Economic Census: Recording Change, Preparing the Future

The year 2026 marks a crucial moment for capturing a portrait of the Indonesian economy. From 15 June to 31 August 2026, Statistics Indonesia (BPS) is conducting the 2026 Economic Census (SE2026), involving over 251,000 field officers. Now in its second month, the census will record millions of business actors across Indonesia, including those operating at the household level. This economic census will be the first complete portrait of the Indonesian economy following the Covid-19 pandemic.

A decade ago, starting a business was synonymous with renting a shop, putting up a signboard, and waiting for customers to arrive. Today, the situation is vastly different. A person can run a business with just a mobile phone. Products are marketed via social media, payments are made through QRIS or digital wallets, orders arrive from various regions via marketplaces, and promotions are assisted by artificial intelligence.

In a relatively short time, the face of the Indonesian economy has changed drastically. New activities and professions, unknown during previous economic censuses, have emerged. Businesses once identified with physical buildings have now evolved and are no longer necessarily visible. Many home-based entrepreneurs can now reach national and even international markets solely through a set of devices. Digitalisation has transformed the way society produces, distributes, and consumes goods and services.

This change is occurring so rapidly that it requires appropriate policy adaptation. However, the full picture of this transformation will only be answered once SE2026 is complete. This data collection is not merely to count the number of business actors, but to record how Indonesia’s economic structure is changing, which sectors are growing rapidly, what the cost structures are in each business sector, and where the highest labour absorption lies. Ultimately, the public policy response must be able to address these changes as crucial capital for Indonesia to become a developed nation.

In an era where public opinion is largely shaped on social media, SE2026 is sometimes narrated by certain parties as if it relates to taxation, the disclosure of sensitive data, or interests beyond statistics. Such repeated narratives can form mistaken perceptions. In fact, SE2026 is a purely statistical activity conducted routinely every ten years in accordance with the mandate of Law Number 16 of 1997 on Statistics. No individual data, whether from business actors or households, is published.

All collected information is processed through an anonymisation process, so that only aggregate statistical data is released to the public. This guarantee of data security and confidentiality has a strong legal foundation. Law No. 16 of 1997 obliges respondents to provide the necessary information for the conduct of statistics, while simultaneously obliging the confidentiality of the data obtained. Consequently, the information provided by respondents cannot be used for taxation purposes, law enforcement, or published in the form of individual or corporate identities. Answering questions correctly and honestly is guaranteed confidentiality. The more complete the data collected, the more precise the resulting policies will be. The benefits of SE2026 will ultimately be felt by the entire community.

For the government, SE2026 clearly serves as a compass for future progress. Experience from the 2016 Economic Census showed that around 44% of micro, small, and medium enterprises (MSMEs) faced capital constraints due to difficulty accessing credit. This finding became one of the bases for strengthening the Kredit Usaha Rakyat (KUR) programme, which has since been utilised by millions of business actors with affordable interest rates.

Economic census data also helps business actors understand cost structures and business opportunities in their regions. Alfred Weber, in the early 19th century, proposed the industrial location theory, stating that business profits are determined not only by sales volume but also by the ability to minimise production costs, particularly transport and distribution costs. The structure and production costs for the same type of business can differ between regions. These differences affect the level of efficiency and profitability achieved by business actors. Through the results of SE2026, various factors causing inefficiency can be identified so that the government can formulate more targeted policies according to the needs of each region.

Furthermore, the results of SE2026 can be used to map the business ecosystem in each region. This mapping is important so that the government can create a business environment that encourages every business actor to continue growing or scaling up. Micro-enterprises are expected to grow into small enterprises, small enterprises to develop into medium enterprises, and medium enterprises to transform into large enterprises. This process of scaling up businesses requires a mutually supportive business ecosystem, ranging from ease of obtaining raw materials and access to financing to technology utilisation and the expansion of marketing networks. With a strong ecosystem, business productivity will increase and ultimately have a real impact on improving public welfare.

The experience of various countries provides one important lesson. The success of an economic census is not solely determined by the amount of resources allocated. The most decisive factor is the willingness of the public and business actors to answer questions and provide correct information. Without respondent participation, the state will only possess incomplete fragments of information, and the economic portrait will appear blurry and unclear. For this reason, many countries oblige their citizens to participate.