Jakarta. Indonesia's bank deposits are increasingly being driven by wealthy savers as households struggle to set aside money, with overall deposit growth projected to slow sharply next year.

Bank Indonesia projects third-party funds (DPK), or public deposits held in banks, to grow 6.18% year-on-year in 2026, down from 13.83% growth in 2025.

Executive Director of NEXT Indonesia Center Christiantoko the slowdown comes as growth in bank deposits is increasingly driven by wealthy customers, while most Indonesians face mounting pressure on household finances.

Although total bank deposits reached Rp 10,330 trillion ($574.02 billion) as of May 2026, up 13.4% from a year earlier, the increase was largely fueled by accounts holding more than Rp 1 billion, he said.

"The data show that Indonesians still have a strong awareness of and willingness to save. However, mounting household expenses and the slow recovery in purchasing power have made it increasingly difficult for them to set aside part of their income," Christiantoko said in a statement on Sunday.

His remarks are supported by a survey by the Indonesia Deposit Insurance Corporation (LPS), which showed the willingness-to-save index rose to 90.2 in June 2026, while the ability-to-save index fell to 73.2.

The gap is also reflected in the distribution of bank deposits.

LPS data show that accounts with balances below Rp 100 million accounted for 98.9% of Indonesia's 682.1 million bank accounts, yet held only 11.06% of total deposits.

By contrast, accounts with balances exceeding Rp 1 billion represented just 0.12% of all accounts but controlled 70.85% of total deposits.

"Even in May 2026 alone, deposits in accounts with balances above Rp 1 billion increased by Rp 236 trillion, while deposits in accounts below Rp 100 million declined by around Rp 15 trillion," Christiantoko said.

He cautioned that the growing number of bank accounts should not be interpreted as evidence that Indonesians are becoming more financially secure, noting that many newly opened accounts hold relatively small balances.

"As a result, current DPK growth cannot yet be used as an indicator that household finances have improved across the board," he said, adding that banks should broaden their retail deposit base instead of relying heavily on large depositors.

Christiantoko also said stronger household savings would require higher incomes, more job creation, and sustained purchasing power.

"The challenge in raising DPK is not simply increasing the number of accounts or pursuing higher nominal deposit growth. The more fundamental challenge is ensuring that more people actually have money left over to save. As long as deposit growth continues to rely on high-income groups, rising DPK should not be interpreted as a sign that households' financial conditions have broadly improved," he said.