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Social Indicators Research (2007) 82: 375–410 Springer 2006 DOI 10.1007/s11205-006-9044-8 RICHARD J. ESTES ASIA AND THE NEW CENTURY: CHALLENGES AND OPPORTUNITIES (Accepted 26 July 2006) ABSTRACT. Asia is the world’s largest and most culturally diverse region. Consisting of some 53 independent nations with a combined population of more than 3808 million persons – 59% of the world’s total population in 2005 – patterns of social and economic development in the region have been comparatively slow, especially with respect to rates of economic expansion, protection of human rights, environmental protection, and the extension of social protections to the region’s historically vulnerable population groups – including women, children, the aged, persons with disabilities and others. Continuing high rates of population growth, in combi- nation with long-standing internal and intra-regional conflicts, compounds the difficulties experienced by Asian leaders in achieving more ambitious development objectives. This paper reports on the Asian region’s social development successes and challenges for the 35-year period beginning in 1970. Data are reported at three levels of analysis: (1) for the region-as-a-whole; (2) for each of Asia’s four major subregions; and (3) for 45 of the region’s most populous countries. The picture that emerges from this analysis is that, for the region-as-a-whole, Asia’s develop- ment remains both asynchronous and heterogeneous, i.e., inconsistent and uneven development across a broad range of inter-dependent socio-economic sectors. Some nations within the re- gion, however, realized extraordinary social progress during the period studied and the lessons they offer may provide important insights into the development strategies