Background: The archipelago was once largely under the control of Buddhist and Hindu rulers. By around the 7th century, a Buddhist kingdom arose on Sumatra and expanded into Java and the Malay Peninsula until it was conquered in the late 13th century by the Hindu Majapahit Empire from Java. Majapahit (1290-1527) united most of modern-day Indonesia and Malaysia. Traders introduced Islam around the 11th century, and the religion gradually expanded over the next 500 years. The Portuguese conquered parts of Indonesia in the 16th century, but the Dutch ousted them (except in East Timor) and began colonizing the islands in the early 17th century. It would be the early 20th century before Dutch colonial rule was established across the entirety of what would become the boundaries of the modern Indonesian state. Japan occupied the islands from 1942 to 1945. Indonesia declared its independence shortly before Japan's surrender, but it required four years of sometimes brutal fighting, intermittent negotiations, and UN mediation before the Netherlands agreed to transfer sovereignty in 1949. A period of sometimes unruly parliamentary democracy ended in 1957 when President SOEKARNO declared martial law and instituted 'Guided Democracy.' After an abortive coup in 1965 by alleged communist sympathizers, SOEKARNO was gradually eased from power. From 1967 until 1998, President SUHARTO ruled Indonesia with his 'New Order' government. After street protests toppled SUHARTO in 1998, free and fair legislative elections took place in 1999 while the country's first direct presidential election occurred in 2004. Indonesia has since become a robust democracy, holding four direct presidential elections, each considered by international observers to have been largely free and fair. Indonesia is now the world's third-most-populous democracy and the world's largest Muslim-majority nation. It has had strong economic growth since overcoming the Asian financial crisis of the late 1990s. By the 2020s, it had the largest economy in Southeast Asia, and its economy ranked in the world's top 10 in terms of purchasing power parity. It has also made considerable gains in reducing poverty. Although relations amongst its diverse population--there are more than 300 ethnic groups--have been harmonious in the 2000s, there have been areas of sectarian discontent and violence, as well as instances of religious extremism and terrorism. A political settlement to an armed separatist conflict in Aceh was achieved in 2005, but a separatist group in Papua continued to conduct a low-intensity conflict as of 2024.

Area
Total: 1,904,569 km²
Land: 1,811,569 km²
Water: 93,000 km²
Comparative: slightly less than three times the size of Texas

Land boundaries
Total: 2,958 km
Border countries (3): (3) Malaysia 1,881 km; Papua New Guinea 824 km; East Timor 253 km

Coastline: 54,716 km

Maritime claims
Territorial sea: 12 nm
Exclusive economic zone: 200 nm
Note: measured from claimed archipelagic straight baselines

Climate: tropical; hot, humid; more moderate in highlands

Terrain: mostly coastal lowlands; larger islands have interior mountains

Elevation
Highest point: Puncak Jaya 4,884 m
Lowest point: Indian/Pacific Oceans 0 m
Mean elevation: 367 m

Land use
Agricultural land: 29.1% (2023 est.)
Arable land: 9.4% (2023 est.)
Permanent crops: 13.9% (2023 est.)
Permanent pasture: 5.8% (2023 est.)
Forest: 50.6% (2023 est.)
Other: 20.3% (2023 est.)

Irrigated land: 67,220 km² (2012)

Major rivers: Sepik (shared with Papua New Guinea [s]) - 1,126 km; Fly (shared with Papua New Guinea [s]) - 1,050 km
Note: [s] after country name indicates river source; [m] after country name indicates river mouth

Natural hazards: occasional floods; severe droughts; tsunamis; earthquakes; volcanoes; forest fires
Volcanism: Indonesia contains the most volcanoes of any country in the world, with over 75 historically active; significant volcanic activity occurs on Java, Sumatra, the Sunda Islands, Halmahera Island, Sulawesi Island, Sangihe Island, and in the Banda Sea; Merapi (2,968 m), Indonesia's most active volcano, has been deemed a Decade Volcano by the International Association of Volcanology and Chemistry of the Earth's Interior, worthy of study due to its explosive history and close proximity to human populations; in 2018, a large explosion and flank collapse destroyed most of the island of Anak Krakatau (Child of Krakatau) and generated a deadly tsunami that left more than 400 dead; other notable historically active volcanoes include Agung, Awu, Karangetang, Krakatau (Krakatoa), Makian, Raung, Sinabung, and Tambora; see note 2 under 'Geography - note'

Geography
Note note 1: 13,466 islands are in the archipelago, of which 922 are permanently inhabited; Indonesia is the world's largest country composed solely of islands; the country straddles the equator and occupies a strategic location along major sea lanes from the Indian Ocean to the Pacific Ocean
Note note 2: Indonesia is one of the countries along the Ring of Fire, which is a belt bordering the Pacific Ocean that contains about 75% of the world's volcanoes, up to 90% of the world's earthquakes, and 80% of tsunamis
Note note 3: despite having the fourth largest population in the world, Indonesia is the most heavily forested region on earth after the Amazon

Population
Total: 281,562,465 (2024 est.)
Male: 140,800,047
Female: 140,762,418
Distribution: major concentration on the island of Java, which is considered one of the most densely populated places on earth; of the outer islands, Sumatra contains some of the most significant clusters, particularly in the south near the Selat Sunda and along the northeastern coast near Medan; the cities of Makasar (Sulawesi), Banjarmasin (Kalimantan) are also heavily populated
Growth rate: 0.73% (2024 est.)

