ABSTRACT
This chapter considers the extent to which the region's governments are succeeding in advancing Asia's new social development agenda. It provides the results of a comprehensive survey of the region's successes and failures over a period of 20 years in responding to the basic social and material needs of its rapidly increasing population. The Index of Social Progress differs from other measures of social development in the number, range, and relevance of the indicators used in its construction. In general, the pace of social development is slower in Asian subregions, and countries, with higher levels of cultural diversity, more rapid in those characterized by higher levels of cultural homogeneity. The region's pattern of subindex findings suggest the asynchronous nature of Asia's social development, that is, inconsistent and uneven development across a range of interdependent sectors. Asia's social development accomplishments have been particularly impressive in the economic and defense effort sectors.
