East and Southeast Asia

East Asian economies were buoyed by domestic consumption that stimulated growth in the first half of 2018, despite an external environment that was less favorable than in 2017. The region is expected to remain on a positive trajectory through 2022, with economic growth in China and member states of the Association of Southeast Asian Nations (ASEAN) projected to average 6.2 percent and 5.2 percent, respectively. This continued growth should lead to further declines in poverty. But a combination of factors—including escalating protectionism, China’s slower growth, and adverse climate conditions in some countries—may prevent the region from meeting its full economic potential and further improving food security. In 2018, a year of both opportunities and challenges, countries worked toward deeper regional integration and rejuvenation of long-neglected rural areas to enhance preparedness and resilience amid growing uncertainty.