Languages: Bahasa Indonesia (official, modified form of Malay), English, Dutch, local dialects (of which the most widely spoken is Javanese); note - more than 700 languages are used in Indonesia
Major-language sample(s): ; Fakta Dunia, sumber informasi dasar yang sangat diperlukan. (Indonesian); The World Factbook, the indispensable source for basic information.

Religions: Muslim 87.4%, Protestant 7.5%, Roman Catholic 3.1%, Hindu 1.7%, other 0.8% (includes Buddhist and Confucian) (2022 est.)

Age structure
0-14 years: 23.8% (male 34,247,218/female 32,701,367)
15-64 years: 68.3% (male 96,268,201/female 95,961,293)
65 years and over: 8% (2024 est.) (male 10,284,628/female 12,099,758)

Dependency ratios
Total dependency ratio: 46.5 (2024 est.)
Youth dependency ratio: 34.8 (2024 est.)
Elderly dependency ratio: 11.6 (2024 est.)
Potential support ratio: 8.6 (2024 est.)

Median age
Total: 31.5 years (2024 est.)
Male: 30.8 years
Female: 32.3 years

Population growth rate: 0.73% (2024 est.)

Birth rate: 14.8 births/1,000 population (2024 est.)

Death rate: 6.8 deaths/1,000 population (2024 est.)

Population distribution: major concentration on the island of Java, which is considered one of the most densely populated places on earth; of the outer islands, Sumatra contains some of the most significant clusters, particularly in the south near the Selat Sunda and along the northeastern coast near Medan; the cities of Makasar (Sulawesi), Banjarmasin (Kalimantan) are also heavily populated

Urbanization
Urban population: 58.6% of total population (2023)
Rate of urbanization: 1.99% annual rate of change (2020-25 est.)

Major urban areas
Population: 11.249 million JAKARTA (capital), 3.729 million Bekasi, 3.044 million Surabaya, 3.041 million Depok, 2.674 million Bandung, 2.514 million Tangerang (2023)

Sex ratio
At birth: 1.05 male(s)/female
0-14 years: 1.05 male(s)/female
15-64 years: 1 male(s)/female
65 years and over: 0.85 male(s)/female
Total population: 1 male(s)/female (2024 est.)

Maternal mortality ratio: 140 deaths/100,000 live births (2023 est.)

Infant mortality rate
Total: 18.9 deaths/1,000 live births (2024 est.)
Male: 21.3 deaths/1,000 live births
Female: 16.4 deaths/1,000 live births

Life expectancy at birth
Total population: 73.6 years (2024 est.)
Male: 71.3 years
Female: 76 years

Total fertility rate: 1.96 children born/woman (2024 est.)

Drinking water source
Urban: 1.7% of population (2022 est.)
Rural: 11.7% of population (2022 est.)
Total: 5.9% of population (2022 est.)

Sanitation facility access
Urban: 2.6% of population (2022 est.)
Rural: 8.9% of population (2022 est.)
Total: 5.3% of population (2022 est.)

Children under the age of 5 years underweight: 15.9% (2023 est.)

Youth unemployment
Rate (ages 15-24): 3.3% (2024 est.); 3.4% (2023 est.); 3.5% (2022 est.)
Rate (ages 15-24) note: % of labor force seeking employment

Capital
Name: Jakarta
Geographic coordinates: 6 10 S, 106 49 E
Time difference: UTC+7 (12 hours ahead of Washington, DC, during Standard Time)
Time zone note: Indonesia has three time zones
Etymology: derives from the Sanscrit name Jayakarta, meaning 'victory and prosperity;' Prince FATILLAH conquered and renamed the city, formerly known as Sunda Kelapa, in 1527
Note: in 2022, the relocation of the country’s capital was approved, from Jakarta to a site on the island of Borneo between Samarinda City and the port city of Balikpapan; Nusantara ('archipelago'), the new capital, was in development as of 2024 and is expected to be completed in 2,045

