Four Asian Tigers

Last updated
Four Asian Tigers
Four Asian Tigers with flags.svg
The Four Asian Tigers, from north to south: South Korea, Taiwan, Hong Kong and Singapore

Credit ratings

Country or
territory
Fitch Moody's S&P
Hong KongAA [21] Aa2 [22] AA+ [23]
SingaporeAAA [24] Aaa [25] AAA
South KoreaAA− [26] Aa2 [27] AA [28]
TaiwanAA [29] Aa3 [30] AA+ [31]

Demographics

Country or
territory
Area
(km2)
Population
(2020) [32]
Population
density

(per km2)
Life
expectancy at birth

(2020) [33]
Median
age

(2020)
Birth rate
(2015)
Death rate
(2011)
Fertility
rate

(2020)
Net
migration
rate

(2015–2020)
Population
growth rate

(2015)
Hong Kong1,1067,496,9817,14085.29450.8%0.6%0.87 [34] 0.40%0.82
Singapore7285,850,3428,35884.07420.9%0.45%1.10 [35] 0.47%0.79
South Korea100,21051,269,18552783.50440.8%0.51%0.84 [36] 0.02%0.09
Taiwan36,19723,816,77567381.04420.8%0.66%0.99 [37] 0.13%0.18

Economy

Country or
territory
GDP (millions of USD, 2021 estimates)GDP per capita (USD, 2022 estimated) Trade
(billions of
USD, 2016)
(billions of USD, 2017) Industrial
growth
rate (%)
(2017)
Nominal PPP Nominal PPP Exports Imports
Hong Kong369,722488,65449,85065,4031,236496.9558.61.2
Singapore378,645615,29379,576107,677917372.9327.4-3.5
South Korea1,823,8522,503,39534,94448,3091,103577.4457.5-1.5
Taiwan785,5891,443,41136,05161,371604344.6272.61.2

Quality of life

Country or
territory
Human Development Index
(2021 data)
Income inequality
by Gini coefficient
Median household income
(2013), USD PPP [38]
Median per-capita income
(2013), USD PPP [38]
Global Well Being Index
(2010), % thriving [39]
Hong Kong0.952 (4th)53.9 (2016)35,4439,70519%
Singapore0.939 (12th)46.4 (2014)32,3607,34519%
South Korea0.925 (19th)34.1 (2015)40,86111,35028%
Taiwan0.926 (–) [lower-alpha 1] 33.6 (2014)32,7626,88222%

Technology

Country or
territory
Average Internet connection speed
(2020) [45]
Smartphone usage
(2016)
Use of renewable electricity
Hong Kong21.8 Mbit/s87% [46] 0.3%
Singapore47.5 Mbit/s100% [47] 3.3%
South Korea59.6 Mbit/s89%2.1%
Taiwan28.9 Mbit/s78% [48] 4.4%

Politics

Country or
territory
Democracy Index
(2022)
Press
Freedom
Index

(2023) [49]
Corruption
Perceptions
Index

(2022)
Global
Competitiveness
Index

(2019) [50]
Ease of
doing
business
index

(2020)
Property rights index
(2015)
Bribe Payers Index
(2011)
Current political status
Hong Kong5.2844.867683.1Very Easy (3rd)7.67.6Executive-led Special Administrative
Region of the People's Republic of China
Singapore6.2247.888584.8Very Easy (2nd)8.18.3Parliamentary Republic
South Korea8.0370.835979.6Very Easy (5th)5.97.9Presidential Republic
Taiwan8.9975.546880.2Very Easy (15th)6.97.5Semi-Presidential Republic

Organizations and groups

Country or
territory
UN WTO OECD DAC APEC ADB AIIB SEACEN G20 EAS ASEAN
Hong KongRed x.svgGreen check.svgRed x.svgRed x.svgGreen check.svgGreen check.svgGreen check.svgGreen check.svg [51] Red x.svgRed x.svgRed x.svg
SingaporeGreen check.svgGreen check.svgRed x.svgRed x.svgGreen check.svgGreen check.svgGreen check.svgGreen check.svgRed x.svgGreen check.svgGreen check.svg
South KoreaGreen check.svgGreen check.svgGreen check.svgGreen check.svgGreen check.svgGreen check.svgGreen check.svgGreen check.svgGreen check.svgGreen check.svgGreen check.svg (APT)
TaiwanRed x.svg [lower-alpha 2] Green check.svgRed x.svgRed x.svgGreen check.svgGreen check.svgRed x.svgGreen check.svgRed x.svgRed x.svgRed x.svg

