and food distribution. In contrast with the «the language of rights», policy
prescriptions push basic services away from the responsibilities and obligations of the
State. JOHN SAMUEL BOBBY KUNHU |
JORDAN
The money into the pockets of foreign
companies. The political instability in the region,
along with Jordan’s maturing economy, has prevented the domestic private sector from
playing an integral role in privatisation and has opened the way for foreign investors to
take over many previously public enterprises. As a result, profits made from privatised
companies do not contribute to the Jordanian treasury, as structural adjustment continues
to challenge welfare policies. Reduced public spending combined with low growth will
increase poverty, which is already aggravated by high population growth. NATASHA SHAWARIB |
KAZAKHSTAN
To the detriment of women, children
and the poor. The policy of structural adjustments has
led to a sharp reduction of social expenditures and the collapse of the social services
sector. Privatisation of social sector entities has failed. Firms offered for sale were
not in good condition or in great demand, so investors did not bid on them. In addition,
privatisation of health and education has reduced accessibility, and had a negative impact
on the poor and on women and children in particular. SVETLANA SHAKIROVA MARA SEITOVA |
KOREA
Privatisation, conflict and discontent. Privatisation in Korea has aroused intense debate and inspired
many citizen mobilisations. While voices from the government insist that privatisation
will strengthen industrial competitiveness and resolve the ill-effects of monopolies,
labour unions, civil society and academia cry out that it will drain national wealth
through sales abroad, degrade public services and deepen social inequality. Since there is
no precedent of a successful privatisation and restructuring process being carried out
without social consensus, the government should try to take the advice of civic groups
rather than follow its present course. PROF. KIM JIN SOO |
LEBANON
Confronting the fiscal crisis through
privatisation. The main reason for privatisation is
fiscal. Government officials argue that it is the only way out of the debt trap. However,
private firms only invest where they expect to make a profit. The private sector, by its
nature, prioritises short-term profit over any other social benefit. All in all, the
«public good» value of basic services is considered less important than their fiscal
potential. ZEINA ABLA |
MALAYSIA
The high cost of private monopolies. Privatisation policies have been limited to a small elite who took
over profitable public utilities and turned them into private monopolies. On several
occasions, the objective of reduced fiscal burden backfired, as the government had to pay
higher costs to bail out failed privatisations. For consumers, price increases have not
brought about benefits. There is a serious need to review the entire privatisation
policies to make the process more accountable and transparent. MAGESWARI SANGARALINGAM
MEENAKSHI RAMAN |
NEPAL
Rockbottom economic status. Economic liberalisation began in 1992. The foreign investment
policy endevoured to attract foreign private investment but undermined the national
interest. Nepalese entrepreneurs with limited resources and technical capacity were unable
to compete with foreign private investors and hence were negatively affected.
Privatisation of education and health has created two distinct classes and has benefited
the higher income groups, in a country where approximately 42% of the population live
below the poverty line. SARBA RAJ KHADKA RAKHEE LOHANI |
PAKISTAN
Extreme poverty, forced labour,
«honour killings»… This report presents an
overview of the dramatic Pakistani situation. Its 140 million people are among the
world’s poorest. High population growth and low social spending have deteriorated
healthcare, education, sanitation and drinking water. Non-Muslim minorities experience
routine discrimination. Child and forced labour and violence against women, subject to the
rule of «honour killings», are part of a general climate of restricted public freedoms.