Administrative divisions: 35 provinces (provinsi-provinsi, singular - provinsi), 1 autonomous province*, 1 special region** (daerah istimewa), and 1 national capital district*** (daerah khusus ibukota); Aceh*, Bali, Banten, Bengkulu, Gorontalo, Jakarta***, Jambi, Jawa Barat (West Java), Jawa Tengah (Central Java), Jawa Timur (East Java), Kalimantan Barat (West Kalimantan), Kalimantan Selatan (South Kalimantan), Kalimantan Tengah (Central Kalimantan), Kalimantan Timur (East Kalimantan), Kalimantan Utara (North Kalimantan), Kepulauan Bangka Belitung (Bangka Belitung Islands), Kepulauan Riau (Riau Islands), Lampung, Maluku, Maluku Utara (North Maluku), Nusa Tenggara Barat (West Nusa Tenggara), Nusa Tenggara Timur (East Nusa Tenggara), Papua, Papua Barat (West Papua), Papua Barat Daya (Southwest Papua), Papua Pegunungan (Papua Highlands), Papua Selatan (South Papua), Papua Tengah (Central Papua), Riau, Sulawesi Barat (West Sulawesi), Sulawesi Selatan (South Sulawesi), Sulawesi Tengah (Central Sulawesi), Sulawesi Tenggara (Southeast Sulawesi), Sulawesi Utara (North Sulawesi), Sumatera Barat (West Sumatra), Sumatera Selatan (South Sumatra), Sumatera Utara (North Sumatra), Yogyakarta**

Legal system: civil law system based on the Roman-Dutch model and influenced by customary law

International law organization participation: has not submitted an ICJ jurisdiction declaration; non-party state to the ICCt

Executive branch
Chief of state: President PRABOWO Subianto Djojohadikusumo (since 20 October 2024)
Head of government: President PRABOWO Subianto Djojohadikusumo (since 20 October 2024)
Cabinet: Cabinet appointed by the president
Election/appointment process: president and vice president directly elected by absolute-majority popular vote for a 5-year term (eligible for a second term)
Most recent election date: 14 February 2024
2024: PRABOWO Subianto elected president (assumes office 20 October 2024); percent of vote - PRABOWO Subianto (GERINDRA) 58.6%, Anies Rasyid BASWEDAN (Independent) 24.9%, GANJAR Pranowo (PDI-P) 16.5%
2019: Joko WIDODO reelected president; percent of vote - Joko WIDODO (PDI-P) 55.5%, PRABOWO Subianto Djojohadikusumo (GERINDRA) 44.5%
Expected date of next election: 2,029
Note: the president is both chief of state and head of government

Legislative branch
Legislature name: House of Representatives (Dewan Perwakilan Rakyat)
Legislative structure: unicameral
Number of seats: 580 (all directly elected)
Electoral system: proportional representation
Scope of elections: full renewal
Term in office: 5 years
Most recent election date: 2/14/2024
Parties elected and seats per party: Indonesian Democratic Party - Struggle (PDI-P) (110); Party of Functional Groups (Golkar) (102); Great Indonesia Movement (Gerindra) (86); National Democratic Party (NasDem) (69); National Awakening Party (PKB) (68); Prosperous Justice Party (PKS) (53); National Mandate Party (PAN) (48); Democratic Party (PD) (44)
Percentage of women in chamber: 21.9%
Expected date of next election: April 2,029

Flag description: two equal horizontal bands of red (top) and white

National anthem
Title: 'Indonesia Raya' (Great Indonesia)
Lyrics/music: Wage Rudolf SOEPRATMAN
History: adopted 1945

National heritage
Total World Heritage Sites: 10 (6 cultural, 4 natural)
Selected World Heritage Site locales:

Real gdp growth rate: 5% (2024 est.); 5% (2023 est.); 5.3% (2022 est.)
Note: annual GDP % growth based on constant local currency

Real gdp per capita: 5% (2024 est.); 5% (2023 est.); 5.3% (2022 est.)
Note: annual GDP % growth based on constant local currency

Gdp composition by end use
Household consumption: 55.4% (2024 est.)
Government consumption: 7.7% (2024 est.)
Investment in fixed capital: 29.1% (2024 est.)
Investment in inventories: 2.3% (2024 est.)
Exports of goods and services: 22.2% (2024 est.)
Imports of goods and services: -20.4% (2024 est.)
Note: figures may not total 100% due to rounding or gaps in data collection

Gdp composition by sector of origin
Agriculture: 12.6% (2024 est.)
Industry: 39.3% (2024 est.)
Services: 43.8% (2024 est.)
Note: figures may not total 100% due to non-allocated consumption not captured in sector-reported data

Industries: petroleum and natural gas, textiles, automotive, electrical appliances, apparel, footwear, mining, cement, medical instruments and appliances, handicrafts, chemical fertilizers, plywood, rubber, processed food, jewelry, and tourism

