Who Dominates Indonesia’s Creative Economy Workforce?
Indonesia’s Creative Economy Draws Strength From Young Workers
Kabarsaji.com – Indonesia’s creative economy has grown beyond its 2025 workforce target, employing 27.40 million people across a broad range of industries that combine culture, technology, services, and digital production.
Creative Economy Minister Teuku Riefky Harsya said the figure is higher than the 25.55 million-worker goal set in the 2025 National Medium-Term Development Plan, or RPJMN. The milestone highlights the sector’s expanding role in employment as digital platforms, creative services, and consumer-facing industries continue to create opportunities for Indonesians.
Gen Z and Millennials Form the Largest Share
Younger generations account for most people working in the sector. Riefky said Generation Z, defined here as those born from 1997 to 2012, and Millennials, born from 1981 to 1996, make up 63 percent of the creative economy workforce.
Women represent 58 percent of that combined group, underscoring their substantial presence in industries ranging from content and design to food businesses, media, and technology-based services.
Riefky delivered the figures during the opening of the Circuit Global Championship Indonesia 2026 at the Ministry of Manpower in Jakarta on Saturday, September 26, 2026. The event was held on September 26 and 27 as an international exhibition and competition for cellphone technicians and people interested in the gadget industry.
“It has reached 63 percent, and 58 percent of them are women,” he said.
The demographic profile matters because creative-economy work often develops alongside changing consumer habits and new tools. Young workers are particularly visible in fields connected to online content, applications, games, visual production, and other services shaped by the widespread use of smartphones and digital platforms.
Technology Supports Creative Activity
Riefky stressed that dependable technology is a key part of the creative economy’s wider ecosystem. Creative work may take the form of a film, an animated project, an online publication, a game, a photo series, or a mobile application, but audiences need functional devices to discover and use those products.
The Ministry of Creative Economy is responsible for 17 subsectors. They include film, animation, publishing, photography, content creation, gaming, application development, and culinary arts. Together, these areas illustrate how the creative economy reaches both cultural expression and everyday commercial activity.
For consumers, a properly functioning phone or gadget can be the gateway to new digital work. For creators and businesses, reliable devices are also essential for communication, promotion, production, and customer access. That connection places technicians and repair specialists within a larger chain that supports the circulation of creative products.
Riefky described the Circuit Global Championship Indonesia as more than a contest for technical skills.
“CGC is not just a space for competition, but a space for learning, sharing knowledge, building networks, and introducing talents to the industry,” he said.
The event reflects the link between technical expertise and a digital economy that depends on accessible, usable devices. Competitions and exhibitions can also give participants a setting to exchange practical knowledge and connect with people working in related industries.
Investment Exceeds the 2025 Goal
The sector’s workforce gains have been accompanied by strong investment. Investment in Indonesia’s creative economy has reached Rp183.01 trillion, surpassing the RPJMN target range of Rp123.85 trillion to Rp136.28 trillion for 2025.
That total is equal to 9.48 percent of national investment realization. The figure suggests that creative businesses and supporting industries have become a meaningful part of Indonesia’s broader investment landscape, even though the sector includes many different forms of enterprise, from technology-oriented activities to cultural and culinary businesses.
For the 2026 RPJMN, the investment target for the creative economy is set between Rp131 trillion and Rp146.4 trillion. The current investment value is already above that upcoming target range, although annual targets and realized investment are measured within their respective planning periods.
Investment can be important for creative enterprises because growth frequently requires equipment, production capacity, business development, digital infrastructure, skills, and access to markets. In a sector with 17 subsectors, the needs may differ widely: a film project, a game studio, a publisher, a food business, and an app developer may operate differently while all contributing to the same economic category.
Exports Reach a Five-Year High
Exports from the creative economy reached US$31.94 billion in 2025. Riefky said the amount represented 12 percent of Indonesia’s total non-oil and gas exports for the year.
“The highest in the last five years,” he said.
The export figure shows that Indonesia’s creative output is not limited to domestic audiences. International demand for creative-economy goods and services can support businesses that combine local talent with products or content able to reach overseas markets.
With employment above its 2025 target, investment at Rp183.01 trillion, and exports at US$31.94 billion, the sector has become an increasingly significant part of Indonesia’s economic activity. Its future development will depend not only on creative talent, but also on the technology, skills, networks, and business environment that allow creators and their work to reach users in Indonesia and abroad.
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