Indonesian demographics

Indonesia is the fourth most populous country in the world. The density of the population is more than 100 inhabitants/km². More than 60% of the population lives in Java and the island of Madura, which are among the most densely populated regions in the world. In 1989 Sumatra had an estimated population of 36.9 million inhabitants and the Celebes Islands some 12.6 million inhabitants.

Population

Total population

279 134 505 (2022)

Projections

• Year 2030: 299 198 429
• Year 2040: 318 637 860
• Year 2050: 330 904 672
• Year 2060: 336 444 036
• Year 2070: 337 224 795
• Year 2080: 334 740 060
• Year 2090: 329 171 326
• Year 2100: 320 782 425

Source: Indonesia - Population 1950 - 2100

Demographic profile

Indonesia is the fourth most populous country in the world. It is predominantly Muslim and has the largest Muslim population in the world. Population is projected to increase to 320 million by 2045. A government-supported family planning program. The total fertility rate (TFR) - the average number of births per woman - went from 5.6 in the mid-1960s to 2.7 in the mid-1990s. The success of the program was also due to the social acceptance of family planning, which was endorsed by influential Muslim leaders and organizations.

Fertility decline slowed in the late 1990s, when responsibility for family planning programs shifted to the district level, where programs were not given priority. Since 2012, the national government reinvigorated the national family planning program, and Indonesia's TFR has slowly declined to 2.3 by 2020. The government may reach its goal of replacement fertility level -2, 1 children per woman - but the large number of women of childbearing age guarantees significant population growth for many years.

Indonesia is a country of origin for labor migrants, a transit country for asylum seekers, and a destination primarily for highly-skilled migrant workers. International labor migration, both legal and illegal, from Indonesia to other parts of Asia (particularly Malaysia) and to the Middle East has occurred for decades due to high unemployment and underemployment, poverty and low wages in the country. An increasing number of migrant workers are heading to Australia, Canada, New Zealand and the United States. Most of the Indonesian labor migration is temporary and consists mostly of low-skilled workers, mainly female domestic workers.

Indonesia's strategic location between Asia and Australia and between the Pacific and Indian oceans - and its relatively easy access by boat - attract asylum seekers. It is also an attractive transit point due to its ease of entry and the possibility of continuing to Australia. The most recent asylum seekers come from Afghanistan, Burma (Rohingya), Iraq, Somalia and Sri Lanka. Since 2013, when Australia tightened its immigration policy, thousands of migrants and asylum seekers have been stranded in Indonesia, where they live in precarious conditions and receive only limited support from international organizations. The refugee situation in Indonesia has also worsened as Australia and the United States, which had resettled most of the refugees in Indonesia, have significantly reduced their number of entries.

Characteristics of the population

The indigenous people of Indonesia are of predominantly Malay origin. The most differentiated ethnic groups are the Javanese and Sundanese —who live mainly in Java and Madura—, the Balinese, on the island of Bali, and the Bataks in Atjehnese, in Sumatra.

Ternary Age

Men: 118,825,333

Women: 118,687,022

0-14 years: 28.4% (men 34,343,198/women 33,175,135)

15-64 years: 65.7% (men 78,330,830/women 77,812,339)

Over 65 years of age: 5.8% (men 6,151,305/women 7,699,548) (2008 est.)

Demographic evolution

• Year 100-3 million.
• Year 1000-5 million.
• Year 1500- 11 million.
• Year 1600-12 million.
• Year 1700- 13 million.
• Year 1820-17.9 million.
• Year 1850-23 million.
• Year 1870-29 million.
• Year 1900- 42.8 million (between 1600 and 1900 a million Dutch come to the islands but return shortly afterwards).
• Year 1910- 47.3 million.
• Year 1920-52.8 million.
• 1930-60.8 million.
• Year 1939-70 million.
• Year 1945-72 million (4 million Indonesians die in World War II but recover from their high birth rate).
• 1960-93 million.
• 1970-120 million.
• 1980-51 million.
• 1990- 179 million.
• Year 2000- 206 million.

Rates

• Infant mortality rate: 41 deaths per 1000 live births (2001 estimated)
• Literacy rate: 97.9 per cent (2001 estimated)

Ethnic groups

Especially Javanese (some 300 languages and dialects are spoken)

Religion

• Muslims 80%
• Protestants 6%
• Catholics 3%
• Hindus 2%
• Buddhists 1%
• Other 8%