Orang Indonesia Perantauan | |
|---|---|
 | |
 Map of the Indonesian diaspora around the world | |
| Total population | |
| Total: 6–9 million[a] 2023 estimate[1][2][3] | |
 Malaysia | |
 Netherlands | |
 Saudi Arabia | |
 Singapore | |
 South Africa | 300,000(by ancestry)[f][20][21] |
 Taiwan | 300,000 (2020)[22] |
 Bangladesh | 206,000 (2024)[23](Indonesian emigrants in Bangladesh) |
 Hong Kong | 200,000 (2019)[24] |
 Japan | 157,000 (2024)[25] |
 United States | 145,031 (2022)[26][27][28] |
 United Arab Emirates | 111,987 (2019)[29] |
 Australia | c.87,000–92,400 (2021) (Indonesian-born)[30][31] |
 Suriname | |
 Cambodia | 166,795 (2025)[34] |
 Brunei | 80,000 (2018)[35] (excluding Indonesian ancestry) |
 Oman | 75,000 (2020)[23] |
 Jordan | 46,586 (2019)[29] |
 Philippines | 43,871[36][37] |
 South Korea | 42,000 (2019)[38] |
 Sri Lanka | 40,148 (2014)(assimilate into the localSri Lankan Malays) |
 China | 38,000 (2020)[39] (only Indonesian legal workers) |
 Qatar | 37,669 (2019)[29] |
 Bahrain | 33,000[23] |
 Kuwait | 28,954 (2020)[29] |
 Germany | 24,000 (2021)[40] |
 Canada | 21,390 (2016)[41] |
 Papua New Guinea | 14,000 (2020)[23] |
 Libya | 14,000 (2020)[23] |
 Syria | 12,904 (2019)[29] |
 United Kingdom | 11,000[23] |
 Vietnam | 8,000 (2020)[23] |
 Brazil | 7,310 (2022)[42] |
 New Zealand | 7,000[23] |
 France | 25,000–30,000 (2021)[23] |
 New Caledonia | 4,300 |
 Sweden | 3,000–5,000(See:Overseas Acehnese)[23] |
 Italy | 4,000[23] |
 Switzerland | 4,000 (2020)[23] |
 Belgium | 4,000 (2020)[23] |
 Timor Leste | 4,000 (2020)[23] |
| French Guiana | 3,000 |
 Spain | 3,000 (2020)[23] |
 Egypt | 3,000 (2020)[23] |
 Turkey | 2,400 (2020)[43] |
 Norway | 2,000[23] |
 Lebanon | 2,000 (2020)[23] |
 Austria | 1,000 (2020)[23] |
 Hungary | 1,000 (2020)[23] |
 Thailand | 1,000 (2020)[23] |
| Languages | |
| Indonesian,Regional Languages of Indonesia,English,Dutch,Chinese,Arabic,Afrikaans,German,Japanese,Tagalog,Korean,Papiamento,Cantonese,Taiwanese | |
| Religion | |
| Islam · Christianity · Hinduism · Buddhism · Confucianism · Irreligion | |
| Related ethnic groups | |
| Native Indonesians,Dutch Indonesians,Arab Indonesians,Chinese Indonesians | |
| |
Indonesian diaspora (Indonesian:Orang Indonesia Perantauan) areIndonesians who live outside ofIndonesia. These include citizens that have migrated to another country as well as people born abroad of Indonesian descent. According toMinistry of Law and Human Rights, more than 6–9 million Indonesians diaspora live abroad in 2023.[Note 1]
Since ancient times, people from variousethnic groups of Indonesia have been leaving their hometowns to other parts of the world for purposes oftrade,education,labor, ortravel. Migration of ancient Indonesians began 2,000 years ago, to various places includingMadagascar,East Africa, theMiddle East, theIndian subcontinent,Australia, andSoutheast Asian countries.
Beginning between the 5th and 7th centuries, Austronesian seafarers from the Indonesian archipelago, particularly fromKalimantan andSulawesi, embarked on a remarkable journey across the Indian Ocean toMadagascar. These early migrants established settlements, bringing with them advanced agricultural techniques, including the cultivation of rice and bananas, as well as their language and cultural practices. The influence of these early Indonesians is evident in theMalagasy language, which retains manyAustronesian elements, and in the genetic makeup of theMalagasy people, who exhibit a blend of Southeast Asian and African ancestries.
During the era of theSrivijaya Empire (7th - 13th centuries), centered inSumatra, Indonesian traders and settlers expanded their influence throughoutSoutheast Asia. The Srivijaya Empire was a powerful maritime kingdom that controlled key trade routes, facilitating the movement of people and goods. Indonesian traders established communities in theMalay Peninsula,Thailand, and thePhilippines, spreading their cultural and religious practices, including Buddhism and Hinduism. This period of maritime dominance laid the groundwork for further cultural and economic exchanges in the region.
