Rupiah Slips to IDR 17,677 per US Dollar on 22 May 2026; See Rates at Several Banks

The rupiah opened weaker against the United States dollar on Friday, 22 May 2026, trading at IDR 17,677 per US dollar, down 10 points or 0.06% from the previous close of IDR 17,667 per US dollar. Pressure on the rupiah came from heightened global uncertainty amid rising tensions in the Middle East, with external factors weighing on sentiment. Domestic demand for foreign exchange also added to the downside pressure in the spot market. For those planning forex transactions, the article references the selling and buying rates at several large national banks based on the latest data. Regional currencies in Asia moved mixed against the US dollar. Market participants were urged to stay vigilant for ongoing geopolitical developments that could influence capital outflows from the domestic financial markets. The rupiah had weakened on Thursday, 21 May 2026, opening in a softer tone. In today’s trading, the majority of listed stocks declined: 197 advanced, 495 declined, and 124 were unchanged. According to Saan, the President Prabowo’s direct appearance on the plenary podium to read the KEM-PPKF reflected the government’s seriousness. An analyst, Perry, noted that fundamentally the rupiah should have room to strengthen given a low current-account deficit. Bank Indonesia Governor Perry Warjiyo expressed confidence that the rupiah would rally in July–August 2026 after a 50 basis-point increase in the BI rate to 5.25% to support external stability. He reiterated that the currency’s fundamental outlook allows for appreciation with the deficit in the current account kept in check. BI remains optimistic that the rupiah will regain stability or even strengthen during the July–August 2026 period. The Industri Konveksi Berkarya association highlighted the current weakness’s impact on small and medium textile firms; as of Wednesday (20/5) 1 US dollar traded at IDR 17,746. The association noted historical episodes such as the Habibie era when the rupiah weakened from around IDR 16,800 per USD to around IDR 6,500 per USD. It also pointed to a sharp drop in the government’s revenue-to-GDP ratio to just 9.3% in Q1-2026.