Four Asian Tigers

The high-growth economies of Hong Kong, Singapore, South Korea and Taiwan. The four Asian tigers consistently maintained high levels of economic growth since the 1960s, fueled by exports and rapid industrialization, which enabled these economies to join the ranks of the world's richest nations. Hong Kong and Singapore are among the biggest financial centers worldwide, while South Korea and Taiwan are important hubs of global manufacturing in automobile/electronic components and information technology, respectively.

Also going by the nickname of Asian dragons, common characteristics of the four Asian tigers includes a focus on exports, an educated populace and high savings rates. The economies of the four tigers have proved to be resilient enough to withstand local crises, such as the Asian financial crisis of 1997, as well as global shocks like the credit crunch of 2008. The IMF includes the four Asian tigers in its category of 35 advanced economies.