Lessons for America From Asia

Taiwan has transformed from a martial-law dictatorship into a vibrant democracy, ranking above the United States on the Economist Intelligence Unit’s democracy index and by Freedom House measures. It is also a wealthy technological hub: robots serve in restaurants, citizens enjoy higher per capita income than Japan, and Taiwan produces more than 90 percent of the world’s most advanced computer chips.

Vietnam shows a similar arc of rapid change. Per capita income rose from about $100 in 1989 to roughly $5,000; city streets now sport skyscrapers, the economy grew around 8 percent recently, the stock market climbed 37 percent in dollar terms last year, and life expectancy in Ho Chi Minh City is 77, longer than in some American states.

Across Asia, some countries have doubled their economies in less than a decade, and the OECD says emerging Asian economies contributed more to global growth last year than the rest of the world combined and will do so again in 2026.

Taiwan, Vietnam, Japan, United States, Ho Chi Minh City