On 9 August 2015, Indonesia Investments released the latest edition of its newsletter. This free newsletter, which is sent to our subscribers once per week, contains the most important news stories from Indonesia that have been reported on our website in the last seven days. Most of the topics involve economic subjects such as an analysis of the recent performance of the rupiah, an analysis of Q2-2015 GDP growth, updates on inflation as well as manufacturing, and unemployment in Indonesia.

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Manufacturing activity in Indonesia contracted for the 10th consecutive month in July 2015 as new orders declined. The Nikkei/Markit purchasing manager’s index (PMI), released on Monday (03/08), fell 0.5 points to 47.3 last month (from 47.8 in June), remaining below the level of 50 points that separates contraction from expansion. Due to deteriorating conditions in the country’s manufacturing sector, Indonesian factories shed jobs at the fastest pace since the survey started in 2011.

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Indonesia’s manufacturing activity continued to contract in June. It was the ninth consecutive month that the country’s manufacturing sector contracted. The Nikkei/Markit purchasing manager's index (PMI) rose slightly to 47.8 in June 2015 from 47.1 in May, implying that the sector contracted at a slower pace but remained well below the level of 50 that separates contraction from expansion. Contraction continued due to persistent declines in new orders and production. Meanwhile, inflationary pressures (7.26 percent y/y in June) persist.

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On 7 June 2015, Indonesia Investments released the latest edition of its newsletter. This free newsletter, which is sent to our subscribers once per week, contains the most important news stories from Indonesia that have been reported on our website in the last seven days. Most of the topics involve economic subjects such as Indonesia’s May inflation and manufacturing activity, updates on the rupiah & Indonesian stocks, new initial public offerings (IPOs) on the Indonesia Stock Exchange, poverty, consumer confidence, and more.

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Although improving slightly, Indonesia's manufacturing activity contracted for the 8th straight month in May 2015. The HSBC Markit purchasing manager’s index (PMI) rose to 47.1 in May from 46.7 in the preceding month (a score below 50 indicates contraction in manufacturing activity). The survey indicated that output, new orders and employment remained weak. This feeds expectation that a sudden improvement in Indonesian manufacturing in the near term is highly unlikely. On a positive note, output and new orders fell at weaker rates.

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Although the pace is slowing, Indonesia’s manufacturing sector continued to contract in April 2015, the seventh consecutive month of declining manufacturing activity in Southeast Asia’s largest economy. Indonesia’s latest HSBC purchasing manager’s index (PMI) was 46.7, up slightly from 46.4 in March (which constituted a historic low for Indonesia). A score below 50.0 signals contraction in manufacturing activity. Primary factors that caused this contraction are continued declining export orders and continued weak domestic demand.

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After two straight months of deflation, Indonesia saw its consumer price index rise again in March 2015. According to data from Statistics Indonesia (BPS), Indonesia recorded inflation of 0.17 percent month-to-month (m/m) in March. This result was in line with analysts’ projections. On a year-on-year (y/y) basis, Indonesian inflation rose to 6.38 percent from the same month last year, slightly higher than the 6.29 percent (y/y) of inflation recorded in February. The country’s core inflation rose to 5.04 percent (y/y) in March.

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Indonesia’s inflation eased significantly in January 2015 to 6.96 percent year-on-year (y/y) from 8.36 percent (y/y) in December 2014 as the government’s January fuel price cut translated into lower transportation costs across Southeast Asia’s largest economy. In January, the Joko Widodo administration cut fuel subsidy spending and moved a step closer to a full market-based price mechanism for low-octane gasoline and diesel. As a result - amid low global oil prices - prices of diesel and gasoline fell by an average of 14 percent.

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The Indonesian rupiah exchange rate is experiencing a weak start of the New Year. According to the Bloomberg Dollar Index, Indonesia’s currency had depreciated 1.26 percent to IDR 12,543 per US dollar by 13:35 pm local Jakarta time on Friday (02/01). However, this weak performance is in line with the performance of other emerging Asian currencies against the US dollar on today’s trading day (amid an improving US economy), thus extending the depreciating trend that started in the second half of 2014.

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On 7 December 2014, Indonesia Investments released the latest edition of its newsletter. This free newsletter, which is sent to our subscribers once per week, contains the most important news stories from Indonesia that have been reported on our website in the last seven days. Most of the topics involve economic matters such as the country’s November inflation, October trade balance, a manufacturing update, the slight improvement in the Corruption Perceptions Index, investments, IPOs on the Indonesia Stock Exchange, and more.

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The manufacturing sector is a strategic one for the Indonesian economy (albeit it is facing a number of major challenges). The Indonesian government therefore has high hopes and ambitions for the national manufacturing sector.

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Over the past five decades the Indonesian economy has evolved from one being highly dependent on agriculture to one in which industry and services dominate the national economy.

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After the surprise in February 2020 (when – contrary to expectations and in stark contrast to the global trend – manufacturing activity in Indonesia soared), matters turned normal in March 2020. In line with expectations, Indonesia’s manufacturing production and new orders contracted at record rates in March, making companies decide to cut back sharply on their purchasing activity and input inventories. Business conditions in fact deteriorated at a rate not seen before in the history of the Purchasing Managers’ Index (PMI) survey.

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An alarming report was released by the World Trade Organization (WTO) on 1 October 2019. In the report the WTO notes that ongoing global trade tensions, led by tariff troubles between the United States and China, are doing harm to global economic growth in ways not seen since the financial crisis one decade ago.

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Manufacturing activity in Indonesia increased in June 2019 albeit at a much slower pace than in the preceding month. Expansion in the nation’s manufacturing sector was dragged down by softer expansion in both production and new orders.

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Manufacturing activity in Indonesia improved in May 2019 due to an increase in output and new orders. The Nikkei Indonesia Manufacturing Purchasing Managers' Index (PMI) rose from 50.4 in April 2019 to 51.6 in the following month, its highest position in nine months (a reading below 50.0 indicates contraction, while a reading above 50.0 indicates expansion in manufacturing activity).

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Based on the latest data from IHS Markit, the headline seasonally adjusted Nikkei Indonesia Manufacturing Purchasing Managers’ Index (PMI) fell modestly to a reading of 50.5 in October 2018 (from 50.7 in the preceding month). The reading represents a marginal improvement in the health of Indonesia’s manufacturing sector.

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Manufacturing activity in Indonesia expanded in September 2018. However, the pace of growth slowed compared to the preceding month. The Nikkei Indonesia Manufacturing Purchasing Managers' Index (PMI) declined from August's 26-month high of 51.9 to 50.7 in September (a reading of 50.0 separates contraction from expansion in the manufacturing sector).

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Rising domestic demand caused Indonesia's August manufacturing activity to grow at the fastest pace in more than two years. As a result local manufacturing companies added new people to their staff. The headline seasonally adjusted Nikkei Indonesia Manufacturing Purchasing Managers' Index (PMI) grew to 51.9 in August 2018 (up from 50.5 in the preceding month), further above the 50.0 level that separates expansion from contraction in terms of manufacturing activity.

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Although manufacturing activity in Indonesia rose slightly in July 2018, there are a number of reasons to be concerned. The headline seasonally adjusted Nikkei Indonesia Manufacturing Purchasing Managers' Index (PMI) indeed grew modestly from a reading of 50.3 in June to 50.5 in July (a reading of 50.0 separates contraction from expansion in the nation's manufacturing activity). However, overall conditions remain lacklustre in Southeast Asia's largest economy.

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