The Top 10 economic and commodity stories of 2025

The current holiday season and possibilities in the coming year give us joy and hope despite continuing gloom in our political establishment.

- BIENVENIDO S. OPLAS, JR.

Here is my list of the Top 10 economic and commodity stories of 2025.

1. Most Asian nations have seen rising GDP growth from 2023 to 2025 in the first three quarters (Ql-Q3) of each year; in particular: Vietnam, Malaysia, Singapore, Thailand, Taiwan, and Hong Kong. Those with flat or showing a slight decline in growth are: the Philippines, Indonesia, India, China, Japan, and South Korea.

2. Most countries in America and Europe have had declining growth, particularly: the US, Brazil, Canada, Mexico, Russia, and also Australia. Those with very low growth are the UK, France, Italy, and Germany.

3. The fastest growing countries in 2025 in the list of the top 50 largest economies in the world are all Asian nations — India and Vietnam with 7.8% growth, Taiwan with 7.1%, China with 5.1%, and Indonesia and the Philippines with 5%. Yes, the Philippines still has high growth compared to many countries in the world.