Matej Mikulic
Research expert covering health, pharma & medtech
Pharmaceutical industry in Indonesia - statistics & facts
The pharmaceutical industry in Indonesia has grown rapidly over the past decade. Demand for pharmaceutical products and healthcare services in the country has risen due to increased purchasing power, growing awareness of health issues, and better access to healthcare services and facilities. The industry also gained significant momentum during the coronavirus (COVID-19) pandemic owing to an increase in demand for pharmaceutical products. In 2021, the pharmaceutical market in Indonesia saw revenue growth of nearly 50 percent, the highest growth in the history of the industry.
The Indonesian pharmaceutical industry is dominated by local companies such as Kalbe Farma and Kimia Farma. These companies mainly engage in the distribution of pharmaceutical products to end consumers. This is not surprising as the pharmaceutical industry in Indonesia is still heavily dependent on imported raw materials, adding challenges and extra costs to the production of local pharmaceutical products. Indonesia’s dependence on imports of pharmaceutical products has also made the selling price of patented medicines unaffordable for most Indonesian consumers. Therefore, many consumers opt for low-cost generic medicines. All these things combined causes the trade balance in the Indonesian pharmaceutical industry to remain in deficit, with import values considerably exceeding export values.
Industry landscape
Indonesia has the largest and one of the fastest-growing pharmaceutical markets in Southeast Asia. Leveraging its rapid population growth and youthful demographic, Indonesia will remain a lucrative investment opportunity for both global and local companies looking to invest in the industry. The market is expected to expand to approximately 4.6 billion U.S. dollars in annual revenue by 2029 from 3.6 billion U.S. dollars in 2022. Another significant driver of the pharmaceutical industry growth in Indonesia is the government's universal healthcare program (JKN-KIS), which has covered more than 90 percent of its population since its first rollout in early January 2014. JKN-KIS is a government initiative aimed to ensure that every Indonesian citizen gets financial assurance whenever they need health care services.The Indonesian pharmaceutical industry is dominated by local companies such as Kalbe Farma and Kimia Farma. These companies mainly engage in the distribution of pharmaceutical products to end consumers. This is not surprising as the pharmaceutical industry in Indonesia is still heavily dependent on imported raw materials, adding challenges and extra costs to the production of local pharmaceutical products. Indonesia’s dependence on imports of pharmaceutical products has also made the selling price of patented medicines unaffordable for most Indonesian consumers. Therefore, many consumers opt for low-cost generic medicines. All these things combined causes the trade balance in the Indonesian pharmaceutical industry to remain in deficit, with import values considerably exceeding export values.
Government intervention to achieve industrial resilience
Despite the challenges, Indonesia’s pharmaceutical industry has been considered a key means to boost the country’s economic development. In addition to efforts to reduce dependence on raw material imports, the government has prepared a roadmap to accelerate the development of the pharmaceutical industry. The long-term goal is to meet the domestic demand while being less dependent on imported products. One of the government’s master plans is to attract more global investors to invest in the industry by providing both fiscal and non-fiscal incentives. The government also supports local manufacturing and improves supply chains by adopting digital technologies. Workforce development programs are also in place to ensure skilled talent for the industry. Through these efforts, it is expected that the value of foreign direct investment (FDI) in the chemical and pharmaceutical industry will continue to increase.
