Having a GDP size of over US$ 888 billion in 2014, Indonesia is the largest economy in Southeast Asia. Much less affected by the global financial crisis than its neighboring countries, Indonesia’s economy grew by 4.5% in 2009, 6.1% in 2010 and has continued to grow at 5% in more recent years, and is forecast to continue growing at 5% this year, providing a case for Indonesia’s inclusion in the BRIC economies. Future economic expansion is expected to include more inclusive growth as nominal per-capita GDP is expected to quadruple by 2020, according to a Standard Chartered report.
A large part of their economic success is a result of prudent fiscal stewardship that focused on reducing the debt burden. Indonesia’s debt to GDP ratio has steadily declined since 2001 making it the lowest among ASEAN countries, aside from Singapore which has no government debt.
As a result, since April 2011, Standard & Poor’s had improved Indonesia’s credit rating to BB+, the last of the three major credit rating agencies to upgrade sovereign debt to one notch below investment grade. The rating reflected Indonesia’s resilience to the global financial crisis, improving government and external credit-metrics, and an ability to manage domestic political challenges to the reform agenda.
These achievements have increased the frequency with which Indonesia is being compared to middle-income developing nations like Brazil, India and Mexico. Economically strong, politically stable, reform minded, Indonesia is an emerging global powerhouse in Asia.