The subsequentMajapahit Empire (13th - 16th centuries), based inJava, continued to expand Indonesian influence through its extensive trade networks. The Majapahit Empire was known for its powerful navy and commercial prowess, which allowed it to control trade routes and exert influence over much of Southeast Asia. Indonesian traders and settlers played a crucial role in the exchange of goods, ideas, and technologies, further integrating the region and spreading Indonesian cultural and religious practices.
The Dutch colonial period (16th - 20th centuries) marked a significant shift in Indonesian migration patterns. Under the control of theDutch East India Company (VOC), which wielded authority over vast swathes of the Indonesian archipelago, Indonesians were forcibly relocated as laborers to other parts of the Dutch Empire. This included destinations such asSuriname, Malaysia, Singapore, and Sri Lanka. Additionally, during the 18th century, political dissidents opposing Dutch colonization were deported from Indonesia toSouth Africa, where they formed a community known as theCape Malays.[44]
The practice of going abroad has been motivated by theMerantau culture of the Indonesian people since ancient times.Merantau has been associated deeply with theMinangkabau people as a cultural way of life. A Minangkabau man at the time of young adulthood (20–30 years old) is often encouraged to go abroad as part of the Minangkabau culture; this serves as a sign of manhood to accrue wealth, knowledge, and life experience.[45] This practice can be traced to the 7th century, when Minangkabaumerchants played a major role in establishing of the Malay kingdom inJambi, which was a strategic position for trade via theSilk Road.
Other Indonesian ethnic groups such as theBugis,Banjar,Madura,Aceh,Batak, andJavanese have also been traveling overseas to gain opportunities, experience, knowledge, and versatility.
Before Dutch and British sailors arrived in Australia, Indonesians from Southern Sulawesi have explored the Australia northern coast. Each year, the Bugis sailors would sail down on the northwesternmonsoon in their woodenpinisi. They would stay in Australia for several months to trade and taketripang (or driedsea cucumber) before returning to Makassar on the dry season off shore winds. These trading voyages continued until 1907.[citation needed]Nowadays, many Indonesian residents of Australia are either foreign students or workers, with a large number being ofChinese Indonesian heritage.Furthermore, theCocos Malays are descendants of native Indonesians brought by the Clunies-Ross family to work in the copra industry in the 19th century.
According to the Interior Ministry of Cambodia, more than 100,000 Indonesian citizens lived in Cambodia.[46] Many of them work for illegal online casino companies, sparking concerns about human trafficking.[47]
Indonesians are the second largest foreigner group afterFilipinos, mainly working as female domestic helpers fromJava Island. There are also severalChinese Indonesian families and students that reside in Hong Kong.Central andWan Chai are the main districts that most Indonesians live in.
In 2013, approximately 20,000 Indonesians lived in Japan, including about 3,000 illegal Indonesians. These numbers dropped from the previous years for various reasons, including the high cost of living in Japan and the difficulty of finding jobs in Japan. Most of them are in Japan for a short term and deportation remains high for Indonesian residents. In 2022, approximately 98,865 Indonesians lived in Japan.[48]
Malaysia shares a land border with Indonesia and both countries share many aspects of their culture, including mutually intelligible national languages. Populations have long moved between the areas which make up the modern-day states. Since the distinction between the two regions emerged in the early 19th century, many people fromJava,Kalimantan,Sumatra, andSulawesi, which are located in modern-day Indonesia, migrated and settled in theMalay Peninsula and inMalaysian Borneo. These earlier populations have mostly effectively or partially assimilated with the larger Malaysian-Malay community due to religious, social and cultural similarities. Currently, it is also estimated that there are around 2 million Indonesian citizens in Malaysia at any given time, ranging from all types of backgrounds including a significant majority oflabour migrants alongside a considerable number of professionals and students.
Indonesia was a colony of theNetherlands from 1605 until 1949. During and after theIndonesian National Revolution, manyMoluccans andIndo people, people of mixed Dutch and Indonesian ancestry migrated to the Netherlands. Most of them were former members of theKNIL army. In this way, around 360,000 Indo people andTotoks (white people) and 12,500 persons from Maluke ancestry were settled in the Netherlands.Giovanni van Bronckhorst,Denny Landzaat,Roy Makaay,Mia Audina, andDaniel Sahuleka are notable people of Indonesian ancestry from the Netherlands. These 372,500 first generation people and their 2nd, 3rd and 4th generation offspring account for some 1.6 million Dutch passport-holders and form as much as 10% of the overall population of the Netherlands.
