Uang

Uang is the Indonesian word for money, referring to the medium of exchange used to facilitate economic transactions. In everyday usage, uang encompasses both physical cash and forms of money stored or transferred electronically.

The official currency of Indonesia is the rupiah (IDR). It is issued and regulated by Bank Indonesia, the country’s central bank. The rupiah is subdivided into 100 sen, though small sen denominations are rarely used in daily life and prices are typically quoted in rupiah.

Money serves three core purposes in an economy: it is a medium of exchange, a store of value, and a unit of account. In Indonesia, uang exists as physical money—banknotes and coins—as well as non-cash money such as demand deposits, electronic money, and other digital payment methods. The use of non-cash payments has grown with financial technology and widespread smartphone access.

Historically, the rupiah has been the national currency since the mid-20th century, with monetary policy and currency issuance managed by Bank Indonesia. The country experienced severe inflation during the late 1990s crisis, followed by stabilization and ongoing reforms to maintain price stability and financial resilience.

The term uang is widely used in Malay-language regions as well, reflecting shared linguistic roots. In law, the rupiah is the legal tender of Indonesia; foreign currencies may be accepted in some contexts but are not legal tender.