The Association of Southeast Asian Nations
ASEAN is a regional bloc of 10 Southeast Asian member states promoting economic integration and political cooperation. This reference lists each member with its capital, the year it joined, approximate nominal GDP and population, and lets you sort to compare them.
Who uses this reference and why
Journalists, students, policy researchers, and business analysts regularly need a quick structured overview of ASEAN’s membership — who joined when, how large each economy is, and how the bloc compares in population terms. Sorting by GDP or accession year surfaces patterns that a list alone cannot: for example, that the four mainland Southeast Asian members (Vietnam, Laos, Myanmar, Cambodia) all joined in the 1990s as the region expanded toward a more inclusive bloc.
How it works
Each member carries an accession year — 1967 for the five founders who signed the Bangkok Declaration — plus an approximate nominal GDP in US dollars and a population figure. Sorting reorders the table by GDP, population or year joined. The bloc total population is shown for context.
Key facts and patterns
- Founding five (1967): Indonesia, Malaysia, the Philippines, Singapore, and Thailand — all signatories of the Bangkok Declaration on 8 August 1967.
- Brunei joined in 1984, shortly after independence from the UK.
- The mainland four: Vietnam (1995), Laos and Myanmar (1997), Cambodia (1999) — all joined after the Cold War, completing what ASEAN describes as the “ASEAN minus X” expansion era.
- Indonesia is the dominant economy, representing roughly a third of combined bloc output and by far the largest population.
- Singapore is geographically the smallest member but consistently ranks highest on GDP per capita — a function of its role as a global financial, logistics, and trade hub.
- Timor-Leste was admitted in principle and is working through an accession roadmap; it is not counted as a full member in this table.
Sorting tips
- Sort by GDP to see which economies drive the bloc’s output.
- Sort by population to understand where the consumer base sits.
- Sort by accession year to trace ASEAN’s geopolitical history — the founding bloc versus the post-Cold-War expansion.
GDP and population figures are approximate and shift with growth cycles and exchange rates. Treat them as orders of magnitude for comparison, not precise accounts.