Economic change was large in Singapore, Malaysia and Thailand, partial in Indonesia and the Philippines, and limited in Burma. Continuities remained everywhere.
To judge the extent of change, compare the starting point with 2000. Look at what economies produced, what they exported, who owned businesses, and where people worked.
Singapore changed most. It moved from entrepot trade to manufacturing and then to finance and services.
Malaysia and Thailand changed greatly. Manufactured goods, especially electronics, replaced raw materials as their main exports. Yet farming still employed many Thais.
Indonesia and the Philippines changed less evenly. Indonesia diversified away from oil, but most people still worked in farming or small trades. The Philippines grew slowly, and many workers moved abroad.
Burma changed least. Isolation and state control left it dependent on farming and raw materials.
Continuities remained across the region: dependence on foreign capital and markets, large rural populations, and the economic importance of Chinese-owned businesses.
- Criteria
- Output, exports, ownership, employment.
- Most change
- Singapore, Malaysia, Thailand.
- Least change
- Burma.
Worked example: Applying criteria
How far did Southeast Asian economies change?
- Output: from farming towards manufacturing and services.
- Exports: from raw materials to manufactured goods in most countries.
- Ownership: more local control, but still foreign capital.
- Work: many still on farms in poorer countries.
Watch out for this
All Southeast Asian economies were transformed by 2000.
Change was uneven. Singapore was transformed, but Burma changed little, and rural poverty remained widespread in the Philippines and Indonesia.
Check your understanding
Which country changed least between independence and 2000?
- Burma
- Singapore
- Malaysia