See also

Notes

  1. The HDI annual report compiled by the UNDP does not include Taiwan because it is no longer a UN member state, and is neither included as part of the People's Republic of China by the UNDP when calculating data for China. [40] Taiwan's Statistical Bureau calculated its HDI for 2021 to be 0.926 based on UNDP's 2010 methodology, [41] [42] which would place Taiwan at 19th globally in 2021 within the 2022 UNDP report. [43] [44]
  2. Founding member of the United Nations and permanent member of the United Nations Security Council (1945–1971)

Related Research Articles

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Economy of Hong Kong</span>

The economy of Hong Kong is a highly developed free-market economy. It is characterised by low taxation, almost free port trade and a well-established international financial market. Its currency, called the Hong Kong dollar, is legally issued by three major international commercial banks, and is pegged to the US dollar. Interest rates are determined by the individual banks in Hong Kong to ensure that they are market driven. There is no officially recognised central banking system, although the Hong Kong Monetary Authority functions as a financial regulatory authority.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Economy of Indonesia</span>

The economy of Indonesia is a mixed economy with dirigiste characteristics, and it is one of the emerging market economies in the world and the largest in Southeast Asia. As an upper-middle income country and member of the G20, Indonesia is classified as a newly industrialized country. Estimated at over 21 quadrillion rupiah in 2023, it is the 16th largest economy in the world by nominal GDP and the 7th largest in terms of GDP (PPP). Indonesia's internet economy reached US$77 billion in 2022, and is expected to cross the US$130 billion mark by 2025. Indonesia depends on the domestic market and government budget spending and its ownership of state-owned enterprises. The administration of prices of a range of basic goods also plays a significant role in Indonesia's market economy. However, since the 1990s, the majority of the economy has been controlled by individual Indonesians and foreign companies.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Economy of Macau</span>

The economy of Macau is a highly developed market economy. Macau's economy has remained one of the most open in the world since its handover to China in 1999. Apparel exports and gambling-related tourism are mainstays of the economy. Since Macau has little arable land and few natural resources, it depends on mainland China for most of its food, fresh water, and energy imports. Japan and Hong Kong are the main suppliers of raw materials and capital goods. Although Macau was hit hard by the 1997–98 Asian financial crisis and the early 2000s recession, its economy grew approximately 13.1% annually on average between 2001 and 2006. Macau is a full Member of the World Trade Organization. Public security has greatly improved after handover to the People's Republic of China. With the tax revenue from the profitable gambling industry, the Macau government is able to introduce the social welfare program of 15 years of free education to all Macau citizens. In 2015, Macau's economy saw a sharp decrease due to the reduced spending by visitors from Mainland China since the Anti-corruption campaign under Xi Jinping.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Economy of Taiwan</span>

The economy of Taiwan is a highly developed free-market economy. It is the 8th largest in Asia and 20th-largest in the world by purchasing power parity, allowing Taiwan to be included in the advanced economies group by the International Monetary Fund. Taiwan is notable for its rapid economic development from an agriculture-based society to an industrialised, high-income country. This economic growth has been described as the Taiwan Miracle. It is gauged in the high-income economies group by the World Bank. Taiwan is one of the most technologically advanced computer microchip and high-tech electronics industries makers in the world.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Economy of Singapore</span>

The economy of Singapore is a highly developed mixed market economy with dirigiste characteristics. Singapore's economy has been consistently ranked as the most open in the world, the joint 4th-least corrupt, and the most pro-business. Singapore has low tax-rates and the second highest per-capita GDP in the world in terms of purchasing power parity (PPP). The Asia-Pacific Economic Cooperation (APEC) is headquartered in Singapore.

The category of newly industrialized country (NIC), newly industrialized economy (NIE) or middle income country is a socioeconomic classification applied to several countries around the world by political scientists and economists. They represent a subset of developing countries whose economic growth is much higher than that of other developing countries; and where the social consequences of industrialization, such as urbanization, are reorganizing society.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">1997 Asian financial crisis</span> Financial crisis of many Asian countries during the second half of 1997

The 1997 Asian financial crisis was a period of financial crisis that gripped much of East and Southeast Asia during the late 1990s. The crisis began in Thailand in July 1997 before spreading to several other countries with a ripple effect, raising fears of a worldwide economic meltdown due to financial contagion. However, the recovery in 1998–1999 was rapid, and worries of a meltdown quickly subsided.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Economy of Asia</span>

