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Several different religions are practised inIndonesia, which is officially asecular state without an establishedstate religion.[2][3] The first principle of Indonesia's philosophical foundation,Pancasila, requires its citizens to state the belief in "the one and almightyGod".[4][5] Although, as explained by theConstitutional Court, this firstsila of Pancasila is an explicit recognition ofdivine substances (i.e.divine providence) and meant as a principle on how to live together in a religiously diverse society.[6]Blasphemy is a punishable offence (since 1965, see§ History) and the Indonesian government has a discriminatory attitude towards its numerous tribal religions,atheist andagnostic citizens.[7] In addition, theAceh province officially appliesSharia and implements different practices towards religious and sexual minorities.[8]
Several different religions are practised in the country, and their collective influence on the country's political, economic and cultural life is significant. Despite constitutionally guaranteeing freedom of religion,[9] in 1965 the government recognized only six religions:Islam,Christianity (Catholicism, under the label of "Katolik", andProtestantism, under the label of "Kristen" are recognised separately),Hinduism,Buddhism andConfucianism.[10][11] In that same year, the government specified that it will not ban other religions, specifically mentioningJudaism,Zoroastrianism,Shinto, andTaoism as examples.[10] According to a 2017 decision of theConstitutional Court of Indonesia, "the branches/flows of beliefs" (Indonesian:aliran kepercayaan)—ethnic religions withnew religious movements—must be recognised and included in anIndonesian identity card (KTP).[12][13] Based on data collected by the Indonesian Conference on Religion and Peace (ICRP), there are about 245 unofficial religions in Indonesia.[14]
From 1975 to 2017, Indonesian law mandated that its citizens possess anidentity card indicating their religious affiliation, which could be chosen from a selection of those six recognised religions.[15] However, since 2017, citizens who do not identify with those religions have the option to leave that section blank on their identity card.[7] Although there is noapostasy law preventing Indonesians from converting to any religion, Indonesia does not recogniseagnosticism oratheism, andblasphemy is considered illegal.[16] According toMinistry of Home Affairs data in 2024, 87.09% of Indonesians identified themselves asMuslim (withSunnis about 99%,[17]Shias about 1%[18]), 10.45% Christians (7.38%Protestants, 3.07%Roman Catholic), 1.67%Hindu, 0.71%Buddhists, 0.03%Confucians, 0.04%Folk and others.[1]
Until the beginning of CE, the peoples of Indonesia followed the local tribalAustronesian andPapuanethnic religions and traditions.[19]
Historically, immigration from theIndian subcontinent,mainland China,Portugal, theArab world, and theNetherlands has been a significant contributor to the diversity of religion andculture within the archipelago.[20] However, these aspects have changed due to some modifications made to suit the Indonesian culture.
Before the arrival of theAbrahamic religions of Islam, Christianity and Judaism, the prevalent religions in the region were theIndian religions ofHinduism andBuddhism. They were brought to the archipelago around the second and fourth centuries, respectively, when Indian traders arrived on the islands ofSumatra,Java andSulawesi, and brought their religion.[21] TheShaivite sect ofHinduism started to develop in Java in the fifth century CE. Hinduism had a decisive influence on the ideology of the one-man rule of theRaja, and was the dominant religion in Indonesia before the arrival of Islam.[22] The traders also established Buddhism which developed further in the following century and several Hindu and Buddhist-influenced kingdoms were established, such asKutai,Srivijaya,Majapahit, andShailendra. The world's largest Buddhist monument,Borobudur, was built by Shailendra and around the same time, the Hindu monumentPrambanan was also built. The peak of Hindu-Javanese civilisation was the Majapahit empire in the fourteenth century, and is described as a 'Golden Age' in Indonesian history.[23]
Islam was introduced to the archipelago in the thirteenth century. Coming fromGujarat, India[20] (some scholars also propose the Arabian and Persian theories[24]), Islam spread through the west coast of Sumatra and then developed to the east in Java. This period also saw Islam-influenced kingdoms established, namelyDemak,Pajang,Mataram andBanten. By the end of the fifteenth century, 20 Islam-based kingdoms had been established, reflecting the domination of Islam in Indonesia.[25]
ThePortuguese introduced Christianity in the 16th century, notably to the island ofFlores and to what was to becomeEast Timor.[26]Protestantism was first introduced by the Dutch in the 16th century withCalvinist andLutheran influences. For the Dutch, economic benefit rather than religious conversion were paramount, and missionary efforts avoided predominantly Muslim areas such as Java. The Dutch East India Company (VOC) regulated the missionary work so it could serve its own interests and focused it to the eastern, Animist part of the archipelago, includingMaluku,North Sulawesi,Nusa Tenggara,Papua andKalimantan.[27] Christianity later spread from the coastal ports of Kalimantan, andmissionaries arrived among theTorajans on Sulawesi. Parts of Sumatra were also targeted, most notably theBatak people who are predominantly Protestant today.[28]
TheSukarno era was characterised by a "distrust" between religion and the state;[29] an example of this was the passing of a presidential edict in late January 1965 (still completely in force today and will be partially repealed starting 2026) which alongside attempting to ban religious blasphemy also explicitly declared in its explanatory memorandum that:[10]
The religions professed by citizens in Indonesia are: Islam, Christianity [Catholicism and Protestantism], Hinduism, Buddhism, and Kong Fuzi (Confucianism).