Tong Tong Fair is the largest cultural festival in the world for Indonesian diaspora. Established in 1959, it is one of the oldest festivals and the fourth largest grandfair in the Netherlands. It is also the annual event with the highest number of paying visitors of the Dutch city ofThe Hague, having consistently attracted more than 100,000 visitors since 1993.
The Netherlands is also one of the European countries with most Indonesian students. In the early 20th century, many Indonesian students studied in the Netherlands. Most of them lived in Leiden and were active in thePerhimpoenan Indonesia (Indonesian Association). There were 1,402 Indonesian nationals enrolled in Dutch universities in 2018/2019, which makes it the 13th largest student communities in the country.[49]
The official number of Indonesians in the Philippines range anywhere from 43,871 to 101,720.[36] They reside mostly in the island ofMindanao, in the Muslim parts with a noticeable community inDavao City that has an international school for the overseas community. They tend to be protective of their separate ethnic identity. Most are Muslims, while many others are also Christian, coming fromMinahasan-speaking ancestry.
There are about 39,000 Indonesian citizens in the State of Qatar according to the Indonesian Embassy.[50]
Indonesianpilgrims have long lived inHejaz, a region along the west coast of Saudi Arabia. Among them wasShaykh Ahmad Khatib Al-Minangkabawi who was fromMinangkabau origin inSumatra. He served as theImam and taught at theShafi'i school at theGrand Mosque inMecca during the late 19th century.[51]
Many Indonesians in Saudi Arabia aredomestic workers, with a minority of other types oflabour migrants and students. Most of thesantris (Islamic boarding school pupils) from Indonesia also have continued to pursue their education in Saudi, such as in theIslamic University of Madinah and theUmm al-Qura University inMecca. A number of Indonesianexpatriates in Saudi Arabia work in diplomatic sectors and local private and foreign companies, such as in theSaudi Aramco, banking companies,Saudia Airlines,SABIC,Schlumberger,Halliburton,Indomie, etc. Most Indonesians in Saudi Arabia reside inRiyadh,Jeddah, and all around theDammam area.
There areSaudi citizens who reside inMecca andJeddah that are ofIndonesian descent. Their forefathers came fromIndonesia by sea during the late 19th century til the mid 20th century forpilgrimage,trade, and Islamic education purposes. Many of them did not return to theirhomeland thus they decided to stay in Saudi and their descendants have become Saudi citizens ever since. Many of them also married with local Arab women and stayed permanently in Saudi. Their descendants today are recognizable with their family name originating from their forefathers' origins back in Indonesia, such as "Bugis", "Banjar", "Batawi" (Betawi), "Al-Felemban" (Palembang), "Faden" (Padang), "Al-Bantani" (Banten), "Al-Minangkabawi" (Minangkabau), "Bawayan" (Bawean), and many more. One of them isMuhammad Saleh Benten, a Saudi politician appointed byKing Salman as the Minister of Hajj and Umrah.[52]
The Malays in Singapore (Malay: Orang Melayu Singapura) make up about 14% of the country's population. Most of them came from what we know today as Indonesia and southern Malaysia. In the 19th century, Singapore was part ofJohor-Riau Sultanate. Many Indonesian people, mainly Bugis and Minangkabau settled in Singapore. From 1886 till 1890, as many as 21,000 Javanese became bonded labourers with the Singapore Chinese Protectorate, an organisation formed by the British in 1877 to monitor the Chinese population. They performed manual labour in the rubber plantations. After their bond ended, they continued to open up the land and stayed on in Johore. Famous Singaporeans of Indonesian descent are the first president of SingaporeYusof bin Ishak, andZubir Said who composed the national anthem of SingaporeMajulah Singapura.
According to the Indonesian Embassy in Singapore, as of 2010 there are 180,000 Indonesian citizens in Singapore. As much as 80,000 work as domestic helpers/TKI, 10,000 as sailors, and the rest are either students or professionals. But the number can be higher as registering one's residence is not compulsory for Indonesians, putting the number to around 200,000 people.
People of Indonesian descent, mainlyJavanese, make up 15% of the population ofSuriname. In the 19th century, the Dutch sent the Javanese to Suriname as indentured laborers in plantations. The most famous person of Indonesian descent isPaul Somohardjo as the speaker of theNational Assembly of Suriname.[53]
The United States is home to many Indonesian students and professionals. In the Silicon Valley region of Northern California, there are many professional Indonesian-American engineers in the technology industry who are employed in companies likeCisco Systems,KLA Tencor,Google,Yahoo,Sun Microsystems, andIBM.Sehat Sutardja, the CEO of Marvell Technology Group, is a prominent Indonesian professional in the USA.[54]
In April 2011, theSpecial English service ofVoice of America reported on a push for American universities to attract more Indonesians to study in America in order to compete with students' preferred universities in Australia, Singapore, and Malaysia.[55]
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