The real domestic product of Indonesia, 1880-1989

Abstract

The article scrutinizes the existing estimates of domestic output in Indonesia and presents an alternative series of annual data for the period 1880-1989. Although the presented results are rudimentary, the article concludes that per capita domestic product increased by 1.5% per year during 1900-1929. It suggests that the acceleration was to a large extent due to the improvement of domestic transport infrastructure. For several reasons the country lost momentum between 1942-1967, until the rise of international oil prices triggered an unprecedented phase of economic growth in the years 1973-1989, during which per capita domestic output increased by 3.8% per year.