Asian GDP is bigger than that of Europe, the Americas and Africa combined. Asia accounts for well over half of global GDP. And Asian GDP growth has accounted for around 70% of global growth over the past decade. So, shouldnt Asia comprise 50%+ of your investments by value? - - Probably not. The problem with Asia is that this vast geographical space (however defined) includes many countries you probably wouldnt want to live in, and on whose data, you cannot rely, This Insight reviews the role of Governance in deciding which parts of Asia are relatively safe places in which to invest. World Economics defines Governance using 4 Indexes: Rule of Law; Press Freedom; Political Rights; and Corruption.

The Prices Index surged to 56.8 in October, a two-year high, signalling strong inflationary pressures in the US economy. The Headline Sales Managers Index (SMI) reached 51.0, reflecting modest expansion in business activity, supported by stable confidence, sales, and staffing levels. The significant jump in prices, likely driven by supply chain disruptions and global trade policies, overshadows these gains, posing risks to demand and economic stability. The SMI All Sector Data highlights a resilient but cautious economy navigating a challenging cost environment.

The Prices Index surged to 56.8 in October, a two-year high, signalling strong inflationary pressures in the US economy. The Headline Sales Managers Index (SMI) reached 51.0, reflecting modest expansion in business activity, supported by stable confidence, sales, and staffing levels. The significant jump in prices, likely driven by supply chain disruptions and global trade policies, overshadows these gains, posing risks to demand and economic stability. The SMI All Sector Data highlights a resilient but cautious economy navigating a challenging cost environment.

Todays chart looks at actual defence expenditures of NATO countries combined, and at the change when the US spend is excluded from the NATO total, plus a comparison with Russia. It should be remembered that not all defence expenditure is directed towards the Ukraine. But as the chart shows, NATO is much reduced in size in comparison with Russia when US expenditure is excluded. The balance of power still favours NATO, but to a lesser extent.

SMI data for China is published as diffusion indexes to gauge the speed and direction of economic activity. Monthly data since 2013 is downloadable for all-sectors, manufacturing and service sectors separatly in a consistent unadjusted format for 7 key indexes

World Economics provides a full review of Tajikistan

The October Sales Managers Index (SMI) data for China indicates steady expansion in business activity, with the Headline All-Sector SMI rising to 51.2, reflecting modest growth in both Manufacturing and Services sectors. This improvement is primarily driven by robust sales performance, as shown in the chart below. The data, covering all sectors as well as manufacturing and services splits, points to a resilient economy despite heightened US-China trade tensions, including new tariffs and export controls implemented in early October.

SMI data for China is published as diffusion indexes to gauge the speed and direction of economic activity. Monthly data since 2013 is downloadable for all-sectors, manufacturing and service sectors separatly in a consistent unadjusted format for 7 key indexes

World Economics provides a full review of Guyana

Global SMI data is published as diffusion indexes to gauge the speed and direction of economic activity. Monthly data for 8 years is downloadable in a consistent unadjusted format for the 7 key indexes

SMI data for China is published as diffusion indexes to gauge the speed and direction of economic activity. Monthly data since 2013 is downloadable for all-sectors, manufacturing and service sectors separatly in a consistent unadjusted format for 7 key indexes

World Economics has combined 25 principal countries to represent the Americas.

Indian Sales Managers reported another month of significant economic growth in October. All growth-related indexes except employment are reflecting significant expansion across a wide variety of business sectors. - - The forward-looking Business Confidence Index, reflecting the vital "animal spirits" factor in economic growth, indicates that continued significant expansion in economic activity is likely to continue throughout the fourth quarter of 2025, and on into the first quarter of 2026.

The economic performance of East Asia, led by China, has been remarkable in the past decade. From 2015 to 2025, East Asia contributed 42.7% of all global GDP growth (31.2% from China alone), more than double the share of any other region. The broader Asia-Pacific region showed impressive dynamism, accounting for 70.0% of the world’s economic expansion.

Global SMI data is published as diffusion indexes to gauge the speed and direction of economic activity. Monthly data for 8 years is downloadable in a consistent unadjusted format for the 7 key indexes

Asia-Pacific GDP is over twice that of the Americas, 3 times that of Europe and over 8 times Africa. The largest Asian countries by GDP size all have reasonable Data Quality Ratings (Grades A-C), and data are likely to be believable, but all pan-region GDP data includes data of varying quality, so it is advised to review individual country data for a more detailed perspective.

The October Sales Managers Index (SMI) data for China indicates steady expansion in business activity, with the Headline All-Sector SMI rising to 51.2, reflecting modest growth in both Manufacturing and Services sectors. This improvement is primarily driven by robust sales performance, as shown in the chart below. The data, covering all sectors as well as manufacturing and services splits, points to a resilient economy despite heightened US-China trade tensions, including new tariffs and export controls implemented in early October.

World Economics provides a full review of Bulgaria

The Prices Index surged to 56.8 in October, a two-year high, signalling strong inflationary pressures in the US economy. The Headline Sales Managers Index (SMI) reached 51.0, reflecting modest expansion in business activity, supported by stable confidence, sales, and staffing levels. The significant jump in prices, likely driven by supply chain disruptions and global trade policies, overshadows these gains, posing risks to demand and economic stability. The SMI All Sector Data highlights a resilient but cautious economy navigating a challenging cost environment.

World Economics provides a full review of Senegal

The October Sales Managers Index (SMI) data for China indicates steady expansion in business activity, with the Headline All-Sector SMI rising to 51.2, reflecting modest growth in both Manufacturing and Services sectors. This improvement is primarily driven by robust sales performance, as shown in the chart below. The data, covering all sectors as well as manufacturing and services splits, points to a resilient economy despite heightened US-China trade tensions, including new tariffs and export controls implemented in early October.

World Economics provides a full review of Albania

The Prices Index surged to 56.8 in October, a two-year high, signalling strong inflationary pressures in the US economy. The Headline Sales Managers Index (SMI) reached 51.0, reflecting modest expansion in business activity, supported by stable confidence, sales, and staffing levels. The significant jump in prices, likely driven by supply chain disruptions and global trade policies, overshadows these gains, posing risks to demand and economic stability. The SMI All Sector Data highlights a resilient but cautious economy navigating a challenging cost environment.

Asian GDP is bigger than that of Europe, the Americas and Africa combined. Asia accounts for well over half of global GDP. And Asian GDP growth has accounted for around 70% of global growth over the past decade. So, shouldnt Asia comprise 50%+ of your investments by value? - - Probably not. The problem with Asia is that this vast geographical space (however defined) includes many countries you probably wouldnt want to live in, and on whose data, you cannot rely, This Insight reviews the role of Governance in deciding which parts of Asia are relatively safe places in which to invest. World Economics defines Governance using 4 Indexes: Rule of Law; Press Freedom; Political Rights; and Corruption.

Global SMI data is published as diffusion indexes to gauge the speed and direction of economic activity. Monthly data for 8 years is downloadable in a consistent unadjusted format for the 7 key indexes