Middle-Class Assessment of Indonesia’s Education Indicators Declines in 2026

The results of the Katadata Insight Center (KIC) survey reveal that the assessment of middle-class respondents towards a number of education indicators in Indonesia declined in 2026.

These indicators include teacher competence, lesson duration, education system, learning facilities, education curriculum, education costs, and education equality.

Education equality - for poor families, disabilities, and remote areas - received the lowest rating with a score of 4.92 out of 10. This figure has dropped from 2025, which scored 5.21. 1 is a very poor rating, while 10 is a very good rating.

The KIC research team noted that the decline in middle-class assessments of various indicators compared to the previous year occurred amid high expectations for education.

"This decline indicates a gap between expectations and perceived reality," KIC wrote in its report, "Middle Class at the Crossroads of the Future".

Here are the details of middle-class respondents' assessments of education indicators in Indonesia in 2025-2026:

Teacher competence

• 2025: 6.90
• 2025: 6.78

Lesson duration

• 2025: 6.61
• 2025: 6.47

Learning facilities (classrooms, libraries, laboratories, etc.)

• 2025: 6.35
• 2026: 6.18

Education system

• 2025: 6.33
• 2025: 6.18

Education curriculum

• 2025: 6.27
• 2026: 6.14

Education costs

• 2025: 5.74
• 2026: 5.63

Education equality (poor families, disabilities, remote areas)

• 2025: 5.21
• 2026: 4.92.

This KIC report was launched at the IDE Katadata Future Forum 2026 event at the Ballroom Djakarta Theater, Jakarta, Wednesday (15/4/2026).

The survey results generally reveal the conditions, behaviors, and perceptions of the middle class, which can serve as a basis for formulating strategies and policies to strengthen resilience, promote growth, and support economic and social development in Indonesia.

A total of 1,000 respondents aged 18-60 were involved, comprising 61.6% men and 38.4% women. The majority, or 59.3%, came from Java Island, followed by Sumatra (19.6%), Bali-Nusa (5.9%), Kalimantan (7.6%), Sulawesi (5.7%), and Maluku-Papua (1.9%).

The respondents' expenditure range was Rp2 million to Rp10 million per capita per month, referring to the definition of the middle class from the Central Statistics Agency (BPS).

The data collection was conducted from the fourth quarter of 2025 to the first quarter of 2026 online with the non-probability sampling method.

The survey's margin of error is approximately 3.16%. The full survey results of KIC titled "The Middle Class at the Crossroads of the Future" can be accessed via the following link.