Please use this identifier to cite or link to this item: https://hdl.handle.net/10419/128515 
Authors: 
Year of Publication: 
2010
Series/Report no.: 
ADB Economics Working Paper Series No. 217
Publisher: 
Asian Development Bank (ADB), Manila
Abstract: 
This paper describes the size of the middle class in developing Asia across countries and over time. Based on an absolute measure of the middle class of $2-$20 (2005 purchasing power parity United States dollars), it finds that between 1990 and 2008, the size of the middle class in developing Asia has grown dramatically in percentage share, absolute size, and purchasing power. However, there are large variations in the size and growth of the middle class across countries, with the primary growth of the middle class largely driven by the People's Republic of China (PRC). Considerably smaller growth has occurred in many countries including Nepal and Sri Lanka. Still, a large portion of the middle class residing in the $2-$4 range are extremely vulnerable, and many of the poor in Asia remain in the PRC and India. This suggests that it may be good for policymakers to not only focus on countries that have lagged behind in terms of growth of the middle class, but that it should also concern itself with focusing on countries where there is still considerable room to build, and bolster the absolute size of the middle class in Asia.
Subjects: 
inclusive growth
developing Asia
middle class
JEL: 
I30
Persistent Identifier of the first edition: 
Creative Commons License: 
cc-by Logo
Document Type: 
Working Paper

Files in This Item:
File
Size
385.13 kB





Items in EconStor are protected by copyright, with all rights reserved, unless otherwise indicated.