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View all search resultsEconomic Census helps businesses spot market opportunities: BPS
Deputy Statistics Indonesia (BPS) chief Sonny Harry Budiutomo Harmadi sat down with Aditya Hadi and Ruth Dea Juwita of The Jakarta Post to discuss the expanding scope of this year’s census and its implications for policymakers, investors and businesses.
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Deputy Statistics Indonesia (BPS) chief Sonny Harry Budiutomo Harmadi poses for a portrait at the BPS headquarters in Jakarta, in this undated photograph. (Courtesy of/Statistics Indonesia (BPS))
E
very 10 years, Indonesia takes stock of its economy through the Economic Census, one of the country’s largest statistical exercises. With the 2026 edition now underway, deputy Statistics Indonesia (BPS) chief Sonny Harry Budiutomo Harmadi sat down with Aditya Hadi and Ruth Dea Juwita of The Jakarta Post to discuss the expanding scope of this year’s census and its implications for policymakers, investors and businesses.
Question: What is different about the 2026 Economic Census compared with the previous one?
Answer: There are several major differences from the census 10 years ago. First, the coverage. Unlike previous censuses, which excluded agriculture, this year's census includes the sector.
Second, this is the first census conducted fully using computer assisted personal interviewing (CAPI), replacing paper questionnaires with digital devices while allowing respondents to complete the survey online if they prefer. We’re also using artificial intelligence to minimize errors, for instance in assigning businesses to the correct Indonesian standard industrial classification (KBLI), an important step in accurately mapping Indonesia's economic structure.
The fieldwork period has been extended from one and a half months to two and a half months, reflecting the growing number of businesses and allowing for broader coverage. We're also visiting households door-to-door to capture Indonesia's large informal economy, as many businesses now operate from home, especially since the COVID-19 pandemic.
Many people or businesses are hesitant to participate because they fear the census data could be used for tax purposes or shared with other government agencies. How does BPS respond to those concerns?
There are always people who simply don't want to be enumerated. But BPS doesn't publish individual data. We also have multiple layers of data protection. Every field enumerator signs an integrity pact and anyone leaking confidential information faces legal consequences.
