Fastest-Growing Asian Economies in 2026

Asia’s growth outlook remains resilient despite heightened global uncertainty. In its September 2026 Asian Development Outlook, the Asian Development Bank raised its growth forecast for developing Asia and the Pacific to 5.0% for 2026, with stronger forecasts for South and Southeast Asia offsetting downgrades for the Caucasus, Central and West Asia.

Against this backdrop, the region’s fastest-growing economies remain concentrated across South, Southeast and Central Asia. Taiwan leads the ranking with an 11.0% growth forecast for 2026, followed by the Kyrgyzstan (Kyrgyz Republic) at 8.9% and Vietnam at 7.8%.

The regional picture remains uneven, with growth increasingly supported by investment, domestic demand, services and technology-led exports.

This chart ranks 18 selected Asian economies by their real GDP growth forecasts for 2026.

Key Takeaways:

• Taiwan is forecast to grow 11.0% in 2026, as the AI boom supports the economy amid global shocks. Strong technology exports, alongside large-scale investment in AI infrastructure and data centres, are expected to underpin growth.
• Vietnam is projected to expand 7.8%, supported by resilient manufacturing, strong domestic demand and rising exports.
• Kyrgyzstan and Tajikistan are set to grow 8.9% and 7.0%, respectively, with continued public investment and strong private consumption supporting activity.
• India is forecast to grow 7.0% in FY2026/27, driven by strong investment demand and resilient services exports. Uzbekistan is also projected to expand 7.0%, supported by rapid growth in services, industrial expansion and fixed investment.
• Georgia and Turkmenistan are both forecast to grow 6.3%, with public investment, services, consumption and exports supporting growth.
• China is projected to grow 4.6% in 2026, as slowing domestic consumption weighs on activity despite strong export demand and continued strength in high-tech industries. The ADB left its September forecast unchanged from July.

Note: 2026 figures are forecasts. The ranking covers selected economies within the Asian Development Bank’s regional coverage; Pacific island economies are not shown. GDP growth rates are on a fiscal-year basis for India; 2026 refers to FY2026/27.

Source: Asian Development Bank, Asian Development Outlook September 2026.