Asia | IMF Blog

Chart of the Week: A Golden Aging for Vietnam?

July 17, 2017

A worker in a silk factory in Dalat, Vietnam. Encouraging more women to join the workforce and shifting to higher productivity occupations will help the country overcome the impact of an aging population (photo: Gerhard Zwerger-Schoner/imageBroker/Newscom)

Vietnam’s demographic dividend is fast turning into a handicap.

For decades, working-age Vietnamese made up an expanding share of the population, boosting economic growth and helping to keep retirement and health spending in check. Continue reading “Chart of the Week: A Golden Aging for Vietnam?” »

By IMFBlog| July 17th, 2017|aging, Asia, developing countries, education, Employment, IMF, International Monetary Fund, labor force, productivity, Uncategorized|0 Comments

What We Have Seen and Learned 20 Years After the Asian Financial Crisis

By Mitsuhiro Furusawa

July 13, 2017

Versions in عربي (Arabic), Bahasa (Indonesia), 中文 (Chinese), Español (Spanish), Français (French),
日本語 (Japanese), Русский (Russian)

A trader in Seoul, South Korea: Asia is the largest contributor to global growth (photo: Ryu Seung-il/Polaris/Newscom)

Asia today is the fastest-growing region in the world, and the largest contributor to global growth. It has six members of the Group of Twenty advanced and emerging economies, and its economic and social achievements are well recognized.

But 20 years ago, July 1997 marked the beginning of the Asian Financial Crisis, when a combination of economic, financial and corporate problems triggered a sharp loss of confidence and capital outflows from the region’s emerging market economies. The crisis began in Thailand on July 2, when the baht’s peg to the dollar was dropped, and eventually spread to Korea, Indonesia and other countries. Continue reading “What We Have Seen and Learned 20 Years After the Asian Financial Crisis” »

By IMFBlog| July 13th, 2017|Asia, banking, capital markets, currency, Economic Crisis, Emerging Markets, Financial Crisis, Financial markets, IMF, International Monetary Fund, Japan, Uncategorized|0 Comments

Emerging Economy Consumers Drive Infrastructure Needs

By Paolo Mauro

May 4, 2017

Versions in 中文 (Chinese), Français (French), 本語 (Japanese), Русский (Russian), and Español (Spanish)

The infrastructure needs of emerging market economies, like China or India, differ from those of advanced economies like the United States or Germany. Many emerging economies must substantially expand their energy and transportation networks, or build them from scratch, to accommodate rapid economic growth. Our research shows the more people make, the more they spend on transportation. With emerging economies’ middle classes booming and incomes rising, this has big implications for how policymakers choose to invest in infrastructure. Continue reading “Emerging Economy Consumers Drive Infrastructure Needs” »

By IMFBlog| May 4th, 2017|Advanced Economies, Economic research, Emerging Markets, Government, growth, IMF, infrastructure, Investment|0 Comments

Chart of the Week: The Cost of Asia’s Aging

By IMFBlog

May 1, 2017

Versions in 中文 (Chinese), Bahasa (Indonesia), and 本語 (Japanese)

When it comes to tackling demographic change in Asia, there’s no one-size-fits-all strategy for policymakers. In some countries, like Japan, the population is aging rapidly, and the labor force is shrinking. In others, like the Philippines, young people are flooding the job market in search of work.

As our chart shows, the impact of aging could potentially drag down Japan’s average annual GDP growth by 1 percentage point over the next three decades. While in India and the Philippines, which have some of the youngest populations in the region, a growing workforce could potentially increase GDP by that same amount. Continue reading “Chart of the Week: The Cost of Asia’s Aging” »

By IMFBlog| May 1st, 2017|Advanced Economies, aging, Asia, capital markets, China, developing countries, Economic outlook, Emerging Markets, Employment, Global Governance, growth, health, inclusive growth, India, Japan, jobs, labor markets, Uncategorized|0 Comments

