Abstract

Achieving universal coverage in population censuses remains a major challenge when enumerating nomadic groups in Indonesia. High mobility, remote living conditions, and socio-cultural differences complicate standard census procedures and raise concerns about data quality and inclusiveness. This study aims to synthesize findings from academic literature, official reports from Statistics Indonesia (BPS), and ethnographic studies to identify the main difficulties in collecting data on nomadic populations and to assess their implications for the accuracy of population census data in Indonesia. This study employed a qualitative literature review approach. Relevant peer-review articles, institutional reports, and ethnographic studies were systematically examined and thematically analyzed to identify recurring patterns of barriers in census data collection among nomadic communities, including Orang Rimba, Suku Anak Dalam (SAD), and other Remote Indigenous Communities (KAT). The analysis revealed three interrelated dimensions of challenges: methodological, operational geographical, and socio cultural. Methodological challenges stem from the incompatibility of standard census concepts with nomadic lifestyles. Operational geographical barriers include limited accessibility, weak infrastructure, and high population mobility. Socio cultural constraints involve language differences, belief-systems, historical stigma, and difficulties in translating census concepts into local contexts. Together, these factors contribute to systematic undercounting and significant content errors. These challenges place nomadic populations at risk of statistical invisibility in official statistics, potentially reinforcing cylces of exclusion. More adaptive, context sensitive census approaches are therefore required to improve data accuracy and inclusiveness in Indonesia.