Despite a fairly effectivefamily planning program that has been in place since the 1967,[54] for the decade ending in 2020, Indonesia's population growth was 1.1 percent. At that rate, Indonesia's population is projected to surpass the present population of the United States and would - if the current US population did not rise – become the world's third biggest after China and India by 2043.[55] The family planning already revitalised based on the 1967 program to avoid Indonesia becoming the world's third most populous country.
With a population of 151.6 million,Java is home to 56 per cent of the Indonesian population, and is themost populous island onEarth.[56] The Indonesian capital city,Jakarta, is located on western Java. Much of Indonesian history took place on Java. It was the centre of powerful Hindu-Buddhist empires, the Islamic sultanates and the core of the colonial Dutch East Indies. Java was also the centre of the Indonesian struggle for independence during the 1930s and 1940s. Java dominates Indonesia politically, economically and culturally.
There are over 1,300 ethnic groups inIndonesia. This number makes Indonesia one of the most diverse countries in the world. 95% of those are ofNative Indonesian ancestry.[57]
The classification of ethnic groups in Indonesia is not rigid and in some cases unclear due to migrations, cultural and linguistic influences; for example, some may considerOsing people andCirebonese to be members ofJavanese people, however, some others argue that they are different ethnic groups altogether since they have their own distinct dialects. This is the same case withBaduy people that actually are sub-ethnic of theSundanese people but sometimes considered as separated ethnicities. An example of hybrid ethnicity is theBetawi people, descended not only from marriages between different peoples in Indonesia but also with foreign origin like Arab, Chinese and Indian migrants since the era of colonial Batavia (Jakarta).
Most Indonesians, aside from speaking the national language, are fluent in anotherregional language (examples includeJavanese,Sundanese and others), which are commonly used at home and within the local community. Most formal education, and nearly all national media and other forms of communication, are conducted in Indonesian. InEast Timor, which was an Indonesian province from 1975 to 1999, Indonesian is recognised by the constitution as one of the two working languages (the other being English), alongside the official languages ofTetum andPortuguese.
Indonesian literature can refer to literature produced in theIndonesian archipelago. It is also used to refer more broadly to literature produced in areas with common language roots based on theMalay language (of which Indonesian is onescion). This would extend the reach to theMaritime Southeast Asia, including Indonesia, but also other nations with a common language such asMalaysia andBrunei, as well as population within other nations such as theMalay people living inSingapore.
There are also works written in and about Indonesia in unrelated languages. There are several languages and several distinct but related literary traditions within the geographical boundaries of the modern nation of Indonesia. For example, the island of Java has its ownJavanese pre-national cultural and literary history. There are alsoSundanese,Balinese, andBatak orMadurese traditions. Indonesia also has acolonial history ofDutch,British andJapanese occupation, as well as a history ofIslamic influence that brought its own texts, linguistic and literary influences. There is also anoral literature tradition in the area.
The term "Indonesian literature" is used in this article to refer toIndonesian as written in the nation of Indonesia, but also covers literature written in an earlier form of the Indonesian language i.e.Malay written in theDutch East Indies.
Indonesia is constitutionally a secular state and the first principle ofIndonesia's philosophical foundation,Pancasila, is "belief in the one and onlyGod". A number of different religions are practised in the country, and their collective influence on the country's political, economic and cultural life is significant.[65] TheIndonesian Constitution guarantees freedom of religion.[66] However, the government recognises only six official religions (Islam,Protestantism,Catholicism,Hinduism,Buddhism andConfucianism).[67][68][69] Although based on data collected by the Indonesian Conference on Religion and Peace (ICRP), there are about 245 non-official religions in Indonesia.[70] Indonesian law requires that everyIndonesian citizen hold anidentity card that identifies that person with one of these six religions, although citizens may fill in 'believer' on that section in case that person adhere to other religion than six recognized religion[71] or leave that section blank.[72] Indonesia does not recogniseagnosticism oratheism, andblasphemy is illegal.[73] Indonesia has the world's largestMuslim population[74][75] In the 2018 Indonesian census, 86.7% of Indonesians identified themselves asMuslim (withSunnis forming about 99%,[76]Shias 1%,[77]Ahmadis 0.2%[78]), 7.6%Protestant, 3.12%Catholic, 1.74%Hindu, 0.77%Buddhist, 0.03%Confucianism, and 0.04% other religions/ No religion.[79]
Indonesia's political leadership has played an important role in the relations between groups, both positively and negatively, promoting mutual respect by affirming Pancasila but also promoting aTransmigration Program, which has caused a number of conflicts in the eastern region of the country.[80]
Indonesian cuisine is one of the most vibrant and colourful cuisines in the world, full of intense flavor.[82] It is diverse, in part becauseIndonesia is composed of approximately 6,000 populated islands of the total 17,000 in the world's largest archipelago,[83] with more than1,300 ethnic groups.[84] Many regional cuisines exist, often based uponindigenous culture and foreign influences.[83] Indonesia has around 5,350 traditional recipes, with 30 of them considered the most important.[81]
Indonesian cuisine varies greatly by region and has many different influences.[83][85][86]Sumatran cuisine, for example, often has Middle Eastern and Indian influences, featuring curried meat and vegetables such asgulai andkari, whileJavanese cuisine orSundanese cuisine is mostly indigenous,[83] with some hint of Chinese influence. The cuisines of Eastern Indonesia are similar to Polynesian and Melanesian cuisine. Elements of Chinese cuisine can be seen in Indonesian cuisine: foods such asbakmi (noodles),bakso (meat or fish balls), andlumpia (spring rolls) have been completely assimilated.
