Indonesia
Public opinion surveys have grown alongside Indonesia’s democratic transition, as public sentiment has become increasingly important in shaping elections and evaluating policies, according to experts.
Police officers stand guard during a rally organized by university students on Aug. 19, 2025, in front of the East Java Regional Legislative Council (DPRD) in Surabaya, East Java. During the rally, protesters called for the government to scrap its controversial national history book project and push for protection of freedom of expression. (Antara/Didik Suhartono)
International awards honoring Indonesian public opinion pollsters, including one recently publishing a poll showing a decline in President Prabowo Subianto’s popularity, have highlighted the importance of opinion surveys in keeping the government in check.
Saiful Mujani, founder of pollster Saiful Mujani Research and Consulting (SMRC), received the Lifetime Achievement Award 2026 from the World Association for Public Opinion Research (WAPOR) Asia Pacific during a three-day conference in Jakarta from July 27 to 29. The conference was hosted by the Indonesian International Islamic University’s (UIII) School of Social Sciences.