The economy of Asia comprises about 4.7 billion people living in 50 different nations. Asia is the fastest growing economic region, as well as the largest continental economy by both GDP Nominal and PPP in the world. Moreover, Asia is the site of some of the world's longest modern economic booms.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Tiger economy</span> National economy that undergoes rapid growth

A tiger economy is the economy of a country which undergoes rapid economic growth, usually accompanied by an increase in the standard of living. The term was originally used for the Four Asian Tigers as tigers are important in Asian symbolism, which also inspired the Tiger Cub Economies. The Asian Tigers also inspired other economies later on; the Anatolian Tigers in the 1980s, the Gulf Tiger (Dubai) in the 1990s, the Celtic Tiger in 1995–2000, the Baltic tigers in 2000–2007, and the Tatra Tiger (Slovakia) in 2002–2007.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Asia–Pacific</span> Geopolitical region

The Asia–Pacific (APAC) is the region of the world adjoining the western Pacific Ocean. The region's precise boundaries vary depending on context, but countries and territories in Australasia, East Asia, and Southeast Asia are often included. In a wider context, Central Asia, North Asia, the Pacific Islands, South Asia, West Asia, and even Pacific-adjoining countries in the Americas can be included. For example, the Asia-Pacific Economic Cooperation (APEC) includes five countries in the New World. The term has become popular since the late 1980s in commerce, finance, and politics. Despite the heterogeneity of the regions' economies, most individual nations within the zone are emerging markets experiencing rapid growth. Sometimes, the notion of "Asia–Pacific excluding Japan" (APEJ) is considered useful.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Export-oriented industrialization</span> Development strategy based on global trade

Export-oriented industrialization (EOI), sometimes called export substitution industrialization (ESI), export-led industrialization (ELI), or export-led growth, is a trade and economic policy aiming to speed up the industrialization process of a country by exporting goods for which the nation has a comparative advantage. Export-led growth implies opening domestic markets to foreign competition in exchange for market access in other countries.

Economic miracle is an informal economic term for a period of dramatic economic development that is entirely unexpected or unexpectedly strong. Economic miracles have occurred in the recent histories of a number of countries, often those undergoing an economic boom or described as a tiger economy.

Developmental state, or hard state, is a term used by international political economy scholars to refer to the phenomenon of state-led macroeconomic planning in East Asia in the late 20th century. In this model of capitalism, the state has more independent, or autonomous, political power, as well as more control over the economy. A developmental state is characterized by having strong state intervention, as well as extensive regulation and planning. The term has subsequently been used to describe countries outside East Asia that satisfy the criteria of a developmental state. The developmental state is sometimes contrasted with a predatory state or weak state.

The Taiwan Miracle or Taiwan Economic Miracle refers to Taiwan's rapid economic development to a developed, high-income country during the latter half of the twentieth century.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Tiger Cub Economies</span> Economies of the five dominant countries in Southeast Asia

The Tiger Cub Economies collectively refer to the economies of the developing countries of Indonesia, Malaysia, the Philippines, Thailand and Vietnam, the five dominant countries in Southeast Asia.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Economy of East Asia</span>

The economy of East Asia comprises 1.6 billion people living in six different countries and regions. The region includes several of the world's largest and most prosperous economies: Taiwan, Japan, South Korea, China, Hong Kong, and Macau. It is home to some of the most economically dynamic places in the world, being the site of some of the world's most extended modern economic booms, including the Taiwan miracle (1950–present) in Taiwan, Miracle on the Han River (1974–present) in South Korea, Japanese economic miracle (1950–1990) and the Chinese economic miracle (1983–2010) in China.

While beginning in the United States, the Great Recession spread to Asia rapidly and has affected much of the region.

The East Asian model, pioneered by Japan, is a plan for economic growth whereby the government invests in certain sectors of the economy in order to stimulate the growth of specific industries in the private sector. It generally refers to the model of development pursued in East Asian economies such as Japan, South Korea, Hong Kong and Taiwan. It has also been used by some to describe the contemporary economic system in Mainland China after Deng Xiaoping's economic reforms during the late 1970s and the current economic system of Vietnam after its Đổi Mới policy was implemented in 1986. Generally, as a country becomes more developed, the most common employment industry transitions from agriculture to manufacturing, and then to services.

The middle income trap is an economic development situation in which a country that attains a certain income gets stuck at that level. The term was introduced by the World Bank in 2007 who defined it as the 'middle-income range' countries with gross national product per capita that has remained between $1,000 to $12,000 at constant (2011) prices.

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Further reading