Islamic Finance Literacy Drops in Indonesia Despite National Gains

Indonesia's national financial literacy and inclusion rates saw an increase in 2026, according to the National Financial Literacy and Inclusion Survey (SNLIK). However, the survey revealed a concerning decline in the specific metrics for Islamic finance.

The SNLIK 2026 results indicate that overall financial literacy in Indonesia rose to 69.57 percent, up from 66.64 percent in 2025. Similarly, financial inclusion reached 93.61 percent, an increase from 92.74 percent the previous year. These national gains were primarily driven by improvements in conventional finance literacy and inclusion.

In contrast, the survey found that Islamic finance literacy decreased to 43.07 percent in 2026, a slight drop from 43.42 percent in 2025. Islamic finance inclusion also saw a marginal decrease, falling to 13.24 percent from 13.41 percent in the prior year.

Amalia Adininggar Widyasanti, head of the Central Statistics Agency (BPS), addressed the discrepancy, suggesting that the enhanced scope of the 2026 survey, which now includes provincial-level data, might contribute to the apparent decline. She emphasized the need for a more detailed analysis to ensure an "apple-to-apple" comparison between the 2025 and 2026 data, particularly regarding the broader coverage in the latest survey.