Debt, trade barriers and uncertainty will drag on Asian economies in 2024, World Bank report says
A World Bank report says Asian economies are not doing as well as they could and growth in the region is forecast to slow to 4.5% this year from 5.1% in 2023
BANGKOK (AP) — Asian economies are not doing as well as they could and growth in the region is forecast to slow to 4.5% this year from 5.1% in 2023, the World Bank said in a report released Monday.
Debt, trade barriers and policy uncertainties are dulling the region’s economic dynamism and governments need to do more to address long-term problems such as weak social safety nets and underinvestment in education, the report says.
Asia’s economies are growing more slowly than before the pandemic, but faster than other parts of the world. And a rebound in global trade — trade in goods and services grew by only 0.2% in 2023 but is projected to grow by 2.3% this year — and easing financial conditions as central banks cut interest rates will help offset weaker growth in China.
“This report demonstrates the region is outperforming much of the rest of the world, but it’s underachieving its own potential,” Aaditya Mattoo, the World Bank’s chief economist for East Asia and the Pacific, said in an online briefing.
