TOKYO, Oct. 07, 2026 (GLOBE NEWSWIRE) -- The Asian Productivity Organization (APO) has published the 19th edition of its Productivity Databook. This report details economic growth and productivity trends across 38 Asian economies covering the period from 1970 to 2024, with projections extending to 2035. It includes data from 21 APO member economies (APO21) and 17 nonmember economies, collectively referred to as Asia38.

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The 2026 Databook indicates a slowdown in average annual growth in per-hour labor productivity for APO member economies, decreasing from 2.9% during 2015-2019 to 2.5% in 2019-2024. Total factor productivity (TFP) growth remained consistent at 1.0% across both periods. Additionally, the report explores shifts in productivity, industrial structure, and demand composition among APO economies.

The Databook was developed using the APO Productivity Database 2026, which now includes comprehensive productivity accounts for APO21 along with seven nonmember economies: Afghanistan, Bhutan, Brunei, China, the Maldives, Myanmar, and Saudi Arabia. This marks the first inclusion of Saudi Arabia in full accounts, as well as the addition of Kazakhstan, Kyrgyzstan, Tajikistan, Turkmenistan, and Uzbekistan in broader labor productivity metrics.

Revisions based on updated national accounts and statistics up to May 2026 have also been incorporated into this edition. The database features quality-adjusted labor input estimates and stock assessments of land and mineral resources from the Asia Natural Resources Database 2026. It offers regional productivity accounts for various groups, including ASEAN6, APO21, and SAARC, facilitating insights into the contributions of capital, labor, and TFP to economic growth.

Key findings from the APO Productivity Databook 2026 include:

- Asia38’s GDP reached USD40.3 trillion in 2024, representing a growth of 37% over the U.S. GDP, with an average real GDP growth of 3.8% per year from 2019-2024, primarily driven by China and India.

- The per-hour labor productivity of Asia28 increased by 3.7% annually from 2019-2024, with notable growth rates in China (5.8%), Vietnam (4.5%), India (4.4%), and Bangladesh (3.9%).

- Capital input contributed 57% to Asia28’s economic growth from 2000-2024, while TFP accounted for 28%, with capital deepening responsible for about 45% of labor productivity growth.

- In 2024, Asia38 represented 50% of global final energy consumption and accounted for 60% of world CO2 emissions from fuel.

- The inclusion of Saudi Arabia increases the total number of economies in the full productivity accounts to 28, while the broader productivity indicators now encompass 38 economies.

This latest edition of the APO Productivity Databook combines harmonized national accounts with quality-adjusted labor input and detailed assessments of capital services and natural resources. It is available in both digital and print formats, accessible for free at http://doi.org/10.61145/JHLU9970. The APO Productivity Database 2026 can be found at https://www.apo-tokyo.org/productivitydatabook/.

The APO, established in 1961, aims to enhance productivity in the Asia-Pacific region through cooperative initiatives, policy advisory services, and knowledge sharing to support sustainable socio-economic development.