The share of Indonesians who say the economy has worsened over the past year has reached a record high.
Public opinion pollster Saiful Mujani Research and Consulting (SMRC) found that 92 percent of respondents surveyed from May 12 to 16 believe Indonesia’s economy is worse than in 2019. That number reflects the highest negative sentiment since the survey began in 2003, or five years into the Reform Era.
The highest previous spike of such sentiment was 58 percent in mid-2008, when the global financial crisis unfolded.
But the share of respondents with that bleak view slightly declined to 85 percent in the latest survey from June 18 to 20.
“We can say that Indonesians’ optimism is now in its worst shape,” Ade Armando, the director of communication at SMRC, said in a virtual briefing on Thursday. “Now that it has reached 85 percent, there is a sign …
