Southeast Asia has achieved remarkable development gains over recent decades, with strong economic growth improving livelihoods and expanding access to essential services. Driven by trade liberalisation, infrastructure investments and their young populations, countries in the region have emerged as dynamic engines of global growth. Investments in health, education and public services have advanced wellbeing, and governments in the region demonstrated resilience in responding to recent crises, such as the COVID-19 pandemic. Sustaining this progress will require further improving the resilience and transparency of public institutions to better support the management of the region’s evolving fiscal, social, environmental and technological challenges — from public debt pressures to the digital transition and climate resilience.
The Organisation for Economic Co-operation and Development (OECD) and the Asian Development Bank (ADB) are proud to support Southeast Asian countries on this journey through the joint second edition of the Government at a Glance: Southeast Asia report. This report brings together the complementary strengths of the two institutions: the OECD’s global expertise in governance standards and best practices, and ADB’s deep knowledge and operational experience in strengthening governance and institutional capacity across Asia and the Pacific. It also supports mutual learning within the region and benchmarking against the OECD and its member countries. The opening of OECD accession discussions in 2024 with Indonesia and Thailand – the organisation’s first Southeast Asian accession candidates – marks an important milestone in deepening engagement with the region.
Government at a Glance: Southeast Asia 2025 provides insights to help the region’s public institutions enhance governance and improve the quality of public service delivery. By offering internationally comparable data on the governance processes and practices used by public institutions in Southeast Asia, the report contributes to a robust evidence base to help inform governments’ policy priorities and guide public governance reforms.
With new infrastructure investment needs rising across Southeast Asia, this edition of the report also explores infrastructure governance practices for the first time. The findings underscore the need to upgrade appraisal processes and risk management to ensure long-term value. The 2025 report builds on the 2019 edition and deepens its analysis of digital government issues, highlighting both the progress achieved and the untapped potential of emerging technologies, especially artificial intelligence. Furthermore, the report underscores the importance of empowering citizen engagement, including through open data and participatory governance to improve transparency, accountability and public trust in government.
Together, we are pleased to present this publication as a resource for policymakers, citizens and researchers working to strengthen governance across the region. The OECD and ADB will continue to support developing countries in the region through policy dialogue, capacity development and targeted investments. We are confident the insights provided will contribute to stronger institutions and more effective public policies across Southeast Asia.
Matthias Corman
OECD Secretary-General
Masato Kanda
ADB President