The World Bank today lowered its 2013 growth forecast for East Asian developing countries to 7.1 per cent. It also warned that a prolonged US fiscal crisis could be damaging to the region. The estimate for this year's gross domestic product or GDP growth is down from a forecast of 7.8 per cent in April, and lower than the 7.5 per cent growth recorded in 2012 and 8.3 per cent in 2011. Regional GDP growth in 2014 and 2015 was forecast at 7.2 per cent for both years with middle-income economies like Indonesia, Malaysia and Thailand also softening. Excluding China, the region is expected to grow 5.2 percent in 2013 and 5.3 per cent in 2014. Bert Hofman, the World Bank's East Asia and Pacific chief economist, told journalists that for every percentage point growth lost in the UnitedStates, about half a percentage point growth will be lost in East Asia. The US impasse has raised fears US lawmakers will not increase the country's borrowing limit before an October 17 deadline, which could lead the government to default on its debts.