Indonesia's Democracy Index Fell Again in 2016

The Central Statistics Agency (BPS) released the Indonesian Democracy Index (IDI) in 2016, showing a decrease of 2.73 points (3.75 percent) to 70.09 on a scale of 0-100. This decline marks the second consecutive year of decrease since 2015. Despite the decline, the IDI remains in the "good" category. Democracy levels are categorized as good (index > 80), moderate (index 60-80), and poor (index < 60).

The decrease in the IDI last year was triggered by a decline in three aspects of the democracy index. The Democracy Institution Index fell the most, by 3.75 percent to 62.05. The Civil Liberties Index decreased by 4.79 percent to 76.45, and the Political Rights Index also fell by 0.74 percent to 70.11.

BPS Head Suhariyanto stated that the decline in the democracy institution aspect was caused by the decreased performance and role of political parties and regional bureaucracy. The civil liberties aspect also declined due to increased obstacles to freedom of assembly and a decrease in freedom from discrimination. Similarly, the political rights aspect decreased due to a reduction in public complaints regarding government administration.