Indonesia's Dec CPI up 6.96 pct y/y, above forecast

* Dec CPI up 0.92 pct m/m, above forecast of 0.67 pct

* Dec CPI up 6.96 pct y/y, above forecast of 6.6 pct

* Dec core CPI up 4.28 pct y/y, below forecast of 4.44 pct

JAKARTA, Jan 3 (Reuters) - Indonesia's December consumer
price index from the country's statistics bureau.

KEY DATA:
CPI (y/y pct (m/m pct change)

change)
Dec 6.96 Dec 0.92
Nov 6.33 Nov 0.60
Oct 5.67 Oct 0.06
Sept 5.80 Sept 0.44
Aug 6.44 Aug 0.76
July 6.22 July 1.57
June 5.05 June 0.97
May 4.16 May 0.29
April 3.91 April 0.15
March 3.43 March -0.14
Feb 3.81 Feb 0.30
Jan 3.72 Jan 0.84
Dec 2.78 Dec 0.33
Nov 2.41 Nov -0.03
Oct 2.57 Oct 0.19
Sept 2.83 Sept 1.05
Aug 2.75 Aug 0.56
July 2.71 July 0.45
June 3.65 June 0.11
May 6.04 May 0.04
April 7.31 April -0.31
March 7.92 March 0.22
Feb 8.60 Feb 0.21

CONTEXT:

- Indonesia's annual inflation in December was likely to
have picked up from a month ago due to higher food prices,
notably spices, a poll of analysts showed.

- December's monthly inflation was estimated at 0.67
percent, up from 0.6 percent in November.

- Analysts expected year-on-year inflation in December to
reach 6.6 percent, higher than November's 6.33 percent.

- Central bank deputy governor Hartadi A. Sarwono told
Reuters in an interview last month that 2010 full-year
inflation would likely reach 6.5 percent, surpassing its hoped
for range of 4-6 percent. But he suggested the central bank's
focus was on core inflation, saying that Bank Indonesia "won't
hesitate" to tighten policy if core inflation rose close to 5
percent. [ID:nL3E6NG0UG]

- Analysts expect Bank Indonesia to keep its benchmark
interest rate at 6.5 percent, which it has maintained for over
a year, at its meeting this week. They expect the central bank
to next raise rates only in the second quarter, and by 25
basis points.

- The central bank is likely to hold its benchmark rate
for as long as possible in order to help support an economy
expected to grow by 6.4 percent in 2011. Bank Indonesia sees
the economy expanding 6 percent this year.

LINKS:

- Indonesia's statistics bureau: .... www.bps.go.id

- CPI breakdown .................................

(Reporting by Aditya Suharmoko, Adriana Nina Kusuma and Rieka
Rahadiana; Editing by Neil Chatterjee)