The Middle-Income Trap and Development Strategies in Asia

On December 15, 2025, the World Bank Group Institute for Economic Development Tokyo Center, in partnership with IDE–JETRO and Asahi Shimbun, convened a high-level symposium in Tokyo examining the World Development Report 2024 through the lens of Asia’s development experience. The event brought together policymakers, researchers, and development practitioners to discuss how Asian economies at different stages of growth can overcome the middle-income trap amid shifting global trade dynamics, financial fragilities, and geopolitical uncertainty.

The symposium featured a keynote address by Indermit Gill, Chief Economist of the World Bank Group, followed by country-focused presentations on Malaysia, Thailand, and Indonesia. The discussion highlighted practical development strategies for sustaining growth in a post-globalization era, emphasizing productivity, innovation, and adaptive policy reform. A concluding panel discussion reinforced the importance of context-specific pathways to long-term prosperity across Asia.