Books by Asian Development Bank

The Asian Development Outlook 2013 estimates that regional economic growth in the Asia Pacific region will pick up to 6.6% in 2013 and reach 6.7% in 2014. This is a distinct improvement on 2012, when growth stood at just over 6%. Consumer prices are expected to rise by 4.0% in 2013 and 4.2% in 2014, up from 3.7% last year. Leading regional economies are settling into a pattern of more moderate, more sustainable growth, founded on new opportunities nearer to home, including domestic consumption and intra-regional trade. Meanwhile, Asia's contributions to global imbalances---its persistent current account surpluses---are smoothly winding down. Yet, developing Asia's recovery phase remains vulnerable to shocks. Strong capital inflows could feed asset bubbles, for example.

Armenia, a country of ancient traditions, is shaped by events of the recent past. As it left behind the Soviet legacy of an official gender equality policy, there came about a resurgence of patriarchal views and customs. At the same time though, Armenia saw the growth of diverse women's civil society organizations, and the development of a solid legal and policy framework for the protection of equal rights. This publication discusses gender equality concerns in Armenia's government, economy, society, and culture. It analyzes gender issues in key sectors such as energy, transport, water supply and municipal services, and entrepreneurship. Developed in cooperation with the government and other development partners, this country gender assessment is envisaged to be a useful guide in developing and implementing policies, programs, and projects with a social and gender perspective.

The annual Asian Development Outlook analyzes economic performance in the past year and offers forecasts for the next 2 years for the 45 economies in Asia and the Pacific that make up developing Asia. Most regional economies saw recovery propelled last year by higher external demand and rebounding global commodity prices. These factors will likely continue to support growth this year and next despite rebalancing in the People's Republic of China and tepid recovery in the advanced economies. Risks to growth stem from uncertain policy directions in the advanced economies, including an anticipated tightening of US monetary policy. While short-term risks appear manageable, spillover to capital flows and exchange rates require monitoring. Decades of rapid growth lifted most of developing Asia from low- to middle-income status. Sustained growth to escape the middle-income trap must come largely from improved total factor productivity, which is achieved by fostering entrepreneurial innovation and investing in human capital and infrastructure. The difficult transition from middle to high income further demands a sound institutional framework and policy environment anchored on macroeconomic stability. Developing Asia's dynamic yet sure-footed track record indicates that it can transcend the middle-income challenge.