This publication reviews recent developments in East Asian local currency bond markets along with the outlook, risks, and policy options. It covers the 10 members of the Association of Southeast Asian Nations and the People's Republic of China; Hong Kong, China; and the Republic of Korea.

The quarterly Asia Bond Monitor reviews developments in emerging East Asian local currency bond markets. The report discusses key trends in the region's bond markets, and the outlook, risks, and policy options. It covers the 10 members of the Association of Southeast Asian Nations and the People's Republic of China; Hong Kong, China; and the Republic of Korea.

The quarterly Asia Bond Monitor reviews developments in emerging East Asian local currency bond markets. The report discusses key trends in the region's bond markets, and the outlook, risks, and policy options. It covers the 10 members of the Association of Southeast Asian Nations and the People's Republic of China; Hong Kong, China; and the Republic of Korea.

The Asia Bond Monitor (ABM) reviews recent developments in East Asian local currency bond markets along with the outlook, risks, and policy options. The ABM covers the 10 Association of Southeast Asian Nations member countries plus the People's Republic of China; Hong Kong, China; and the Republic of Korea.

This publication reviews recent developments in East Asian local currency bond markets along with the outlook, risks, and policy options. It covers the 10 members of the Association of Southeast Asian Nations and the People’s Republic of China; Hong Kong, China; and the Republic of Korea.

This edition finds improvements in emerging East Asian bond markets despite the resurgence of coronavirus disease (COVID-19) cases in early 2021. Yet, uncertainties continue to influence economic outlook in Asia and the Pacific. Overall investment sentiment in the region remained subdued amid looming uncertainties in the fight against COVID-19 and inflationary pressure in the United States (US). Yet, there is increasing awareness within the region of the importance of a green and inclusive recovery. Also featured in this edition are the use of green sukuk (Islamic bonds) to fund environment-friendly investments and digital finance for sustainable investments. The theme chapter discusses developments on the public and private governance of sustainable finance.

The COVID-19 pandemic, which is still impacting South Asia, has temporarily brought the region to a near standstill. Governments proactively stabilized activity through monetary easing, fiscal stimulus, and supportive financial regulation, but the situation is fragile amid weak buffers and exhausted policy tools. South Asia’s GDP is expected to contract 7.7 percent this year, by far the largest decline on record, but uncertainty around the forecast is substantial. The informal economy in South Asia has been hit hard. Many unorganized workers, self-employed people and microenterprises have experienced a large drop in earnings as the service sectors that were affected most by the lockdowns are dominated by informality. Informal workers and firms tend to have inadequate mechanisms for coping with short-term demand and supply interruptions due to limited savings and constrained access to finance. While the poor have suffered severely during the crisis, many informal workers in the middle of the income distribution have experienced the greatest drop in earnings. Most of them are not covered by social insurance. The crisis lays bare complicated structural problems in the informal sector that need to be addressed.