PROF. AIJAZ A. QURESHI MUSHTAQ MIRANI NASARULLAH THAHEEM SHAHEEN KHAN |
PALESTINE
Relying on others: provision of water
and health care. Palestinian dependence on Israel for
water and on the international community for healthcare services underscores the crippled
state of Palestinian welfare and its subjugation to Israeli military decisions. This is
not the result of shortcomings of the traditional development approaches (in particular
the differing incentive and sanction structures behind state and market approaches to
basic service provision1 ) but of Israeli military and government policy towards the West
Bank and Gaza. IZZAT ABDUL-HADI THOMAS WHITE |
PHILIPPINES
The water case: increased rates for
poorer services. In August 1997, the government-run
facility that provided safe drinking water to 11 million Metro Manila residents, the
Metropolitan Waterworks and Sewerage Services (MWSS), was privatised. The MWSS story
belies the claim that privatisation automatically provides additional funds to government
or improves the efficiency and effectiveness of the management of companies. What it
bolsters, however, is the concern that cost-recovery and profit-making are the primary
goals of privatisation—even at huge economic and social costs to consumers and
citizens. MA. VICTORIA R. RAQUIZA |
THAILAND
The dark side of global markets. The 1997 economic crisis led to the privatisation of lucrative
state enterprises as an IMF requirement to reduce the debt, which was largely incurred by
the private sector. However, the multinational corporations have not benefited Thailand,
but they have returned profits to their own countries. At present, it is vital to define,
prioritise and achieve an equilibrium between democratic development and market
mechanisms. In this process, civil society should play an active role in maintaining basic
human values. RANEE HASSARUNGSEE |
VIET NAM
The Doi Moi policy and its impact on
the poor. In December 1986, the government mandated the
Doi Moi (open door) policy, shifting from a centrally planned economy to a market oriented
one. The current trend shows growing inequality between the rural and urban population,
and between the rich and the poor. Privatisation and liberalisation increased the social
gap in the access to basic social services in general and to education and health in
particular, and increased the vulnerability of the rural poor. TRAN THI QUE TO XUAN PHUC |
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| Asia in crisis..................................... |
| WORLD BANK
PREDICTS LOWEST GROWTH RATES FOR DEVELOPING COUNTRIES SINCE EIGHTIES' DEBT
CRISIS—OUTLOOK TO IMPROVE BY 2000 |
| World Bank
report says record year for private capital flows is hurt by East Asian downturn,
development aid to poor countries keeps falling (1998) |
| Social Crisis in Asia (World Bank)
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| W. Bello: Speculation,
Foreign Capital Dependence and the Collapse of the Southeast Asian Economies |
P. Krugman:
What happened in Asia?
Analytical Afterthoughts on the
Asian Crisis
Balance sheets, the transfer problem,
and financial crises
The energy crisis revisited
The Official Paul Krugman Web Page |
| The social impact of the Asian financial crisis
(ILO) |
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Papers on the Asian Crisis
(C.U.M.)
- Francisco García-Blanch, "An Empirical Inquiry into
South Korean Economic Growth",Working Paper No. 74, Center for International
Development, Harvard University, Cambridge, MA, 2001 (PDF, 211K)
- Pablo Bustelo, "Novelties of Financial
Crises in the 1990s and the Search for New Indicators", Emerging Markets
Review (Elsevier), Vol. 1, Num. 3, 2000, pp. 229-51, Pre-print draft, August 2000,
32 pages (PDF, 117K)
- Pablo Bustelo, Clara García and Iliana Olivié, "Global and Domestic Factors of
Financial Crises in Emerging Economies: Lessons from the East Asian Episodes
(1997-1999)", ICEI Working Papers, No. 16, Complutense University of
Madrid, November 1999, 106 pages (PDF, 403K)
- Pablo Bustelo and Iliana
Olivié, "Economic Globalisation
and Financial Crises: Some Lessons from East Asia", The Indian Journal
of Quantitative Economics (Punjab School of Economics,
Amritsar), Vol. 14, Num. 1, 1999, pp. 29-49, Pre-print draft, August 1999 (PDF,
43K)
- Pablo Bustelo, "The Impact of the Financial
Crises on East Asian Regionalism", Sino-European Bangkok Seminar, IIR-MARC, May
1999, 3rd pre-print draft, August 2000, in F.-K. Liu and P. Régnier (eds.), Regionalism
in East Asia: Paradigm Shifting?, Routledge-Curzon, London, 2003, pp. 141-152 (PDF,
49K)
- Pablo Bustelo, "The East Asian Financial Crises:
An Analytical Survey", ICEI Working Papers, No. 10, Complutense University
of Madrid, October 1998, 38 pages (PDF, 106K)
- Clara García and Iliana
Olivié, "The Financial Crises
in Southeast Asia", ICEI Working Papers, No. 11 (part IV), Complutense
University of Madrid, October 1998, 22 pages (PDF, 76K)
- Francisco García-Blanch, "The Financial Crises in East
Asia: The Case of South Korea", ICEI Working Papers, No. 11 (part III),
Complutense University of Madrid, October 1998, 18 pages (PDF, 43K).
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| Asia's Economic Crisis (Asia Society) |
What
Caused Asia's Economic Crisis?.............New York University
1.Basic Readings and References on the Causes of the Crisis
2.Global Effects, Regional and Systemic Contagion Analysis
3.Country Analysis (Thailand, Hong Kong, South Korea,
Malaysia,Philippines, Indonesia, Taiwan, China, Japan)
4.The Debate on the Role of the IMF in the Crisis
5.Will the Crisis Spread to Other Regions of the World?
6.The Role of Financial Fragility and Systemic Risk
7.Other Episodes of Fixed Exchange Rate Collapse in the 1990s
8.The Debate on Fixed versus Flexible Exchange Rate
9.Sources of Official Data and Reports 10.News Sources |
The Asian
Crisis: A View from the IMF
How Has the
Asian Crisis Affected Other Regions?
