Association of Southeast Asian Nations (ASEAN) was one of the fastest growing areas in the world, with a growth rate of approximately 5.5%. Despite the COVID-19 pandemic, foreign direct investment (FDI) inflows quickly rebounded in ASEAN in 2021, reaching the previous record high of $174 billion seen in 2019. However, considering and in the context of changing macroeconomic conditions such as high inflation rates, a high debt burden, and global conflict, there is a need to use scarce public and philanthropic funding in a catalytic way.
This brief analyzes how blended finance approaches have been deployed in ASEAN to date, presenting insights from interviews conducted with industry stakeholders. The Convergence Historical Deals Database (HDD) has recorded 107 blended transactions targeting ASEAN in part or in full, representing aggregate committed financing of $20.7 billion.
