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View all search resultsPublic satisfied with free meal program despite food safety, budget concerns
Indikator Politik Indonesia’s founder, Burhanuddin Muhtadi, said satisfaction with the program was highest among Generation Z respondents.
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Lunch break: A student shows his free nutritious meal on Jan. 28, 2026, at SDN 18 state elementary school in Tukka, Central Tapanuli regency, North Sumatra. The program has resumed after floods hit the regency in November last year. (Antara/Indrianto Eko Suwarso)
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recent survey has found that 72 percent of Indonesians are satisfied with the government’s free nutritious meal program, despite persistent concerns over food safety and its potential impact on education funding.
The survey, conducted by pollster Indikator Politik Indonesia between January 15 and 21, involved 1,220 respondents selected through multistage random sampling. The nationwide poll carries a margin of error of around 2.9 percent and a 95 percent confidence level.
Indikator Politik Indonesia’s founder, Burhanuddin Muhtadi, said satisfaction with the program was highest among Generation Z respondents.
“According to the survey, 80.7 percent of Gen Z respondents said they were satisfied with the free meal program,” Burhanuddin said on Monday as quoted by Tempo.co.
Burhanuddin also noted that respondents living in urban areas tended to be less satisfied with the free meal program than those in rural areas. Jakarta recorded the lowest level of satisfaction, at 52 percent.
Burhanuddin added that public satisfaction largely depends on the National Nutrition Agency’s (BGN) ability to maintain food quality, as the agency is responsible for implementing the program.
“Issues such as food quality and reported cases of food poisoning have a significant influence on satisfaction with the free meal program,” he said.
