Skip to main content Accessibility help
×
Hostname: page-component-78c5997874-t5tsf Total loading time: 0 Render date: 2024-10-31T21:19:45.261Z Has data issue: false hasContentIssue false

8 - Indonesia and the BRICs

from PART III - The Asian Financial Crisis and the Global Financial Crisis

Published online by Cambridge University Press:  21 October 2015

Get access

Summary

The Indonesian economy managed to achieve solid growth after successfully weathering the Global Financial Crisis (GFC) in 2008. The economy grew at 4.5 per cent in 2009, and is likely to grow at 6.0 per cent in 2010 and 6.2 per cent in 2011. This kind of performance is making many Indonesians wonder whether Indonesia could soon join the BRIC group.

The term ‘BRIC’ was coined by in 2001, by Jim O'Neill of Goldman Sachs, to refer to Brazil, Russia, India and China, which were experiencing such rapid economic growth they were expected to overtake the U.S. by 2018. Since then, the term has come to symbolize the shift in global power away from the G-7 advanced economies (U.S., Japan, Germany, France, UK, Italy and Canada) toward the four BRIC economies.

IMF figures (below) show that over the period 2014–2030 the BRICs will grow so fast that their share of the world economy will increase from 19.4 per cent to 30.3 per cent, exceeding the economies of the U.S., the E.U. and Japan. In 2010, China overtook Japan as the second-largest economy in the world after the U.S., but with a projected 2030 GDP at 94 per cent of that of America, China's economy will not be far behind the U.S.

Indonesia still has a long way to go before it will be able to match the BRICs’ economic size. In 2010 Indonesia's GDP only accounted for about one third of India's GDP, and will likely remain so in 2030.

Is the ‘BRIC’ grouping still relevant?

Since 2001, much has changed. For instance, Russia's low growth, pervasive corruption, and inability to diversify its economy away from its over-dependence on oil and gas exports, may mean that it can no longer be considered a BRIC economy.

And despite the fact that in 2007 the Indian economy was less than one half of that of Russia, by 2030 the Indian economy will be almost as large as Russia's because of its much higher growth rates. Thus, BRIC's relevance must be in doubt. If Indonesia maintains its rapid growth, the term ‘BIIC’ (Brazil, India, Indonesia, China) may be a more appropriate substitute.

Type
Chapter
Information
Publisher: ISEAS–Yusof Ishak Institute
Print publication year: 2012

Access options

Get access to the full version of this content by using one of the access options below. (Log in options will check for institutional or personal access. Content may require purchase if you do not have access.)

Save book to Kindle

To save this book to your Kindle, first ensure [email protected] is added to your Approved Personal Document E-mail List under your Personal Document Settings on the Manage Your Content and Devices page of your Amazon account. Then enter the ‘name’ part of your Kindle email address below. Find out more about saving to your Kindle.

Note you can select to save to either the @free.kindle.com or @kindle.com variations. ‘@free.kindle.com’ emails are free but can only be saved to your device when it is connected to wi-fi. ‘@kindle.com’ emails can be delivered even when you are not connected to wi-fi, but note that service fees apply.

Find out more about the Kindle Personal Document Service.

Available formats
×

Save book to Dropbox

To save content items to your account, please confirm that you agree to abide by our usage policies. If this is the first time you use this feature, you will be asked to authorise Cambridge Core to connect with your account. Find out more about saving content to Dropbox.

Available formats
×

Save book to Google Drive

To save content items to your account, please confirm that you agree to abide by our usage policies. If this is the first time you use this feature, you will be asked to authorise Cambridge Core to connect with your account. Find out more about saving content to Google Drive.

Available formats
×