Indonesia's creative economy sector significantly boosted national GDP growth during the 2025/2026 Christmas and New Year holidays, generating Rp24.46 trillion out of a total GDP addition of Rp48.56 trillion. Minister of Creative Economy Teuku Riefky Harsya highlighted the strategic potential of this sector for sustainable management.
The Directorate of Strategic Management Studies at the Ministry of Creative Economy reported that the creative economy sector played a key role in boosting Indonesia's Gross Domestic Product (GDP) during the 2025/2026 Christmas and New Year (Nataru) holidays. The sector generated Rp24.46 trillion, accounting for half of the national GDP addition totaling Rp48.56 trillion.
Minister of Creative Economy Teuku Riefky Harsya stated, “This data shows that the creative economy is not just boosted by the long holiday momentum but can become the backbone of economic circulation if designed as an integrated annual strategy.” The statement was made during a press release in Jakarta on January 11, 2026.
The ministry's study revealed shifting consumer behavior toward creative products such as local cuisine, fashion, crafts, entertainment, and arts. Based on Google Trends, interest in cuisine surged on December 28, 2025, hotel searches peaked on December 31, 2025, and family entertainment hit its high on December 25-26, 2025.
A business performance survey indicated that 76.93 percent of respondents experienced sales increases and 73.08 percent saw profit gains during Nataru. Most businesses were micro-scale, with cuisine, fashion, and crafts as the main contributors. The largest contributions came from cuisine at Rp19.9 trillion, fashion at Rp3.9 trillion, and crafts at Rp0.24 trillion.
Tourist spending on creative products like food and souvenirs averaged Rp858,000 per person. The minister added, “If moments like Nataru are managed systematically through Ekraf Markets and ecosystem integration, the impact will not only drive GDP but also strengthen the competitiveness of local brands sustainably.” These figures underscore the need to bolster supply chains, production capacity, and financing access for creative economy players.
