The development of the middle class across South East Asia has
been a recurring theme over the last few years, and there is no
sign that the trend will slow down in 2020.
Asia's population is expected to grow to almost 5.3 billion
by 2050. Millions of households will enter the middle class,
becoming major consumers armed with growing disposable incomes,
with basic infrastructure – roads, bridges, hospitals and
power plants – needing to keep pace. By 2030, it is forecast
that two-thirds of the global middle class will be living in Asia,
and the region will account for nearly 60 per cent of the
world's middle class consumption by that date.
It follows that the infrastructure outlook for Asia Pacific
remains positive, with the surging middle income population
creating opportunities for investment in 2020. Take the remarkable
recent success stories of Indonesia, whose planning minister this
year announced the government was drafting plans for more than $400
billion in
