Many Doubt Q2 2025 Economic Growth, BPS Provides Explanation

REPUBLIKA.CO.ID, JAKARTA – The Central Statistics Agency (BPS) became a hot topic of public discussion after releasing last year’s economic growth data, which was deemed unusual, especially the economic growth in the second quarter of 2025. Accusations of government intervention inevitably reached BPS, amid the government’s ambitious target of high economic growth figures. However, BPS emphasised its independence.

BPS Director of Production Accounts, Puji Agus Kurniawan, stated the agency’s commitment to providing high-quality official statistics. He noted that BPS data adheres to the United Nations Fundamental Principles of Official Statistics, uses internationally standardised methodologies, and is produced through the National Statistical System and verified by national statistical offices.

With these foundations, Puji assured that the data released by BPS regarding economic growth, as well as other data, is guaranteed to be valid and not tampered with by unauthorised parties.

“Regarding the many spotlights on BPS concerning the 2025 economic growth data, especially the second quarter of 2025, BPS presents several data points for calculating GDP (Gross Domestic Product). If outsiders (the public doubting BPS data) calculate or estimate, their variables are certainly not as numerous as those used by BPS,” said Puji at the Workshop on Utilising Strategic Data at the BPS Head Office, Jakarta, on Tuesday (21/4/2026).

At that workshop, Puji explained several approaches to calculating GDP or Gross Regional Domestic Product (GRDP). Each approach includes many variables.

For example, the production or business field (BF) approach includes 17 variables: agriculture, forestry, and fisheries; mining and quarrying; manufacturing industry; provision of electricity and gas; provision of water; waste management, waste, and recycling. Then construction; wholesale and retail trade; repair of motor vehicles and motorcycles; transportation and storage; provision of accommodation and food and drink; as well as information and communication. Furthermore, financial and insurance services, real estate, corporate services, government administration, defence, and mandatory social security, social education, as well as health services and social activities.

Another approach is the expenditure approach. This includes six variables: household consumption expenditure, consumption expenditure of Non-Profit Institutions Serving Households (NPISH), government consumption expenditure, Gross Fixed Capital Formation (GFCF), Changes in Inventories, and exports and imports of goods and services.