Kuya Food Express – JAKARTA. The spot Rupiah closed at an unprecedented low of Rp 17,597 per US dollar at the end of trading on Friday (May 15, 2026). This significant depreciation marks a 0.39% decline from its previous day’s close of Rp 17,529 per US dollar, establishing it as the weakest closing level for the Indonesian currency in history.
Across the Asian currency markets today, the trend of weakening against the robust US dollar was widespread. Most regional currencies experienced declines, reflecting a challenging trading session for foreign exchange. This general downtrend underscores a broader market sentiment favoring the greenback.
Among the various Asian currencies, the Thai Baht recorded the steepest fall, depreciating by 0.53%. Following closely, the Malaysian Ringgit weakened by 0.48%, the Korean Won by 0.47%, and the Indonesian Rupiah, as noted, by 0.39%. The Chinese Yuan also saw a 0.25% decline, while the Singapore Dollar edged lower by 0.24%. Further, the Indian Rupee fell 0.18%, the Philippine Peso slipped 0.13%, the Taiwan Dollar also declined 0.13%, and the Japanese Yen recorded a marginal dip of 0.04% against the US dollar.
In stark contrast to the widespread depreciation, the Hong Kong Dollar emerged as the sole Asian currency to strengthen against the US dollar this afternoon, registering a modest gain of 0.05%.
Shadowed by Geopolitical Sentiment, Rupiah Potentially Reaches Rp 18,000 per US Dollar
Providing further context to the US dollar’s strength, the dollar index, which measures the greenback’s value against a basket of major world currencies, climbed to 99.12. This marks an increase from its previous day’s reading of 98.81, indicating a strengthening trend for the US currency in global markets and contributing to the pressure felt by Asian currencies.
Summary
The Indonesian Rupiah closed at an unprecedented low of Rp 17,597 per US dollar on Friday, May 15, 2026. This marked a 0.39% depreciation from its previous close, establishing it as the weakest historical closing level for the currency. This significant decline was part of a broader trend, as most Asian currencies weakened against a strong US dollar during the trading session.
Across the region, currencies like the Thai Baht, Malaysian Ringgit, and Korean Won also experienced notable declines. In stark contrast, the Hong Kong Dollar was the sole Asian currency to strengthen against the US dollar. The overall strength of the US dollar was reflected in the dollar index, which climbed to 99.12, indicating increased global market pressure on other currencies.