Car sales in Indonesia jumped by 17% from 2010 to 2011, to nearly 900,000 new vehicles, and by 11% year-on-year in the first quarter of 2012, despite global economic gloom.

Indonesia’s market is growing faster than China’s much bigger one: car sales rose by only 2.6% in China between 2010 and 2011. Indonesians now buy more cars than any other south-east Asian nation, having overtaken Thailand last year. They also bought 8m motorcycles in 2011, a number that could rise to 9m this year.

This worries the government. From June 15th Indonesia’s central bank says it will require those who borrow money from a bank to buy a car to make a minimum downpayment of 30%. For motorbikes, the figure will be 25%. Housebuyers will also have to make a minimum deposit of 30%. The new rules are intended to prevent a potential bubble in consumer credit.

Indonesia to curb sales of personal vehicles