This can be proved in the history of development of Religions in Indonesia. Because these 6 religions are the religions that are professed by almost all Indonesian citizens, thus unless they received guarantees as stated in article 29 clause 2 of theConstitution, they also receive aid and security [...]
This does not mean other religions, such as: Jew [Judaism], Zarasustrian, Shinto, Taoism are banned in Indonesia. They are given full guarantee as granted by article 29 clause 2 [of the Constitution] and they are free to develop, as long as they don't violate the terms of this regulation and other regulations.
For spiritual bodies/streams, the Government attempts to direct them to a healthy viewpoint and to the direction of the Belief of the One and Only God. This is as stated by theResolutions of the Provisional People's Consultative Assembly Number II/MPRS/1960 [on the Broad Outlines of the First Stage National Overall Planned Development Plan 1961–1969], appendix A, segment I, number 6.
There were also significant changes to the relationship during theNew Order. Following anattempted coup in 1965 that officially blamed theCommunist Party of Indonesia (PKI) and ananti-communist purge, the New Order government attempted to suppress PKI supporters by making it mandatory to have a religion since PKI supporters were mostlyabangan (agnostic Muslims).[30] As a result, citizens were required to carry personal identification cards indicating their religion. The policy resulted in a mass conversion, with most to Catholicism and Protestantism.Chinese Indonesians, who were mostlyConfucianists, also faced similar circumstances. BecauseConfucianism was not one of the state-recognised religions, many converted to Christianity.[31]
The history ofIslam in Indonesia is complex and reflects the diversity of Indonesian cultures.[32] There is evidence of Arab Muslim traders entering the Indonesian archipelago as early as the 8th century.[33] Venetian explorer,Marco Polo is credited with the earliest known record of a Muslim community around 1297 AD, whom he referred to as a new community of Moorish traders inPerlak, Aceh.[34] Over the 15th and 16th century, the spread of Islam accelerated via the missionary work ofMaulana Malik Ibrahim (also known as Sunan Gresik, originally fromSamarkand, at the time part of the Persian empire) in Sumatra and Java and AdmiralZheng He (also known as Cheng Ho, from China) in north Java, as well as campaigns led by sultans that targeted Hindu-Buddhist kingdoms and various communities, with each trying to carve out a region or island for control. Four diverse and contentious sultanates emerged in northern and southern Sumatra, west and central Java, and southern Kalimantan. The sultans declared Islam as a state religion and pursued war against each other, including on non-Muslim communities.[25]
Subsequently, Hindu, Buddhist, Confucian, animist communities and unbelievers bought peace by agreeing to payjizya tax to a Muslim ruler, while others began adopting Islam to escape the tax.[35] Islam in Indonesia is in many cases less meticulously practised in comparison to Islam in theMiddle East. In some regions, people retained and continued their old beliefs. They adopted a syncretic version of Islam,[36] while others left and concentrated as communities in islands that they could defend, for example,Hindus of western Java moved toBali and neighbouring small islands.[37] While this period of religious conflict and inter-Sultanate warfare was unfolding, and new power centres were attempting to consolidate regions under their control, European powers arrived.[37] The archipelago was soon dominated by the Dutch empire, which helped prevent inter-religious conflict, and slowly began the process of excavating, preserving and understanding the archipelago's ancient Hindu and Buddhist period, particularly in Java and the western islands.[38]
The vast majority of Indonesian Muslims (about 99%) practiceSunni Islam of theShafi‘i school. Smaller numbers follow other schools (madhhabs),[17][39] and theSalafi movement.[40] The main divisions of Islam in Indonesia aretraditionalism andmodernism. Both are supported by Indonesia's two largest Islamic civil society groupsNahdlatul Ulama andMuhammadiyah, respectively.[41] Theorders ofSufism are considered essential.[42]