IMF Area Department Directors
Mitigating the
Social Costs of the Asian Crisis
IMF Staff
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| The Asian
Crisis: IMF Bail Outs: Truth and Fiction |
| Stanley Fischer: The Asian Crisis and the Changing Role of the IMF |
| Dai Xiaohua: 'East Asian Model': A few problems, but it works |
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United
Nations Economic and Social Commission for Asia
and the Pacific
Statistical Yearbook for Asia and the Pacific 2007
The monitoring of social, economic and environmental development requires the use of
data that is comparable across countries and over time. This is realized in
the 2007 edition of the Statistical Yearbook for Asia and the Pacific.
For the first time in its 50 year history, the Yearbook presents data compiled
from global sources maintained by United Nations agencies and other international organizations.
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Education for Sustainability
Postgraduate courses on Environment and Development
Education at London South Bank University |
 |
- Part time distance
learning
- Full time at the University
Come visit us at
www.lsbu.ac.uk/efs..... |
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From The World Bank - 18 Sept. 2006
An East Asian Renaissance: Ideas for Economic Growth
Advance Conference Edition
East Asia – a
region that has transformed itself since the financial crisis of the 90s
by creating more competitive and innovative economies – must now turn
to the urgent domestic challenges of inequality, social cohesion,
corruption and environmental degradation arising from its success.
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Asia
Times
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National Bureau of Asian Research Analysis
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China’s
People’s Liberation Army (PLA) Annual Conference Volume
The new book The "People" in the PLA: Recruitment, Training, and Education in China’s
Military, edited by Roy Kamphausen, Andrew Scobell, and Travis Tanner, was
officially released by NBR and the Strategic Studies Institute of the U.S. Army
War College at a book launch event co-hosted by and held at the Brookings
Institution on September 17. The event featured presentations by PLA experts
from government and academia. Read a transcript
from the event, learn more about the the conference,
and download the book.
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NBR Holds Groundbreaking Ceremony in
Seattle's University District
NBR hosted a groundbreaking ceremony on
August 4 at Eagleson Hall at the University of Washington to celebrate the
construction of a building where NBR will be permanently housed. The new
structure, to be named George F. Russell, Jr. Hall in honor of NBR’s longtime
chairman, will be located at 4201 15th Avenue NE, in close proximity to the
Daniel J. Evans School of Public Affairs and the Henry M. Jackson School of
International Studies and directly across the street from the University of
Washington’s William H. Gates Hall. View Press
Release. |
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Understanding China’s New
Sovereign Wealth Fund
This issue of the NBR Analysis provides
an analysis of the political and economic debates that led to the formation of
CIC, outlines what is known about the corporation’s investment objectives and
management structure, and details the domestic and foreign investments that CIC
has undertaken to date. It also examines some of the specific concerns that have
been raised about the potential risks posed by CIC to U.S. national interests
and draws some preliminary conclusions about their validity. Order or download this issue.
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Russian Energy Policy and
Strategy
Growing global energy demand and rising energy prices
provide essential context for Russia’s reemergence, simultaneously raising
anxiety levels among the major consumer countries and raising confidence levels
among the major producer countries. These tendencies have been especially
apparent in Asia. Yet, as has been the case in many other periods of rapid
change, neither the anxieties nor the confidence will likely prove fully
justified. Such is the unambiguous message of the two important articles in this
issue of the NBR Analysis. Order or download this issue.
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Asia Policy
6
This latest issue of NBR’s journal Asia Policy features a
policy Q&A with a panel of specialists on Islamic finance and a book review
roundtable on David C. Kang's China Rising. Articles in this issue
address generational change and political leadership in Japan and China, sea
lane security in Southeast Asia, and China's management of the risks resulting
from the country's rapid industrial development. Order or download Asia Policy 6. |
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Engaging Asia: U.S.
Strategic Interests, Priorities, and Policy Tools
On May 22, 2008,
NBR hosted senior policy leaders and experts in Washington, D.C., for the
conference “Engaging Asia: U.S. Strategic Interests, Priorities, and Policy
Tools.” Discussion focused on the ways that the U.S. might enhance its strategic
engagement with this increasingly vital region of the world. Ambassador
Christopher R. Hill, Assistant Secretary for East Asian and Pacific Affairs,
U.S. Department of State, delivered closing remarks on challenges and
opportunities for U.S.-Asia relations. Learn more about the
conference. |
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The John M.
Shalikashvili Chair in National Security Studies
On September 26,
2007, NBR announced the appointment of Admiral Dennis C. Blair to the John M.
Shalikashvili Chair in National Security Studies. Admiral Blair will advance the
study of national security issues and address critical U.S. interests in Asia
through research projects, publications, conferences, and briefings to senior
policymakers and business leaders. For more information on Admiral Blair and the
John M. Shalikashvili Chair, click
here.
