Roland Rajah

Lowy Institute Lead Economist; Director, Indo-Pacific Development Centre
Areas of expertise

International economic policy; Asia Pacific economies; macroeconomics; economic development; aid and development finance; globalisation; geo-economics.  

Roland Rajah
Biography
Publications
News and media

Roland Rajah is Director of the Indo-Pacific Development Centre, a dedicated policy research centre within the Lowy Institute. The Centre is committed to producing fresh policy insights and ideas on the most pressing economic development challenges facing the Indo-Pacific region — principally focusing on the emerging and developing economies of Southeast Asia, the Pacific Islands and South Asia. He also serves as the Lowy Institute’s Lead Economist, a position he has held since joining the Institute in 2017.

Roland directs the overall work program of the Indo-Pacific Development Centre across its key thematic pillars of post-Covid growth and development, globalisation and regional integration, climate change and development, technology and digital economy, aid and development finance, and geoeconomics. The Centre also houses the Lowy Institute Pacific Aid Map project, which provides the world’s most comprehensive data tracking of all official aid and other development finance flows to the Pacific Islands.

A development economist by background, Roland has extensive experience working across both emerging Asia and the small island developing states of the Pacific. He has previously worked for the Asian Development Bank, Australian Department of Foreign Affairs and Trade, the Australian Agency for International Development (AusAID), and the Reserve Bank of Australia. Roland holds a master’s degree in economics from the Australian National University, where he was awarded the Helen Hughes Prize in International and Development Economics. He also serves on the board of the Cambodia Development Resource Institute, one of Southeast Asia’s leading independent policy research think tanks.

Trapped in debt: China’s role in Laos’ economic crisis
Analyses
Trapped in debt: China’s role in Laos’ economic crisis
Laos is trapped in a severe debt crisis with no resolution in sight, threatening a decade of economic and social malaise. This Analysis examines the drivers of the Lao debt crisis…
Trump’s tariffs: Australia hit with a stick while our region was clobbered
Trump’s tariffs: Australia hit with a stick while our region was clobbered
The entire export-driven development model of Southeast Asia is now at serious risk.
Australian aid budget 2025: Choices on hold
Australian aid budget 2025: Choices on hold
The local debates are only just starting about responding to dramatic global shifts.
Made in Vietnam or a backdoor for Chinese exports?
Made in Vietnam or a backdoor for Chinese exports?
Fretting over “hidden” Chinese exports should not overshadow Vietnam’s helpful role in diversifying global supply chains.
Steel yourselves, Trump’s worldwide tariffs threaten Australia more
Steel yourselves, Trump’s worldwide tariffs threaten Australia more
The direct consequences of steel and aluminium restrictions are small – but the big picture cost to Australia lies in damage to the global economy.
How Australia should respond to the implosion of US aid
How Australia should respond to the implosion of US aid
Australia’s interests won’t be served by letting vital multilateral anchors of the “rules-based order” wither, decay and collapse.
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