BPS aims to include more women-owned MSMEs in 2026 Economic Census

Statistics Indonesia (BPS) is collaborating with the Ministry of Women’s Empowerment and Child Protection (PPPA) and PT Permodalan Nasional Madani (PNM) to ensure more women MSME actors are recorded in the 2026 Economic Census. BPS Head Amalia Adininggar Widyasanti stated that women entrepreneurs play a vital role in supporting Indonesia’s economic growth and family welfare. She expressed hope that the collaboration with PNM in the census would help comprehensively map the needs, challenges, and potential of the MSME sector, particularly given PNM’s Mekaar programme, which provides unsecured business capital loans and empowerment assistance to ultra-micro entrepreneurs from underprivileged families, especially women. Amalia noted that comprehensive participation of MSME actors in the 2026 Economic Census would provide a basis for the government to formulate more effective and pro-business policies. Complete and accurate data will support the formulation of strategic programmes, ranging from expanding access to financing and providing market information to training tailored to business needs. Various indicators show the growing contribution of women to the national economy, with 7.99 million Business Identification Numbers (NIB), or 58.68 per cent of the total NIBs issued between 2021 and 2025, held by women entrepreneurs. The female labour force participation rate also increased from 56.42 per cent in August 2024 to 56.63 per cent in August 2025, with women dominating the creative economy workforce at 58.39 per cent in 2025. Minister of Women’s Empowerment and Child Protection Arifatul Choiri Fauzi said the 2026 Economic Census would strengthen women’s economic empowerment and produce more inclusive, targeted, and gender-responsive policies. As a form of concrete support, PT PNM has completed the census questionnaire for all its organisational units, with BPS receiving completed documents from PNM’s head office, 58 branch offices, and approximately 4,200 unit offices across Indonesia, achieving a 100 per cent response rate.