The report noted that Asia and the Pacific has made substantial progress in the past 2 decades with respect to several development targets in health, education, and hunger, in part due to the region’s impressive economic growth. Photo credit: ADB
The coronavirus disease (COVID-19) has pushed about 75 million to 80 million people in developing Asia into extreme poverty and threatens the region’s progress toward critical targets under the Sustainable Development Goals (SDGs), according to a new report by the Asian Development Bank (ADB).
Key Indicators for Asia and the Pacific 2021 presents comprehensive economic, financial, social, and environmental statistics for ADB’s 49 regional members. Developing Asia refers to the 35 developing members with data included in the report.
Gains before the pandemic
The report noted that Asia and the Pacific has made substantial progress in the past 2 decades with respect to several development targets, in part due to the region’s impressive economic growth.
Across developing Asia, the number of people living in extreme poverty—defined as living on less than $1.90 a day—fell from 1.2 billion in 1999 to 203 million in 2017. The prevalence of undernourishment fell from more than 521 million people in 2001 to 316 million in 2019. Completion rates for primary education likewise improved, rising by 8 to 11 percentage points, on average, since 2000.
The 203 million people living in extreme poverty as of 2017 accounts for 5.2% of developing Asia’s population. Without COVID-19, that number would have declined to an estimated 2.6% in 2020.
ADB staff simulations suggest that the region would have seen a steady reduction in poverty rates and the number of poor if the COVID-19 pandemic had not happened. Under a baseline scenario without COVID-19 in 2020, there would be an estimated 104 million living in extreme poverty and 732 million living in poverty (on less than $3.20 a day).
“Asia and the Pacific has made impressive strides, but COVID-19 has revealed social and economic fault lines that may weaken the region’s sustainable and inclusive development,” said ADB Chief Economist Yasuyuki Sawada in a news release. “To achieve the 2030 Sustainable Development Goals, decision makers need to harness high-quality and timely data as a guide for actions to ensure that the recovery leaves no one behind—especially the poor and vulnerable.”
Asia and the Pacific’s economy has grown at a robust pace in recent years and contributed as much as 35% to global gross domestic product (GDP) in 2019. But COVID-19 took a toll on countries. Only about 1 in 4 economies in the region posted GDP growth last year. Due to lockdowns and social restrictions, the region lost about 8% of work hours, deeply affecting poorer households and workers in the informal economy.
Stalled progress
The report said the pandemic threatens to further impede the region’s progress in meeting SDG goals in hunger, health, and education.
From 2010 to 2017, developing Asia was making progress in reducing the prevalence of undernourishment, with numbers dropping by more than 44 million. However, citing data from the United Nations and other agencies, the ADB report noted the number of undernourished in the region increased by more than 20 million from 2018 to 2019. In some countries where food insecurity and undernourishment were already a concern prior to COVID-19, millions had to reduce food consumption because of financial woes caused by the pandemic.
Before the pandemic, Asia and the Pacific saw steady gains in several health targets, particularly on maternal and child mortality. From 2010 to 2017, the maternal mortality ratio across the region dropped by 28% from an average of 164 deaths per 100,000 live births to 117 deaths per 100,000 live births. Numbers for child mortality likewise improved. From 2010 to 2019, the number of deaths per 1,000 live births dropped from 43 to 28.
However, low and lower middle-income economies still fall below the global average for density of health workers. Data since 2000 show that the region still falls below the minimum threshold—requiring at least 4.45 doctors, nurses, and midwives per 1,000 population, the report said, citing a World Health Organization study. With the pandemic, disruptions to health care systems could further slow the progress toward health targets or even reverse gains, it added.
Developing Asia was showing remarkable gains in primary school completion, with completion rates averaging above 80% for primary school and above 70% for lower secondary school since 2010. However, learning outcomes remain a challenge, with almost half of reporting economies having reading and numeracy scores below 50%.
School closures due to COVID-19 have affected almost all learners in the region and could lead to considerable learning losses, the report said. Children in poorer households are less likely to have access to schools with distance-learning programs due to lack of internet connectivity, it added.