69 Overall Score (down 3 since Aug 1st.)

Indonesia

  • 55.4 Public Health
    Directives
  • 37.2 Financial
    Response
  • 88 Fact-Based
    Communication
  • 55.4 Public Health
    Directives
  • 37.2 Financial
    Response
  • 88 Fact-Based
    Communication

Indonesia scores relatively weakly, a big drop in the past few months, keyed by substantial weakening of travel restrictions, testing policy, and debt relief.

Pre-COVID Conditions

Despite a low debt-to-GDP ratio, Indonesia’s weak healthcare system, low number of hospital beds, and low GDP per capita put it in a very weak position to respond to the pandemic.

  • Debt/GDP ratio 30.1%
  • GDP/capita $14,841
  • Gini coefficient (out of 100) 39
  • Infant mortality rate (out of 1,000 live births) 21
  • Healthcare access score (out of 100) 49.2
  • Hospital beds/1,000 People 8

Government Response

Select a data point for more information
(Data points represent policy level as of Oct 1.)
55.4

Public Health Directives

Indonesia’s relatively strong health score would be much higher if not for a very limited testing rate, low emergency healthcare spending, and limited contact tracing.

  • Stay at home order 2
  • Public gathering restrictions 4
  • School closings 2
  • Public event cancellations 2
  • Testing policy 1
  • Emergency healthcare investments/capita $0.10
  • Travel restrictions 3
  • Tests/1,000 people 7.4
  • Contact tracing 1
37.2

Financial Response

Indonesia’s relatively weak score is due to a relatively small financial stimulus. The government's offering of income support is unlikely to help the nearly 60 percent of Indonesians who work in the informal sector.

  • Financial stimulus as share of GDP 4.4%
  • Income support 1
  • Debt forebearance 1
88

Fact-Based Communication

Indonesia's score is brought down by the fact that the country's health minister has promoted misinformation related to coronavirus, including that it could be prayed away or cured by drinking an herbal remedy mixed by the president.

  • Reliance on science/fact based information 1
  • Press freedom 0

COVID-19 Status as of Oct 1

Indonesia’s COVID-19 status is relatively strong, consistent across all subcategories, although its rising positivity score is a potential concern.

  • Total deaths 10,740
  • Death rate per 100K 39.3
  • Total cases 287,008
  • Cases per 100K 1,049
  • Percent of positive tests 15.6
  • Change in positivity rates +0.6
Case Trend Line
Daily cases Level 2 Lockdown
Date Status New Cases/1M
1 Jun 15 Restrictions at malls ease 3.70
2 Jun 20 Restrictions at parks and recreation areas ease 3.86
3 Jul 16 Extension of large-scale social restrictions until end of July 6.28
4 Sep 09 Jakarta's governor announces further social restrictions 11.73

Differentiating Factors

  • Social punishment for violators: In an effort to deter citizens from ignoring social distancing rules, authorities have forced Indonesians who were not wearing masks to dig graves for victims and have fined them 150,000 rupiah ($10). Read More
  • Civil society tries to counter government misinformation: Civil society throughout Indonesia has worked hard to counter factually incorrect claims by government leaders, along with overly optimistic claims they make about the country's increasingly troubling COVID-19 situation. Read More
  • Overcrowded jails see rise in COVID-19: Indonesia's overcrowded jails have seen a rise in COVID-19 cases, as many call for early release or other forms of custody, especially for those of low risk. Read More
  • Unscientific approach, low testing keep Indonesia in COVID-19 first wave: A variety of factors, including a reliance on misinformation by government leaders, extremely low testing rates, minimal contact tracing, and a lack of a full lockdown have resulted in it having the worst response in Southeast Asia and a rapidly spreading virus. Read More
  • Tourism freeze hit economy hard: An estimated 3 million Indonesians are thought to have lost their jobs during the pandemic. About $324 million from the government's $8 billion stimulus package has been allocated for low-income families, many of whom rely on tourism or informal work for their incomes. Read More
  • Misinformation spread by government: The government, which initially supported conspiracies that warm weather would kill the virus, or that it could be prayed away, has complained that fear of a perceived stigma attached to testing positive is stopping people from seeking testing. Read More
  • Delay in lockdown undermined public trust: Indonesia's lockdown was enforced several weeks after those of its neighbors, in part due to fear over its economic consequences. This delay has undermined the public's confidence in its leadership, which can be a major barrier to effective containment and prevention measures. Read More
Compared with Other Island Nations
  • 55.1
    Iceland 2,728
    Cases     7,994
    Per 1M     10
    Deaths

    Iceland has a very strong score, owing heavily to its reliance on facts as well as generous debt and income support; its large improvement since January was keyed by significant improvements in public health policy and financial support.

  • 96.8
    Japan 83,010
    Cases     656
    Per 1M     1,564
    Deaths

    Japan has a strong overall score, driven by its generous financial response and a reliance on facts, although its public health policy is very weak.

  • 100
    New Zealand 1,480
    Cases     307
    Per 1M     25
    Deaths

    New Zealand has had very strong policy, particularly with regard to its reliance on science and facts and its relatively strong financial response.

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New Zealand

Statistics and government response factors available on each country profile include:

Pre-COVID Conditions:

  • Debt to GDP ratio
  • Infant mortality rates
  • Hospital beds per 1,000 people
  • Gini coefficients measuring inequality
  • Health access and quality

COVID-19 Public Health Directives:

  • Stay-at home orders
  • School-closing policy
  • Public-gathering restrictions
  • Cancellation of public events
  • Testing policy and rates per 1,000 people
  • Emergency healthcare spending per capita
  • Travel restrictions
  • Contact tracing

COVID-19 Financial Response:

  • Stimulus package as a share of GDP
  • Income support
  • Debt-forbearance

Public Communications:

  • Instances of misinformation by leadership
  • Limitations on press freedom, censorship

Current/Historic In-Country COVID-19 Status:

  • Death rates per 1 million
  • Case rates per 1 million