Concerning the political expansion of Islam after the resignation ofSuharto, political parties were again permitted to declare an ideology other than Pancasila. SeveralIslamist parties formed withSharia as their ideology and theCrescent Star Party (PBB) came in sixth place in the1999 elections. However, in2009 elections, the PBB ranked only 10th, while parties characterised by moderate and tolerant Islamic interpretations had more significant success, such as theProsperous Justice Party (PKS) coming in 4th with nearly 8% of total votes.[43]
Shia Islam played an important role in the early period of the spread of Islam in North Sumatra and Java.[44] Currently, there are approximately 1-3 millionTwelvers in Sumatra, Java,Madura andSulawesi islands, and alsoIsmailis in Bali, which approximates more than 1% of the total Muslim population.[45] Shias form a segment ofArab Indonesians and theHadhrami people.[46] The main organisation is "Ikatan Jamaah Ahlulbait Indonesia" (IJABI).[47]
The earliest history ofAhmadi Muslims in the archipelago dates back to the summer of 1925, when roughly two decades before theIndonesian revolution, a missionary of the Community, Rahmat Ali, stepped in Sumatra and established the movement with 13 devotees inTapaktuan,Aceh.[48] The community has had an influential history in Indonesia's religious development, yet in modern times it has faced increasing intolerance from religious establishments and physical hostilities from radical Muslim groups.[49] In Ahmadiyya organisationJamaah Muslim Ahmadiyah Indonesia (JMAI), there are an estimated 400.000 followers, which equates to 0.2% of the total Muslim population,[15] spread over 542 branches across the country; in contrast to independent estimates, the Ministry of Religious Affairs estimates around 80.000 members.[48] A separatist group,Lahore Ahmadiyya Movement for the Propagation of Islam, known asGerakan Ahmadiyah-Lahore Indonesia (GAI) in Indonesia, has existed in Java since 1924 and had only 708 members in the 1980s.[48]
The government officially recognises the two mainChristian divisions in Indonesia,Catholicism andProtestantism, as two separate religions.
Catholicism arrived in the archipelago during the Portuguese arrival with spice-trading over the 14th and 15th century. Many Portuguese had the goal of spreading Catholicism, starting with theMaluku Islands in 1534. Between 1546 and 1547, the pioneer Christian missionary, SaintFrancis Xavier, visited the islands andbaptised several thousand locals. During the VOC era, the number of Catholics fell significantly, due to the VOC's policy of banning the religion. The hostility of the Dutch toward Catholicism is due to its history where the Protestant Dutch gained their independence after theEighty Years War against Catholic Spain's rule. The most significant result was on the island ofFlores andEast Timor where the VOC concentrated. Moreover, Catholic priests were sent to prisons or punished and replaced by Protestant clergy from the Netherlands. One Catholic priest was executed for celebratingMass in prison duringJan Pieterszoon Coen's tenure asGovernors of the Dutch East Indies. After the VOC collapsed and with the legalisation of Catholicism in the Netherlands starting around 1800, Dutch Catholic clergy predominated until after Indonesia's independence.[50][51] In present-dayFlores, the royal house of Larantuka formedthe only native Catholic kingdom in Southeast Asia around the 16th century, with the first king named Lorenzo.[52]
Other than Flores,Central Java also has significant numbers of Catholics. Catholicism started to spread in Central Java whenFrans van Lith, a priest from the Netherlands came toMuntilan in 1896. Initially, his effort did not produce a satisfying result until 1904 when fourJavanese chiefs from Kalibawang region asked him to give them education in the religion. On 15 December 1904, a group of 178 Javanese were baptised at Semagung, Muntilan, districtMagelang, Central Java, near the border of theSpecial Region of Yogyakarta.[53]
As of 2022[update], 3.06% of Indonesians are Catholics, nearly half the number of Protestants at 7.43%.[54] The practitioners mostly live inWest Kalimantan,Papua (specificallySouth Papua) andEast Nusa Tenggara. The province of East Nusa Tenggara, where the island of Flores andWest Timor are located, and South Papua are the two provinces in Indonesia where Catholics are the largest religious group (respectively, about 54.14% and 49.93% of the total population). However, Catholics may be found in smaller numbers spread throughout the country. In Java, next to Javanese, Catholicism also spread toChinese Indonesians.[50][55] In the present day, Catholic traditions close toEaster days remain, locally known asSemana Santa. It involves a procession carrying statues of Jesus and the Virgin Mary (locally referred to asTuan Ana andTuan Ma respectively) to a local beach, then to Cathedral of the Queen of the Rosary, theDiocese of Larantuka, Flores.[56]
