The Economic and Social Survey of Asia and the Pacific 2027 will focus on poverty in recognition that the factors underpinning poverty reduction in previous decades are changing rapidly. Rising trade protectionism and geoeconomic fragmentation, declining development assistance, geopolitical tensions and commodity price shocks, technological advances that may displace lower-skilled workers, climate-induced disasters, population ageing, slower productivity growth and tightening fiscal space are creating new risks that could slow poverty reduction and push vulnerable households back into poverty. These challenges underscore the need to move beyond conventional approaches towards policies that not only reduce existing poverty but also strengthen resilience and prevent people from falling into poverty, ensuring sustained transitions from extreme and moderate poverty to the middle class. Building on the Survey 2026, which explored how political economy and behavioural science can inform more effective economic policymaking, the Survey 2027 will extend these perspectives to poverty reduction and prevention.
The Expert Group Meeting is an integral part of the preparation of the Survey 2027, providing an opportunity for policymakers, researchers and development partners to peer-review the draft chapters and strengthen the report’s policy analysis, narrative and recommendations. The discussions will assess whether the analysis adequately captures the evolving development context and its implications for poverty across Asia and the Pacific, while examining the relevance and feasibility of proposed policy responses. Through expert feedback, research findings and country experiences, the meeting will help ensure that the final publication offers evidence-based and practical policy options to improve the effectiveness of fiscal and financial resources, strengthen household resilience and address the underlying drivers of intergenerational poverty.