March 03, 2025 05:13 GMT
INDONESIA: Headline Distorted By Discounts, Core Still Trending Higher
INDONESIA
Headline CPI inflation in February printed significantly below expectations at -0.1% y/y after +0.8% y/y. This number doesn’t signal that Bank Indonesia needs to be worried about deflation though as the start of 2025 is impacted by a 50% discount on electricity rates for some consumers. Core inflation is a better indicator of price pressures and it rose 0.1pp to 2.5%, to be at the mid-point of BI’s target corridor. After reaching a high of 16593 on Friday, USDIDR is down 0.5% today to 16488 helped by new forex rules and a softer greenback given the better risk tone.
- Core inflation has been trending higher for the last year. It troughed in January 2024 at 1.66% y/y, while headline has been shifting lower but it has consistently been impacted by subsidies and price caps. BI’s focus has been persistently on underlying inflation as it reflects second-round effects from changes in headline.
Indonesia CPI y/y%

Source: MNI - Market News/Refinitiv
- The next BI meeting is March 19 and rising core inflation, elevated USDIDR and weak IDR NEER, which is also likely to driven higher imported inflation, mean that it is likely to be on hold again. However, in the current volatile global environment and with the Prabowo government cutting spending, BI could still cut rates.
- In January, the electricity rebate drove a 22.9% fall in CPI electricity/household fuel. The discount is scheduled to be reversed in March and so headline inflation should return to positive territory this month. The utilities component fell 12.1% y/y in February down from -8.75%.
- Volatile food prices rose 0.6% y/y down from 3.1% y/y in January with the moderation due to rice, tomatoes and chilies.
- Most other categories were little changed on the year. Personal care rose 8.4% y/y up from 7.3% and transportation to 0.9% from 0.8%.
Indonesia imported inflation

Source: MNI - Market News/Refinitiv
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