BI 7-day Reverse Repo Rate in Indonesia
Indonesia's central bank policy rates from 2013 to 2022 were adjusted up and down multiple times to manage economic growth and inflation. The bank lowered rates to historic lows during the COVID-19 pandemic to stimulate the economy. Post-pandemic, as the economy recovered, there was a gradual shift towards normalizing rates in 2022, reflecting the balancing act between fostering economic growth and controlling inflation.
The BI 7-day Reverse Repo Rate ended 2022 at 5.50%, higher than the 3.50% end-2021 value and lower than the reading of 7.50% a decade earlier. For reference, the average policy rate in Asia-Pacific was 3.70% at the end of 2022. For more interest rate information, visit our dedicated page.
Indonesia Interest Rate Chart
This chart displays Policy Interest Rate (%) for Indonesia from 2013 to 2022.
Indonesia Interest Rate Data
| 2018 | 2019 | 2020 | 2021 | 2022 | |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| BI 7-day Reverse Repo Rate (%, eop) | 6.00 | 5.00 | 3.75 | 3.50 | 5.50 |
| 3-Month JIBOR (%, eop) | 7.70 | 5.51 | 4.06 | 3.75 | 6.62 |
| 10-Year Bond Yield (%, eop) | 8.11 | 7.28 | 6.17 | 6.55 | 7.01 |
Bank Indonesia delivers surprise hike in October
Bank Indonesia (BI) raised the 7-day reverse repo rate by 25 basis points to 6.00% at its 18–19 October meeting after eight consecutive holds. The Bank also increased the deposit facility and lending facility rates to 5.25% and 6.75%, respectively. October’s hike surprised markets, which had expected the BI to extend its pause.
With price pressures largely under control as a result of previous policy tightening, the Bank’s decision aimed to bolster the rupiah. The BI described its decision as a “pre-emptive and forward-looking measure” to support the currency and restrain potential imported price pressures. Higher-for-longer U.S. rates and growing global uncertainty due to surging conflict in the Middle East have put pressure on the rupiah recently. As such, October’s decision highlighted the Bank’s increased sensitivity to U.S. monetary policy in contrast to the start of the year. Additionally, the BI stressed the need for additional measures to combat currency pressures, namely increased FX intervention and the issuance of new government securities from 17 November to attract financial inflows. Meanwhile, the Bank loosened macroprudential measures further to boost credit and economic growth.
The Bank did not provide explicit forward guidance in its communiqué. That said, FX stabilization is set to remain the priority for monetary policy decisions going forward. Consequently, the performance of the U.S. dollar, the policy course of the U.S. Fed and geopolitical tensions dampening investor sentiment will be the key factors to watch. A weaker-than-expected rupiah could prompt additional interest rate hikes, as well as the introduction of new policy tightening instruments. In light of October’s surprise decision, our panelists are reviewing their forecasts for the policy rate.
The next monetary policy meeting is scheduled for 22–23 November.
Krystal Tan and Jennifer Kusuma, analysts at ANZ, commented on the outlook: “The adverse external environment with higher US yields and elevated geopolitical tensions makes it difficult to rule out further rate hikes from BI. Meanwhile, we are not convinced that today’s measures will meaningfully alter the economic outlook. Instead, the macroprudential and liquidity easing measures risk undermining the signalling effect from the rate hike.”
How should you choose a forecaster if some are too optimistic while others are too pessimistic? FocusEconomics collects Indonesian interest rate projections for the next ten years from a panel of 17 analysts at the leading national, regional and global forecast institutions. These projections are then validated by our in-house team of economists and data analysts and averaged to provide one Consensus Forecast you can rely on for each indicator. By averaging all forecasts, upside and downside forecasting errors tend to cancel each other out, leading to the most reliable interest rate forecast available for Indonesian interest rate.
To Download one of our sample reports to visualize what a Consensus Forecast is and see our Indonesian interest rate projections.
Want to get access to the full dataset of Indonesian interest rate forecasts? Send an email to info@focus-economics.com.