Chart of the Week: For India, Toilets Bring Benefits

By iMFdirect

Improving access to sanitation, an important Sustainable Development Goal, is essential for achieving gender equality and economic prosperity. It leads to increased female participation in the workforce, higher literacy and faster economic growth, according to the IMF’s latest research on India. Continue reading “Chart of the Week: For India, Toilets Bring Benefits” »

By IMFBlog| February 27th, 2017|Economic research, Gender issues, growth, health, IMF, Inequality, infrastructure, International Monetary Fund|0 Comments

China Must Quickly Tackle its Corporate Debt Problems

By Joong Shik Kang and Wojciech S. Maliszewski

Version in 中文 (Chinese)

China urgently needs to tackle its corporate-debt problem before it becomes a major drag on growth in the world’s No. 2 economy. Corporate debt has reached very high levels and continues to grow. In our recent paper, we recommend that the government act promptly to adopt a comprehensive program that would sacrifice some economic growth in the short term while rapidly returning the economy to a sustainable growth path.

Continue reading “China Must Quickly Tackle its Corporate Debt Problems” »

By IMFBlog| December 16th, 2016|Debt Relief, Economic research, Financial regulation, growth, IMF, International Monetary Fund, Public debt|0 Comments

Five Lessons from a Review of Recent Crisis Programs

By Vivek Arora

Version in 中文 (Chinese), Español (Spanish)

IMF lending increased to unprecedented levels in the aftermath of the global financial crisis. As difficulties emerged, we extended financial support to countries across the world—in the euro area, Africa, Asia, the Middle East, and emerging economies in Europe.

The IMF tried to draw lessons in real time as the crisis evolved in order to adapt our operations. We reviewed individual programs and, from time to time, paused and took stock of our experience across countries.

Continue reading “Five Lessons from a Review of Recent Crisis Programs” »

By IMFBlog| July 11th, 2016|Economic research, Financial Crisis, Fiscal policy, IMF, International Monetary Fund, Multilateral Cooperation, Uncategorized|0 Comments

Addition by Subtraction: How Diasporas Can Boost Home-Country Growth

By Pritha Mitra

Version in عربي (Arabic)

Every year, millions of people leave their countries of birth in search of better opportunities abroad. Often, these migrants are among the most talented workers in their home countries. At first glance, this is a loss for the home countries, which invested considerable time and money in educating and developing these people, only to watch them leave. But look again.

Continue reading “Addition by Subtraction: How Diasporas Can Boost Home-Country Growth” »

By IMFBlog| May 18th, 2016|Emerging Markets, Employment, Government, growth, International Monetary Fund, Investment, Migration, technology, Uncategorized|0 Comments

Who Wins and Who Loses As China Rebalances

By Serkan Arslanalp, Thomas Helbling, Jaewoo Lee, and Koshy Mathai

Version in 中文 (Chinese)

China’s economy leaves nobody indifferent. The world is watching closely as the second largest economy in the world is shifting its growth model from an export-driven one to one centered on household consumption. As China’s economy slows and rebalances, its impact is being felt on an already fragile global economy, and particularly in the rest of the Asia region. Our recent studies show that while China’s rebalancing will adversely affect some Asian economies, it will also open opportunities for several others.

Continue reading “Who Wins and Who Loses As China Rebalances” »

By IMFBlog| May 12th, 2016|Financial markets, growth, IMF, International Monetary Fund, Investment, technology, Uncategorized|0 Comments

The Change in Demand for Debt: The New Landscape in Low-income Countries

By Andrea F. Presbitero and Min Zhu

(Versions in 中文 (Chinese), Français, and Português)

Many low-income developing countries have joined the group of Eurobond issuers across the globe— in sub-Saharan Africa (for example, Senegal, Zambia, and Ghana), Asia (for example, Mongolia) and elsewhere, raising over US$21 billion cumulatively over the past decade. Tapping these markets provides a new source of funds, but also exposes borrowers to shifts in investor sentiment and rising global interest rates.

Continue reading “The Change in Demand for Debt: The New Landscape in Low-income Countries” »

By IMFBlog| February 17th, 2016|Africa, Emerging Markets, IMF, International Monetary Fund, Low-income countries, Public debt|0 Comments

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