Asia will get steady growth next year, defying global headwinds, says Mastercard’s chief APAC economist

Despite growing geopolitical tensions and the onslaught of U.S. tariffs, economic growth in the Asia-Pacific region is expected to hold steady in 2026. According to a Dec. 10 report released by the Mastercard Economics Institute (MEI), real GDP growth in the region is set to ease marginally to 3.1% in 2026, compared to 3.2% in 2025.

“The actual contributions to global growth come more from the Asia-Pacific region than they do from the Americas or Europe,” says David Mann, Mastercard’s chief APAC economist...