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Pyle Center for
Northeast Asian Studies
On November 17, 2006, NBR dedicated the
Kenneth B. and Anne H.H. Pyle Center for Northeast Asian Studies. The Center's
inauguration featured a two-day international conference and a formal evening
gala. The newly launched Pyle Center will conduct research on Northeast Asia to
advance the comprehensive study of the region, particularly as it pertains to
its security, political, and economic dynamics. Click on the link to view Professor Pyle’s keynote
address. |
Asia Policy Journal
Clasification
of economies by income,1997-1998-World Bank
N. Islam: Growth, Poverty and Human Development in Pakistan, 1996
A. K. Shiva Kumar: Poverty and Human Development in India, 1996
Asian
Studies WWW Virtual Library (A.N.U.)
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Institute of Economic Research
Hitotsubashi University, Japan
Asian Historical Statistics Project
| 2006.8.30 |
Ryo Kambayashi, Daiji Kawaguchi and
Izumi Yokoyama Wage
Distribution in Japan: 1989-2003. |
| 2006.8.22 |
Satoshi Shimizutani and Izumi Yokoyama
Has
Japan's Long-term employment Practice Survived? New Evidence
Emerging Since the 1990s. |
| 2006.8.16 |
Dale W. Jorgenson and Khuong Vu Information
Technology and The World Growth Resurgence. |
| 2006.8.7 |
Ryo Kambayashi and Yuko Ueno Vacancy
Size and Offered Wage: A Source of Search Friction in The Japanese
Labor Market, Kyoji Fukao, Young Gak Kim and Hyeog Ug Kwon Plant
Turnover and TFP Dynamics in Japanese
Manufacturing. |
| 2006.8.1 |
Hiroaki Chigira and Taku Yamamoto A
Bias-Corrected Estimation for Dynamic Panel Models in Small
Samples, In Choi and Timothy K. Chue Subsampling-Based
Tests of Stock-Return Predictability.. |
| 2006.7.31 |
Harry X. Wu The
Chinese GDP Growth Rate Puzzle: How Fast Has the Chinese Economy
Grown? . |
| 2006.7.22 |
Robert Inklaar, Marcel P. Timmer and
Bart van Ark Mind
the gap! International comparisons of productivity in services and
goods production . |
| 2006.7.19 |
Tatiana A. Chief Estimation
of Gross Social Product and Net Material Product in the USSR,
Youri N. Ivanov On
Compilation of Long Term Series of GDP for the Former USSR
Republics, Kyoji Fukao, Keikok Ito, Hyeg Ug Kwon and Miho
Takizawa Cross-Border
Acquisitons and Target Firms' Performance: Evidence from Japanese
Firm-Level Data. |
| 2006.7.10 |
Workshop
information was modified. |
| 2006.7.03 |
Hak K. Pyo, Geun-Hee Rhee and Bongchan
Ha Growth
Accounting and Productivity Analysis by 33 Industrial Sectors in
Korea (1984-2002) .
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Vietnamese Economic Network
Southeast Asian Serials Index
United Nations Mission in East
Timor
In defence of Marxism: Asia
ACCESSASIA Review E-Journal
Asian
Development Bank
National Bureau of
Asian Research
Singapore
WWW Virtual Library
East Asian Studies Internet Resources
Mass Media on the Net..........I.O.L.
Stockolm University
E.U. cooperation with Asia and Latin
America......EUFORIC
Asian Educational Media Service
The Economic
History of Eastern Asia
Taiwan Security Research
India Books
ASEAN InfoSite
ASEANWEB
Asian Institute of Technology
Economic and Social Commission for Asia and
the Pacific /U. N.
Asian
Human Rights Commission
The Cambodian Genocide Program
Reporting Indonesia and
Asia(U.S. embassy/Jakarta)
Japan External Trade Organization
(JETRO)
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Asia- Pacific News................BBC
World Service
-
Asiaweek
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Far Eastern Economic Review
Read
the REVIEW essays that won at the 2006 Society of Publishers in Asia
awards:
"Finding
China's Missing Farmers" by William MacNamara
November 2005
Winner of Excellence in Feature Writing
"Police
Brutality in Papua New Guinea" by Zama Coursen-Neff
September 2005
Runner-up for Excellence in Human Rights Reporting
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APEC. Research Information Network. U. of B. C.
Asia-Pacific Economic Cooperation (APEC) Secretariat
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Asia
The Pacific
Middle East
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Asia
Asia in crisis
Asia-Pacific Economic Cooperation- APEC
The World Bank: regions
One World News Service: Asia
Asian Development Outlook 2002
Countries A-H
Countries I-P
Countries Q-Z
A to Z
CIA World Factbook
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