The World Bank projects 4.5% growth for East Asia and Pacific this year, and says several economies are riding exports of AI hardware

The World Bank's October update for East Asia and the Pacific, released on 6 October under the headline “East Asia and Pacific Sees Steady Growth Amid Global Uncertainty”, projects regional growth of 4.5% in 2026. It puts China at 4.4%, Vietnam at 7.4%, Malaysia at 5.1% and Thailand at 2.0%, the last revised up by 0.7 points.

The release links the stronger numbers to AI. It says several economies have grown more quickly than anticipated in 2026, propelled by the manufacture and export of high-tech goods, and that “several economies are benefiting from supplying the goods that underpin the global surge of AI investment.”

It is less upbeat about use. Adoption among individuals and firms is rising, the Bank says, “yet still trails advanced economies”, and it expects the biggest near-term gains to come from “Small AI”.

Press coverage cites figures from the full report on how much of the region's export growth comes from AI-related goods. Those figures are not in the Bank's release, and the full report was not opened, so they are not given here.

• Confirmed Regional growth projected at 4.5% in 2026; China 4.4%, Vietnam 7.4%, Malaysia 5.1%, Thailand 2.0%. World Bank
• Confirmed Several economies are benefiting from supplying the goods behind the global surge of AI investment, the Bank says. World Bank
• Confirmed AI adoption in the region still trails advanced economies; near-term gains are expected from “Small AI”. World Bank