CARECON 2025: The New Frontiers in the Care Economy Conference

Care is a fundamental need across every stage of life and is critical to social well-being and economic stability. The economic scale is large: unpaid care in Asia and the Pacific has been valued at roughly USD 3.8 trillion. Women often serve as the invisible backbone of the care economy, with studies indicating that they spend two to five times more hours on care work than men. With care-related roles expected to make up around 40 percent of new jobs in Southeast Asia by 2030, investing in the care sector is vital for advancing gender equality, strengthening social protection, creating employment, and building resilient economies.

In November 2025, the New Frontiers in the Care Economy Conference (CARECON 2025) convened care champions, government officials, practitioners and partners in Kuala Lumpur, Malaysia, to examine these gaps and chart practical ways forward. CARECON 2025 reinforced that the next frontiers—measurement, digital and data systems, workforce professionalization, financing and partnerships, and climate-sensitive planning—must be advanced together. As discussed in the conference report, participants developed a set of recommendations that represent an ongoing regional conversation to strengthen and advance the care ecosystem in ASEAN, guiding member states toward more inclusive, resilient, and sustainable care systems. The recommendations are to:

• Strengthen policy and governance
• Expand partnerships, financing and skills investment
• Advance data, research, and regional learning
• Deepen community engagement in care systems
• Shift gender norms to redistribute care responsibilities
• Build digital, green, and resilient care systems