Airlangga: Indonesia's Economic Growth Surpasses China and the US

The government views Indonesia’s economic growth achievement of 5.61% in the first quarter of 2026 as a strong signal of the national economy’s resilience. This figure even surpasses several major countries, such as the United States, which grew by around 2.7%, South Korea at 3.6%, and China at approximately 5%. Coordinating Minister for Economic Affairs Airlangga Hartarto stated that Indonesia’s growth is higher than that of several G20 countries. “Our growth of 5.61% is above several G20 countries,” he said during a media briefing at the Coordinating Ministry for Economic Affairs office on Tuesday afternoon (5 May 2026). According to him, this achievement was strongly driven by public consumption, particularly during the momentum of Ramadan and Eid al-Fitr, which boosted mobility and spending. In addition, government spending also served as an important pillar. The realisation of state expenditure increased significantly at the beginning of the year, including through stimulus programmes and the distribution of holiday allowances. However, the government acknowledges that the challenge of maintaining growth momentum in the second quarter is not light. Without seasonal momentum like Eid, consumption activity has the potential to slow down. To address this, the government will rely on state spending and maintain public purchasing power, including through the distribution of the 13th-month salary for civil servants (ASN) and various incentives. “We will accelerate government spending, especially to maintain public purchasing power,” said Airlangga. On the other hand, global pressures continue to loom, including export slowdowns and dynamics in the manufacturing sector.