Indonesia Overview

Indonesia at a Glance

The Republic of Indonesia is the world's fourth-most populous country and its largest archipelago, spread across more than 17,000 islands. It holds the largest Muslim population of any nation, roughly 87 per cent of the total.

The old picture of Indonesia as an oil-and-gas supplier is out of date: that sector now runs a trade deficit, and the money is in processed commodities. It is the world's largest exporter of palm oil and coal and the largest nickel producer, and China is now its dominant trading partner.

Population: around 285 million (2025 estimate), growing about 1 per cent a year.

Capital: Jakarta. A purpose-built successor, Nusantara (IKN), is under construction in East Kalimantan; at the time of writing the transfer awaits a presidential decree and is not yet in effect, with 2028 the government's target.

People: median age about 30, still young but ageing. Over 600 ethnic groups, the Javanese (about 40 per cent) and Sundanese (about 16 per cent) largest (2010 census). Beyond the Muslim majority, Christians are around 10 per cent, with Hindu and Buddhist minorities.

Languages: over 700. Bahasa Indonesia, a form of Malay, is the official national language; English is the language of business.

Around 56 per cent of Indonesians live on Java, which produces most of the national output; that concentration, with Jakarta's chronic flooding and subsidence, drives the move to Nusantara. For settling in, see Immigration, Visas & Work Permits and Practicalities; for the islands themselves, Regions.

Contributor: M. Hayden