Growth With Depth or Growth With Gaps? A Review of Indonesia’s Q1 2026 Expansion, Its Sustainability, and Its Social Reach

This journal examines Indonesia's economic growth in the first quarter of 2026, which reached 5.61% year-on-year but decreased by 0.77% compared to the previous quarter. Through a qualitative literature review of official BPS data, sectoral reviews, and recent studies on growth quality, fiscal policy, informality, and geopolitical risks, this article assesses that the expansion was supported by household consumption, government spending, investment, and contributions from the manufacturing, trade, agriculture, and construction sectors. However, growth was also influenced by seasonal factors, fiscal stimulus, and a weakening of net exports. The study concludes that Indonesia's growth in early 2026 is relatively strong in the short term, but its sustainability and equitable benefits still depend on the quality of investment, formal job creation, real purchasing power, and economic equity across regions.