The poll measured the "actual final consumption of households" of 23 Asian economies to determine their well-being and living standards. The final measure includes items purchased as well as those supplied by governments, such as education and health care.

The Chinese territory of Hong Kong was top with 125,303 Hong Kong dollars (16,019 US) per capita, followed by Taiwan, Singapore, Brunei and Macau.

China and India account for 64 percent of the total gross domestic product (GDP) of the 23 economies included in the survey.

But in per capita terms, a person living in China spends an average of only 1,470 dollars per year, with India on 1,202 dollars.

The five poorest economies were Nepal, Bangladesh, Laos, Cambodia and Vietnam.

CHINA, INDIA BECOMING LEADERS IN WORLD

ECONOMIC GROWTH: IMF
Another report adds: China and India are the new engines of world economic growth, replacing the United States and other developed countries, International Monetary Fund managing director Rodrigo Rato said Tuesday.

He said China overtook the United States this year to become the biggest contributor to world economic growth.

"For the first time, the largest contribution to global growth will now be made by China," Rato told a business conference in the Philippines.

"Looking ahead, we expect this pattern of growth to continue ... we expect China -- and increasingly India -- to grow in importance as engines of global growth."

He said China would grow by more than 11 percent and India at around nine percent this year, with almost equal rates in 2008.

After slowing down, the US economy would "regain momentum gradually as the drag from the current housing correction and the softness in the business sector dissipates."

"Prospects in Europe and Japan remain good," Rato added, without giving specific figures.

"The outlook for the global economy is generally good and the economic prospects of most countries in emerging Asia are also good," he said.

At the same time, Rato warned that the oil market and capital flows were a major concern.

While the global economy had easily shrugged off the high oil prices driven by increased demand, "a supply shock could be much more damaging to global growth."

Inflows of capital to emerging economies could "complicate macro-economic management and expose the countries that receive them to an abrupt reversal of flows when sudden shocks occur," he added.

Rato also said there was a "danger of a backlash against globalization" as many people felt mainly benefitted the wealthy and educated.

He said the best way to address this inequality was to increase investment in education and technology and give the poor more access to infrastructure, utilities and financial services so they could also benefit from gloabilization as well.