Jakarta (ANTARA) – Statistics Indonesia (BPS) will cover over 42 million business entities nationwide in the 2026 Economic Census, marking one of its largest data collection efforts to date.”This will be the most challenging census BPS has ever conducted,” BPS Secretary Zulkipli said in Jakarta on Wednesday.He noted that the 2026 census, the fifth of its kind, will target business actors in 514 districts and cities across all 38 provinces as primary data sources, capturing economic activities beyond agriculture, government administration, and household consumption.For the upcoming census, Zulkipli added, BPS will adopt a new approach centered on digital technology while strengthening coordination with ministries, state agencies, and business associations.”It is impossible for BPS to conduct this census alone,” he said, underscoring the need for cross-sector collaboration.The 2026 Economic Census will involve two stages of data collection. The first stage, from May 1 to 30, will use the computer-assisted web interviewing (CAWI) method for major establishments with registered email addresses.The second stage, from May 16 to July 31, will apply the computer-assisted personal interviewing (CAPI) method to micro, small, and medium enterprises, as well as larger companies without email addresses.Molly Prabawati, advisor for communication and mass media to the Minister of Communication and Digital Affairs, said participation from business actors will be key to the census’ success.”Beyond area coverage, the biggest challenges in this census are the response rate and respondents’ confidence in the data collection process,” she said.Citing a 2025 internal BPS survey, Prabawati noted that 68 percent of business actors are willing to participate only if they receive clear explanations about the goals and benefits of the census, while 27 percent expressed concerns over potential data misuse.She suggested that BPS reassure business actors that data protection is guaranteed under Law No. 16 of 1997 on Statistics.