Economic Census 2026: A Foundation Often Overlooked in Policy

The inaccuracy in targeting social assistance remains a recurring problem in Indonesia. Amid budgets reaching hundreds of trillions of rupiah, not a few people who should be entitled are missed from the reach. Assistance and business support programmes often exist, but they do not always reach those who need them most. We often view this as a policy failure. However, the underlying issue is often simpler—and more fundamental: the data used is not yet strong enough to reflect reality. Our economic data still faces classic problems: not fully up-to-date, not integrated, and often lagging behind field dynamics. Meanwhile, the business world moves much faster—home-based businesses, the digital economy, and flexible jobs emerge that are not always visible to the naked eye. When data lags, policies run on an incomplete picture. As a result, policies risk missing the mark. Budgets are absorbed, but the impact is not maximal. In such conditions, policies not only become less effective but also potentially create new injustices. Without good data, policies are essentially forced assumptions. This census is present to meet one fundamental need: to present a more complete, more up-to-date, and more relevant portrait of the business world in current conditions. Unlike a decade ago, today’s economic structure is far more complex. Economic activities no longer always appear in the form of shops, factories, or offices. They can appear in homes, on mobile phones, or even in invisible digital spaces. Business actors are no longer limited to formal entities, but also individuals working independently through online platforms. Therefore, the 2026 Economic Census is designed with a broader scope. Digital economic activities are beginning to be recorded more systematically, as are home-based businesses that have often been missed from data collection. Even the agriculture, forestry, and fisheries sectors are now included in the count, making the resulting economic portrait more comprehensive. However, no matter how sophisticated the methods used, data quality still depends on one thing that is often forgotten: the honesty and participation of the community. An economic census is not just a data collection process, but also a process of building trust.