Jakarta. Indonesia’s creative economy sector attracted Rp 61.3 trillion ($3.4 billion) in investment during the first quarter of 2026, a 42% increase from Rp 43.3 trillion in the same period a year earlier, according to Creative Economy Minister Teuku Riefky Harsya.

Speaking during a parliamentary hearing in Jakarta on Tuesday, Riefky said the first-quarter figure already represented 47% of the ministry’s full-year investment target for 2026.

“This achievement shows that the creative economy sector has strong appeal for investors, particularly foreign investors,” Riefky said, noting that overseas capital accounted for 71% of total investment in the sector.

Investment remained concentrated in applications, culinary businesses, fashion, crafts, and advertising.

By country of origin, the largest sources of investment were the United States, Singapore, Hong Kong, the United Kingdom, and China.

According to Riefky, the dominance of investment in application-based businesses reflects strong investor interest in Indonesia’s expanding technology and digital economy sectors.

The creative economy generated $7.4 billion in exports during the first quarter, equivalent to about 27% of this year’s export target.

Riefky said the performance exceeded the national average pace of export realization, which currently stands at around 21% of annual targets.

In March 2026, creative economy exports accounted for 11.8% of Indonesia’s total non-energy exports.

The United States remained the largest destination for Indonesian creative economy exports, followed by Thailand and Japan. These markets are key buyers of Indonesian fashion, craft, and culinary products.

Fashion products contributed the largest share of creative economy exports, accounting for 56.8% of the total, Riefky said.

He noted that the sector’s positive momentum had already become evident last year.

In 2025, investment in Indonesia’s creative economy reached Rp 183 trillion ($10.3 billion), exceeding the government’s target by 34%.

Creative economy exports totaled $31.9 billion in 2025, equivalent to about 120% of the annual target, while the sector employed approximately 27.4 million people.

For 2026, the Creative Economy Ministry has set targets of Rp 146.5 trillion in investment, $27.8 billion in exports, employment for 26.6 million people, and 5.6% growth in the creative economy gross domestic product, Riefky said.

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