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POLICY BRIEF: THE RISK OF OVER-INDEBTEDNESS AMID COVID-19 PANDEMIC

POLICY BRIEF: THE RISK OF OVER-INDEBTEDNESS AMID COVID-19 PANDEMIC

Over-indebtedness makes households more vulnerable amid COVID-19 pandemic. Job losses and economic slowdown are making it increasingly difficult for households to meet their financial obligations. In Indonesia, rising household debt is partly driven by an increase in the number of credit card holders and online peer-to-peer (P2P) lending borrowers. The number of credit card holders increased from 12 million in 2009 reaching 17,28 million in 2019. Meanwhile, P2P lending continues a significant growth with around 647 thousand lenders and 24,7 million borrowers in April 2020. Broader access to financial services has not been followed by sufficient effort in providing financial literacy and education. Financial inclusion index reached 76% while financial literacy index has only reached 38%. This gap indicates the potential risk of over-indebtedness which might cause negative impacts on both microeconomic and macroeconomic level.