Indonesia's inflation rate slowed more than expected in April

JAKARTA (Reuters) - Indonesia's inflation rate cooled more than expected in April as curbs to contain the spread of the novel coronavirus continued to dampen demand, data from the country's statistics bureau showed on Monday.

The annual inflation rate eased to the lowest in over a year to 2.67% in April, from March's 2.96% and compared with the 2.77% expected in a Reuters poll.

Statistics bureau chief Suhariyanto said the inflation pattern was unusual, as traditionally the inflation rate rises in the period that coincides with the start of the Ramadan fasting month.

The April annual core inflation rate, which excludes government-controlled and volatile food prices, was 2.85%, versus the poll's 2.90%.

(Reporting by Gayatri Suroyo and Fransiska Nangoy; Editing by Christian Schmollinger)