Economy

Majority of Global Citizens (75%) are Happy Despite Gloomy Economic Sentiments. ‘Very Happy’ Cohort (20%) Down Two Points Since December 2012.

Three in Four (76%) Global Respondents Optimistic 2014 Will Be a Better Year than 2013 While Only Half (53%) Expect Global Economy to Be Stronger. On the Personal Side, A Strong Majority (77%) Expect to Make Personal Resolutions for 2014 While Half (53%) Admit 2013 Was a Bad Year for Them and Their Families

An Ipsos poll commissioned by Kazakhstan’s Ministry of Foreign Affairs shows strong support among Kazakh citizens for the general direction of policy in this energy-rich Central Asian country.

The Big Business of Small Cars - India's automobile industry is one of the largest recipients of foreign direct investment within the country and accounts for about 8 per cent of the economy.

As the economy continues to grow in Myanmar, one of the areas that has seen a major overhaul is the healthcare industry. The new government in Myanmar has increased government spending on its healthcare budget.

Agricultural and food industries are crucial to Thailand's aim to be the "kitchen of the world", a key government policy. Thailand was the world's 12th largest food exporter last year, with total shipments of 90bn baht (US$2.9bn) according to the National Food Institute. The Office of Agricultural Economics (OAE) expects the value of food exports to exceed 1 trillion baht this year.

French colonists first introduced coffee to Vietnam in 1857. It has become embedded in the local culture ever since. The country is currently the world’s second largest producer and exporter of coffee, after Brazil.

The Union finance ministry expects Indian Economy would grow at least 6% in the current financial year, citing a pickup in investment and rising investor confidence. RBI has projected the Indian economy to grow at 5.7%, which is lower than even some private forecasts.

Recently, Thailand has indicated interest in capturing the opportunities for growing the luxury retail sector via the volume of tourist shoppers and growing local middle class. In a global survey by MasterCard, it was found that Bangkok visitor spending contributed to annual USD 14.4 billion dollars, ranking 4th globally in visitor spending.