Indonesian architecture reflects the diversity ofcultural,historical andgeographic influences that have shapedIndonesia as a whole. Invaders, colonizers, missionaries, merchants and traders brought cultural changes that had a profound effect on building styles and techniques.
Traditionally, the most significant foreign influence has been Indian. However, Chinese, Arab, and European influences have also played significant roles in shaping Indonesian architecture. Religious architecture varies from indigenous forms to mosques, temples, and churches. The sultans and other rulers built palaces. There is a substantiallegacy of colonial architecture in Indonesian cities. Independent Indonesia has seen the development of new paradigms for postmodern and contemporary architecture.
^Milner, Anthony (2011). "Chapter 7, Multiple forms of 'Malayness'".The Malays. John Wiley & Sons. p. 197.ISBN978-0-7748-1333-4. Retrieved17 February 2013.
^Ulun, Adhyatnika G. (23 October 2009)."Orang Sunda di Singapura".adhyatnikageusanulun.com (in Indonesian). West Bandung Regency English Teachers Forum. Archived fromthe original on 12 July 2025. Retrieved20 January 2025.
^Barnes, Jessica S.; Bennett, Claudette E. (February 2002),The Asian Population: 2000(PDF), U.S. Census 2000, U.S. Department of Commerce, p. 9, retrieved30 September 2009
^Center for Information and Development Studies. (1998)Pribumi dan Non-Pribumi dalam Perspektif Pemerataan Ekonomi dan Integrasi Sosial (Pribumi and Non-Pribumi in the Perspective of Economic Redistribution and Social Integration). Jakarta, Indonesia: Center for Information and Development Studies
^Suryadinata, Leo. (1992)Pribumi Indonesians, the Chinese Minority, and China. Singapore: Heinemann Asia.
^"Section II. Status of Government Respect for Religious Freedom".2009 Report on International Religious Freedom – Indonesia. United States Department of State - Bureau of Democracy, Human Rights and Labor. 26 October 2009. Retrieved10 April 2017 – via UNHCR.The 2006 civil registration bill requires citizens to identify their religion on National Identity Cards (KTP). The bill does not allow citizens to identify themselves as anything outside of the six recognized religious groups. Legally, citizens may leave the religious section blank, but some local government officials are not familiar with this option. Members of unrecognized religious groups are often unable to obtain KTPs as a result.
^There are approximately 1-3 million Shia Muslims in the country which approximates more than 1% of the total Muslim population. See:Reza, Imam."Shia Muslims Around the World". Archived fromthe original on 22 May 2009. Retrieved11 June 2009.approximately 400,000 persons who subscribe to the Ahmadiyya
^There are approximately 400,000 Ahmadi Muslims in the country, which equates to 0.2% of the total Muslim population. See:"International Religious Freedom Report 2008". US Department of State. Retrieved31 March 2014.
^"Population by Region and Religion: Indonesia".Population Census 2018. Jakarta, Indonesia: Central Bureau of Statistics, Indonesia. Retrieved10 April 2017:[permanent dead link] Muslim 231069932 (86.7), Christian 20246267 (7.6), Catholic 8325339 (3.12), Hindu 4646357 (1.74), Buddhist 2062150 (0.77), Confucianism 2062150 (0.03), Other 112792 (0.04), Total 266534836.[permanent dead link]
^"Transmigration".Prevent Conflict. April 2002. Retrieved13 October 2006.
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