BPS Chief: Riau Islands Q1 Economic Growth Among Top Five Nationally

The Head of the Indonesian Central Bureau of Statistics (BPS RI), Amalia Adininggar Widyasanti, stated that the economic growth of Riau Islands Province (Kepri) in the first quarter of 2026 ranked within the top five highest nationally, at 7.04 per cent year-on-year.

“The economy of Kepri in the first quarter stands above the national average of 5.61 per cent year-on-year,” said Amalia after attending the 2026 Economic Census Launch event for the Riau Islands Province at the Wan Seri Beni Hall, Dompak, Tanjungpinang, on Wednesday.

She detailed that the five provinces in Indonesia with the largest economic growth in the first quarter of this year were North Maluku at 19.64 per cent, followed by West Nusa Tenggara (NTB) at 13.64 per cent, Central Sulawesi at 8.32 per cent, Gorontalo at 7.68 per cent, and Kepri at 7.04 per cent.

Regarding economic growth across the seven regencies/cities in Kepri, five areas recorded growth above five per cent and above the national average, namely Batam City at 5.78 per cent, Karimun Regency at 6.14 per cent, Bintan Regency at 6.34 per cent, Natuna Regency at 15.37 per cent, and Anambas Islands Regency at 18.80 per cent.

“In general, all regions within Kepri possess diverse activities and extraordinary economic potential,” she remarked.

She further explained that in Tanjungpinang, economic potential is dominated by large-scale food and beverage businesses, particularly coffee shops. Meanwhile, in Batam, the economic potential is dominated by Special Economic Zones (KEK), industrial estates, shops, and shopping centres.