JAKARTA: Indonesia's annual inflation rate cooled for a second straight month in February to 1.38%, the slowest since August 2020, data from the statistics bureau showed on Monday.

February's rate matched the median forecast of a Reuters poll of analysts and compared with January's 1.55%. The annual inflation rate has stayed below the central bank's 2% to 4% target range for the most part during the COVID-19 pandemic because of weak demand.

The core inflation rate, which excludes volatile food and government-controlled prices, was 1.53% in February, roughly in line with the poll's 1.52%. It slowed slightly from January's 1.56%.