10 Killer Stats about the Growth of the Greater Mekong Subregion

From gross domestic product to merchandise exports, it’s all about steady, high growth in the GMS. The Greater Mekong Subregion (GMS) has sustained stunning growth in the last 2 decades according to the latest statistics.

1. The population of the GMS grew from 266 million in 1992 to 339 million in 2015.
2. The gross domestic product of the subregion grew from $455 billion to $2.9 trillion between 1992 and 2015.
3. The per capita gross domestic product, a general measure of prosperity, grew from $2,045 in 1992 to $8,572 in 2015.
4. Trade within the Greater Mekong Subregion grew $5 billion 1992 to $444 billion in 2015. During the same period, the share of trade in the region quadrupled from 2 percent to 9.3 percent.
5. The total merchandise exports in the GMS grew from $37.6 billion in 1992 to 440 billion in 2015.
6. The total amount of services exported grew from about $104 billion in 2005 to $363 billion in 2015.
7. The number of fixed telephone line subscription, per 100 people, grew from less than 1 in 1992 to 7 in 2014.
8. The number of internet users in the GMS grew from 1.7 per 100 people in 2000 to 32.8 in 2014.
9. The number of mobile phone subscribers, per 100 people, grew from 0.1 in 1998 to 110 in 2014.
10. The time required to start a business decreased in every GMS member country between 2003 and 2015. In Viet Nam for example, it fell from 62 days to 20 days.