Indonesia's Car Sales Highest in ASEAN during First Half of 2016

Indonesia remains the dominant automotive market in Southeast Asia (ASEAN), with sales reaching 531,929 units, representing 34 percent of the total 1,529,305 units sold. Thailand follows in second place with sales of 368,630 units, followed by Malaysia in third with 275,459 units. Brunei Darussalam recorded the lowest sales, at only 6,377 units.

Since 2014, Indonesia has been the automotive king in Southeast Asia after domestic car sales reached 1.2 million units, surpassing Thailand's 0.88 million units. Despite experiencing an economic slowdown, domestic car sales in 2014 only dropped by 2 percent, while sales in Thailand plummeted by 34 percent.

A population of 250 million and high social mobility maintain strong demand for four-wheeled vehicles and above. Poor public transportation infrastructure is a key driver of high car sales in Indonesia, as people prefer to use private vehicles.