Market Research Companies in Indonesia

Key figures for researchers

Population

284.7 million (2025 intercensal survey)¹

Living on Java

55.65% of the population (2025)¹

Urban population

59.4% (2025)³

Age structure

23.44% under 15, 68.94% aged 15–64, 7.62% aged 65+ (2025)²

Languages

Bahasa Indonesia (national) and 718 regional languages⁴

Illiteracy rate

3.33% of people aged 15+ (2024)⁶

Internet users

80.66% of the population, 229.4 million (2025)⁷

Mobile subscriptions

123 per 100 people (2024)⁸

GDP per capita

about US$5,060 (2025)⁹

Research guide

Research landscape

Most market research agencies are based in Jakarta, the country’s economic and political centre. Local independent agencies work alongside offices of international research networks, and fieldwork outside Java is often run through regional teams or partners.

Languages and fieldwork

Bahasa Indonesia is the national language and is understood across the country, but 718 regional languages have been identified, such as Javanese and Sundanese on Java. Regional languages remain widely used with neighbours and relatives — by 72.26% of Millennials and 69.9% of Gen Z according to the 2020 census long form. Questionnaires are usually written in Bahasa Indonesia; interviewers who speak the local language help with older and rural respondents.

Java holds 55.65% of the population, so a sample limited to Java misses almost half of Indonesians. A national sample should also cover Sumatra (21.68% of the population in 2020), Sulawesi, Kalimantan, Bali–Nusa Tenggara and Maluku–Papua, and rural areas, since about 41% of people live outside urban areas. Literacy is high (illiteracy is 3.33% among people aged 15+), but higher among older people (7.66% at 45+).

Which methods work

Connectivity is high: 80.66% of the population uses the internet and there are more mobile subscriptions than inhabitants. Penetration is uneven, from 84.69% on Java to 69.26% in Maluku–Papua. Online surveys and telephone interviews (CATI) work well for urban, younger and educated targets, and for B2B.

For the general population, including older people, lower-income households and the outer islands, face-to-face interviews (CAPI) with quotas by region, area type, age and gender remain the reference. Online panels exist but tend to over-represent urban, connected respondents on Java: ask the agency how the panel is recruited and weighted. Focus groups are usually held in Jakarta, and in other large cities such as Surabaya, Bandung or Medan when regional views are needed.

Timing

Ramadan changes daily routines and consumption patterns; in 2027 it is expected around early February to early March. Lebaran (Eid al-Fitri) falls on 10–11 March 2027, with joint leave days around it. It triggers mudik, the homecoming exodus: the transport ministry expected 143.9 million people to travel during Lebaran 2026. Fieldwork is very difficult for about two weeks around Lebaran, and city samples are disrupted while people are away.

The rainy season generally runs from about November to March: for 2026/2027, the meteorological agency BMKG expects the peak in December to February in most areas. Heavy rain and floods can slow face-to-face fieldwork, especially in rural areas and on the outer islands. Christmas and New Year (late December) are also holiday periods, and exact holiday dates are set each year by joint ministerial decree.

Data protection

Personal data is governed by the Personal Data Protection Law (UU PDP, Law No. 27 of 2022), fully in force since 17 October 2024. Its implementing regulation, Government Regulation No. 33 of 2026, was signed on 16 July 2026 and applies from 16 January 2027. It requires a consent mechanism and proof of consent, parental consent for children’s data, written agreements with processors, conditions for transfers abroad (equivalent protection, adequate safeguards or consent) and breach notification within 3 × 24 hours. Administrative fines can reach 2% of annual revenue.

As of September 2026, the dedicated supervisory agency (Badan PDP) had not yet been set up; the ministry of communication and digital affairs handles oversight in the meantime. Ask your agency how respondents’ consent is recorded and kept, and how the data will be transferred to you.

Working with a local agency

• Share a clear brief: objectives, target, sample size, islands and provinces, method, languages and deadline.
• Ask who does the fieldwork outside Java: own interviewers, regional teams or subcontractors, and in which provinces.
• Check translations: Bahasa Indonesia, plus local-language support for interviewers where needed.
• Plan the schedule around Ramadan, Lebaran and the rainy season.
• Ask about quality control: back-checks, GPS or audio checks for face-to-face interviews, supervision of CATI calls.
• Ask how consent is collected and how data is protected under the UU PDP.
• Compare several proposals: you can send one request to up to 5 companies from this page.