Asia Bond Monitor – September 2025

This edition shows that financial conditions in emerging East Asia improved between 2 June and 29 August 2025, supported by continued monetary easing in the region and progress on trade agreements between the United States and several regional economies. Positive sentiment was also buoyed by an expected US Federal Reserve policy rate cut in September, easing tensions regarding wider conflict in the Middle East, and the extension of the trade truce between the People’s Republic of China and the US. In most regional markets, government bond yields declined, risk premiums narrowed, and equity markets gained amid net equity portfolio inflows. Regional currencies remained broadly stable versus the US dollar. Supported by improved financial conditions, the local currency bond market in emerging East Asia expanded to a size of $28.6 trillion at the end of June on robust issuance of $3.1 trillion in the second quarter. During the same period, quarterly growth accelerated in the ASEAN+3 sustainable bond market, which reached a size of $955.3 billion. This edition features a special section on how sovereign sustainable bond issuances help improve liquidity and reduce yield spreads for corporate sustainable bonds.