Industrial production growth rate: 5.2% (2024 est.)
Note: annual % change in industrial value added based on constant local currency

Labor force: 143.144 million (2024 est.)
Note: number of people ages 15 or older who are employed or seeking work

Unemployment rate: 3.3% (2024 est.); 3.4% (2023 est.); 3.5% (2022 est.)
Note: % of labor force seeking employment

Youth unemployment
Rate (ages 15-24): 3.3% (2024 est.); 3.4% (2023 est.); 3.5% (2022 est.)
Rate (ages 15-24) note: % of labor force seeking employment

Budget
Revenues: $182.658 billion (2023 est.)
Expenditures: $204.739 billion (2023 est.)
Note: central government revenues and expenditures (excluding grants and social security funds) converted to US dollars at average official exchange rate for year indicated

Taxes and other revenues: 11.6% (of GDP) (2022 est.)
Note: central government tax revenue as a % of GDP

Exports: $300.868 billion (2024 est.); $291.287 billion (2023 est.); $315.746 billion (2022 est.)
Note: balance of payments - exports of goods and services in current dollars
Commodities: coal, palm oil, iron alloys, lignite, garments (2023)
Commodities note: top five export commodities based on value in dollars

Imports: $279.419 billion (2024 est.); $262.694 billion (2023 est.); $273.031 billion (2022 est.)
Note: balance of payments - imports of goods and services in current dollars
Commodities: refined petroleum, crude petroleum, plastics, vehicle parts/accessories, integrated circuits (2023)
Commodities note: top five import commodities based on value in dollars

Electricity
Installed generating capacity: 70.826 million kW (2023 est.)
Consumption: 356.135 billion kWh (2023 est.)
Imports: 828.198 million kWh (2023 est.)
Transmission/distribution losses: 27.477 billion kWh (2023 est.)
Access electrification - total population: 100% (2022 est.)
Access electrification - urban areas: 100%
Access electrification - rural areas: 98.2%
Generation sources fossil fuels: 82% of total installed capacity (2023 est.)
Generation sources solar: 0.2% of total installed capacity (2023 est.)
Generation sources wind: 0.1% of total installed capacity (2023 est.)
Generation sources hydroelectricity: 6.4% of total installed capacity (2023 est.)
Generation sources geothermal: 4.4% of total installed capacity (2023 est.)
Generation sources biomass and waste: 6.9% of total installed capacity (2023 est.)

Coal
Production: 783.453 million metric tons (2023 est.)
Consumption: 281.159 million metric tons (2023 est.)
Exports: 519.23 million metric tons (2023 est.)
Imports: 16.935 million metric tons (2023 est.)
Proven reserves: 35.055 billion metric tons (2023 est.)

Petroleum
Total petroleum production: 865,000 bbl/day (2023 est.)
Refined petroleum consumption: 1.645 million bbl/day (2023 est.)
Crude oil estimated reserves: 2.48 billion barrels (2021 est.)

Natural gas
Production: 58.691 billion cubic meters (2023 est.)
Consumption: 38.378 billion cubic meters (2023 est.)
Exports: 20.989 billion cubic meters (2023 est.)
Imports: 727.056 million cubic meters (2023 est.)
Proven reserves: 1.408 trillion cubic meters (2021 est.)

Carbon dioxide emissions: 829.655 million metric tonnes of CO&sub2; (2023 est.)
From coal and metallurgical coke: 527.923 million metric tonnes of CO&sub2; (2023 est.)
From petroleum and other liquids: 223.352 million metric tonnes of CO&sub2; (2023 est.)
From consumed natural gas: 78.38 million metric tonnes of CO&sub2; (2023 est.)

Energy consumption per capita: 37.39 million Btu/person (2023 est.)

Telephones
Fixed lines total subscriptions: 9.16 million (2023 est.)
Fixed lines subscriptions per 100 inhabitants: 3 (2023 est.)
Mobile cellular total subscriptions: 352 million (2023 est.)
Mobile cellular subscriptions per 100 inhabitants: 115 (2022 est.)

Internet
Users percent of population: 69% (2023 est.)

Broadband fixed subscriptions
Total: 13.5 million (2023 est.)
Subscriptions per 100 inhabitants: 5 (2023 est.)

Military expenditures: 0.8% of GDP (2024 est.); 0.8% of GDP (2023 est.); 0.8% of GDP (2022 est.); 0.8% of GDP (2021 est.); 0.8% of GDP (2020 est.)

Airports: 556 (2025)

Heliports: 53 (2025)

Railways
Total: 8,159 km (2014)
Narrow gauge: 8,159 km (2014) 1.067-m gauge (565 km electrified)
Note: 4,816 km operational

Merchant marine
Total: 11,422 (2023)
By type: bulk carrier 160, container ship 219, general cargo 2,347, oil tanker 714, other 7,982