Asian Transport 2035 Outlook: Investment Needs of Low and Middle-Income Economies

Asian Transport 2035 Outlook: Investment Needs of Low- and Middle-Income Economiesprovides a forward-looking estimate of the transport infrastructure investment required across Asia and the Pacific over the next decade. The report finds that annual investment demand in the region’s low- and middle-income economies could rise from about US$800 billion per year over 2000–2025 to around US$2.6 trillion per year between 2025 and 2035, equivalent to about 2.3% of GDP.

Covering roads, railways, urban rapid transit, ports, airports, road safety, and electric mobility infrastructure, the Outlook highlights the scale of investment needed to expand networks, preserve existing assets, improve safety, and support the transition to electric mobility. It also shows that the financing challenge is becoming more complex, with maintenance needs rising, public-private partnership investment weakening, climate adaptation finance remaining limited, and fuel-tax revenues likely to decline as vehicle fleets electrify.

The report offers an evidence-based view of where transport investment pressures are likely to emerge, and why countries will need stronger planning, financing, and asset management systems to ensure that future infrastructure spending delivers safer, more resilient, more inclusive, and lower-carbon transport outcomes.