Government at a Glance: Southeast Asia 2025 is the 2nd edition in this series, following a previous edition in 2019. The report is a joint publication of the Organisation for Economic Co-operation and Development (OECD) and the Asian Development Bank (ADB).
The report provides data describing how a range of governance processes are managed in public institutions in Southeast Asia (SEA). Nine SEA countries are included in the report: Brunei Darussalam, Cambodia, Indonesia, the Lao People’s Democratic Republic, Malaysia, the Philippines, Singapore, Thailand, and Viet Nam. Data are presented for these countries wherever available.
Data in the report have been collected using survey questionnaires answered by government officials in the participating countries. In most cases, the same questionnaires have also been answered by OECD Member countries. This allows for accurate comparisons of governance processes across SEA and OECD countries, helping governments understand their governance systems and processes in comparison to peers in the region and elsewhere. Comparisons to OECD countries are presented throughout the report. Where possible, information is also presented on how practices have evolved since the 1st edition of the report.
The topics included in the report have been selected to help governments find improvements in governance processes in areas that are likely to affect development prospects in coming years. Chapter 1 provides an overview of findings from across the report. Chapter 2 presents the most recent public finance data for SEA countries, allowing a broad understanding of context. Chapter 3 examines budgeting processes, which play a crucial ongoing role in economic recovery from the COVID-19 pandemic and in building a stable macroeconomic environment to support growth. Chapter 4 examines infrastructure governance, which is key in supporting quality public investment in this rapidly growing region. Chapter 5 examines governments’ digital practices and capabilities, with a view to supporting them to maximise gains from new and digital technologies. Chapter 6 looks at how public services are managed and provides comparable information on aspects that SEA governments may need to improve.