ADB releases flagship statistical report for Asia, Pacific

Manila: The Asian Development Bank (ADB) has released the 2017 edition of Key Indicators for Asia and the Pacific. Key Indicators 2017 provides the latest available economic, financial, social, and environmental statistics for the 48 regional members of ADB.

“Key Indicators 2017 will be a useful tool for ADB member countries, researchers, media, and citizens for monitoring the region’s development progress,” said ADB Chief Economist Yasuyuki Sawada.

“Data plays a critical role in helping decision-makers prioritize policies to meet their development goals and the report brings together comparable statistics on a broad range of development themes.”

A key addition to this year’s report is an analysis on sex-disaggregated data that ADB researchers conducted through 3 pilot surveys. Despite strong evidence linking women’s asset ownership to the attainment of development goals, such sex-disaggregated data needed to monitor progress in the 2030 Sustainable Development Goals (SDGs) are scarce. The pilot surveys have produced rich data on asset ownership at the individual level, and provide valuable lessons for future statistical work on the subject.

ADB, based in Manila, is dedicated to reducing poverty in Asia and the Pacific through inclusive economic growth, environmentally sustainable growth, and regional integration. Established in 1966, ADB is celebrating 50 years of development partnership in the region. It is owned by 67 members—48 from the region. In 2016, ADB assistance totaled $31.7 billion, including $14 billion in co financing.