Comparison of Indonesian Citizens' Telecommunications Expenditures with Other Needs

According to the Central Bureau of Statistics (BPS), the composition of household expenditure in Indonesia from 2021 to 2024 shows a nearly balanced picture between food and non-food items.

Meanwhile, household expenditure on telecommunications never exceeded 5%, as shown in the data below:

2021

• Food: 48.83%
• Non-food: 47.41%
• Telecommunications: 3.76%

2022

• Food: 49.78%
• Non-food: 46.55%
• Telecommunications: 3.67%

2023

• Food: 48.64%
• Non-food: 47.79%
• Telecommunications: 3.58%

2024

• Food: 49.80%
• Non-food: 46.68%
• Telecommunications: 3.52%

The BPS states that this composition reflects an increasingly diverse Indonesian household consumption pattern, no longer dominated solely by food needs.

"The slightly larger proportion of non-food expenditure indicates the increasing role of supporting needs, such as telecommunications, education, and transportation, in daily life," wrote the BPS in the Telecommunications Statistics in Indonesia 2024.

Specifically, the BPS continues, expenditure on telecommunications reaching 3.52% in 2024 confirms that digital services have become an important part of household expenditure structure.

According to the BPS, this is in line with the increasing dependence on connectivity for work, study, and social interaction.