Asian countries now account for around one-third of global GDP, up from just 10 per cent in the early 1980s (Graph 5). People in Asia tend, on average, to save a fairly high share of their incomes. This partly reflects the less extensive social safety nets and the nature of the financial systems.
As incomes have risen in Asia, average savings rates in the region have fallen a little in recent years, but they remain higher than in most other parts of the world.