OCBC Study Reveals Decline in Financial Fitness Score Among Young Indonesians, Highlights Key Risks
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JAKARTA, Investortrust.id — The financial health of young Indonesians has weakened in 2025, with OCBC’s Financial Fitness Index recording its first decline in four years. The drop reflects shrinking savings discipline and fragile emergency preparedness, raising concerns about how the younger generation can withstand economic shocks.
PT Bank OCBC NISP Tbk, or OCBC, reported that the index slipped to 40.60 this year from 41.25 in 2024. Behind the decline were worrying behavioral shifts: the proportion of people saving regularly fell from 92% to 89%, and only 19% of respondents said they were ready with emergency funds if they lost their jobs, down from 25% a year earlier. Debt management also weakened, with the unsecured debt score dropping from 97.28 to 93.97.
Marketing Communication Division Head OCBC Jeannette Erena Kristy Tampi said the findings should serve as a wake-up call.
“With proper financial literacy and simple discipline such as saving regularly, tracking expenses, preparing emergency funds, managing debt wisely, and exploring investment opportunities, everyone can remain FUNanciallyFIT. This is the key to truly win this economy,” she said at the index launch in Jakarta on Friday, Sept 12, 2025.
OCBC is pushing its Nyala services as part of the solution, offering products designed to balance modern lifestyles with structured financial habits. Customers using Nyala by OCBC credit and debit cards can enjoy benefits such as unlimited BI-FAST transfers, 30 free interbank transfers, and waived fees for e-wallet top-ups and bill payments.
Jeannette said these perks allow households to save more and redirect funds toward investments and long-term goals.
She added that building smart spending habits should start early. Young Nyala, a service tailored for parents with children under 17, combines practical tools with simple financial education to instill saving habits and responsible money management from a young age.
“With Nyala, OCBC hopes to accompany customers of all ages and segments so they remain FUNanciallyFIT,” Jeannette said.
Despite the overall decline, the 2025 index also revealed encouraging trends. The share of Indonesians not recording their finances dropped from 81% to 77%, while pension ownership rose from 25% to 29%, signaling stronger long-term planning among the so-called sandwich generation. Complex investments such as mutual funds, stocks, and cryptocurrency doubled from 2% to 4%, and gold ownership rose from 2% to 6%.
Lifestyle pressures appeared to ease slightly, with fewer respondents admitting to overspending to match their peers — down from 80% to 76%. However, material aspirations have grown stronger, with 40% now equating well-being with owning a luxury home, up from 33%, and 26% linking it to luxury cars, up from 22%.
Director Strategic Analytics & Insights NielsenIQ Indonesia Inggit Primadevi noted that higher-income households earning above Rp 40 million per month bucked the trend, improving their score from 58.72 to 59.95. By contrast, middle-income earners saw sharper declines, with the Rp 8–15 million group falling to 44.15 and the Rp 5–8 million group slipping to 36.76.
“The pressure is most visible among people aged 25 to 29, both married and unmarried, with their scores falling from 40.27 to 39.00,” Inggit said. She added that those who already maintained good habits — saving regularly and holding emergency funds — were more likely to expand into long-term investments.
“This shows that a segment of young Indonesians with solid financial foundations is still finding ways to strengthen their financial health for the future. We are pleased that OCBC can provide access, education, and products relevant to their need."
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