Asia Economics Weekly Indonesia’s GDP rebound, Asian elections in focus Q4 GDP growth in Indonesia surprised on the upside at 5.4% y/y, the fastest pace since 2022 and a rare break from the strikingly narrow growth range seen over the past two years. However, given... 6th February 2026 · 5 mins read
Asia Economics Focus Thailand: economic woes to continue after election Whichever party wins Thailand’s general election on 8th February will inherit a weak economy, tight fiscal constraints, and deep-seated structural and demographic challenges. The continued shift... 2nd February 2026 · 17 mins read
Asia Economics Update Asia Manufacturing PMIs, Korea Trade (January) The January manufacturing PMI readings for Asian economies remain consistent with generally steady growth in manufacturing. However, the PMIs have recently been a poor guide to the hard activity data... 2nd February 2026 · 3 mins read
Asia Economics Update A look ahead to the key political events in Asia in 2026 In a busy electoral calendar, several Asian countries will go to the polls this year, with potentially significant implications for economic reform in India and macroeconomic stability in Bangladesh... 5th January 2026 · 4 mins read
Asia Rapid Response Thailand Interest Rate Announcement (Dec. 2025) Thailand’s central bank (BoT) today cut interest rates by a further 25bps, to 1.25%, and we doubt this marks the end of the easing cycle. With growth struggling and price pressures very low, we expect... 17th December 2025 · 2 mins read
Asia Economics Weekly BoT meets amid border clashes, Taiwan’s export boom The Bank of Thailand is likely to restart its easing cycle next week, against a backdrop of weak activity, deflation, an appreciating currency, and political/geopolitical uncertainty. Meanwhile... 12th December 2025 · 7 mins read
Asia Economics Update Thailand-Cambodia conflict: assessing the fallout The economic fallout from renewed border clashes between Thailand and Cambodia should remain modest. Trade between the two countries is small, and Thailand’s tourism sector should be insulated given... 9th December 2025 · 3 mins read
Asia Economics Weekly Asian easing cycles have further to run Tropical storms have caused disruption in Southeast Asia but should have only a modest economic impact and won’t sway upcoming policy meetings. GDP growth in the Philippines has slowed sharply as a... 5th December 2025 · 5 mins read
Asia Economics Update Asia Manufacturing PMIs, Korea Trade (November) The November PMI readings for most countries in Asia remained consistent with soft manufacturing activity. However, the PMIs haven’t been a great guide to the hard activity data for some economies... 1st December 2025 · 3 mins read
Asia Rapid Response Thailand GDP (Q3 2025) Thailand’s economy contracted during the third quarter and we think it will struggle over the coming months, prompting the central bank to step in and loosen monetary policy by more than most expect. 17th November 2025 · 2 mins read
Asia Economics Update Thailand: growth to struggle as consumers pull back Thailand’s recovery from the pandemic has been one of the weakest in Asia and, with the boost from consumer spending fading as households deleverage, the economy is running short of growth drivers. We... 14th November 2025 · 3 mins read
Asia Economics Update Are cheap imports from China lowering Asian inflation? We aren’t convinced that cheaper imports from China had much to do with the recent sharp fall in inflation in the rest of Asia. While we expect inflation to remain soft next year, that reflects our... 11th November 2025 · 4 mins read
Asia Chart Pack Asia Chart Pack (October 2025) Our Asia Chart Pack has been updated with the latest data and our analysis of recent developments. With growth likely to soften in the coming months and inflation subdued, further interest rate cuts... 31st October 2025 · 0 mins read
Asia Economics Weekly Thai deflation risks GDP growth in Vietnam held firm at 8.2% y/y in Q3, underpinned by resilient exports despite the 20% US tariffs introduced in August. The strength of the export sector likely reflects increased re... 10th October 2025 · 6 mins read
Asia Economics Weekly Korea defence spending boost, Thailand stimulus South Korea this week confirmed plans to lift defence spending by 8.2% in 2026, the sharpest rise in nearly 20 years, as US pressure pushes allies to shoulder more of their own security burden. Korea... 3rd October 2025 · 7 mins read