In September 2024,Pope Francisvisited Indonesia, as part of an apostolic journey also includingPapua New Guinea,East Timor, andSingapore.[57] This marked the third visit by apope to Indonesia, afterPope Paul VI in 1970 andPope John Paul II in 1989.[58]
Protestantism is mostly a result ofCalvinist andLutheran missionary efforts during the country's colonial period.[59] TheDutch Reformed Church was long at the forefront in introducing Christianity to native peoples and was later joined by other Reformed churches that separated from it during the 19th century.[50] The VOC regulated the missionary work so it could serve its own interests and restricted it to the eastern part of the Indonesian archipelago.[60] Although these two branches are the most common, a multitude of other denominations can be found elsewhere in Indonesia.[61]
Protestants form a significant minority in some parts of the country. Statistically, 7.6% of the total population declared themselves Protestant in a 2018 census. Seventeen per cent of the population inSulawesi are Protestants, particularly inTana Toraja regency inSouth Sulawesi province andCentral Sulawesi. Furthermore, up to 65% of the ethnicTorajans are Protestants. TheBatak people fromNorth Sumatra is also one of the major Protestant groups in Indonesia, comprising around 50% out of all ethnic population. Christianity was brought byGermanLutheran missionaryLudwig Ingwer Nommensen who is known as the apostle to the Batak people and started theBatak Christian Protestant Church (HKBP),[62][63][61] which is the largest Lutheran church in Asia.[64]
Anglicanism is present in Indonesia since 1819, during theBritish Invasion of Java, when church services were provided towards interdenominational English speaking communities in Java.[65] In 1822,Singaporean-basedLondon Missionary Society purchased a land inBatavia (now Jakarta) and in 1829 constructed of what is now known asAll Saints Church.[65][66] The organization become affiliated withChurch of England and is an autonomous part ofAnglican Communion since 1857[67] and is oldest English-speaking institutions in Indonesia.[68] In 1993,Anglican Diocese of Singapore established "Deanery of Indonesia".[69] In 1998,Gereja Anglikan Indonesia (lit. 'Anglican Church of Indonesia') was founded to provide better services to native Indonesians. As of 2022, the congregation is present in Jakarta,Bandung,Surabaya,Batam,Medan,Nunukan,Pontianak,Ambon, andTarakan.[70]
Chinese Indonesians are also a significant part of the Protestant population, scattered throughout Indonesia with the majority concentrated in major urban areas. In 2000, approximately 35% of ethnic Chinese were Christian, and there is a continuous increase among the younger generation. In some parts of the country, entirevillages belong to a distinct denomination, such asAdventism, theInternational Church of the Foursquare Gospel,Lutheran,Presbyterian or theSalvation Army (Bala Keselamatan) depending on the success of missionary activity.[61]
Indonesia has six Protestant-majority provinces,Southwest Papua,West Papua,Central Papua,Papua,Highland Papua andNorth Sulawesi, with 61.84%, 68.75%, 87.89%, 70.44%, 98%, and 67.33% of the total population respectively. In thePapua region, it is most widely practised among the native Papuan population. In North Sulawesi, theMinahasan population centred aroundManado converted to Christianity in the 19th century. Today, most of the population native to North Sulawesi practice some form of Protestantism, while transmigrants from Java andMadura practice Islam. Adherents of Protestantism mostly live inNorth Sumatra,West Kalimantan,Central Kalimantan,South Sulawesi,West Sulawesi,Central Sulawesi,North Sulawesi,East Nusa Tenggara,North Maluku,Maluku (province),Southwest Papua,West Papua (province),Central Papua,Highland Papua, andPapua.[71][61]
TheCommunion of Churches in Indonesia is the sole umbrella for most Protestant churches.[72]
Eastern Christianity operates in Indonesia under the label "Kristen" together with Protestants.
Eastern Orthodoxy is represented by theIndonesian Orthodox Church (Moscow Patriarchate), which until 2019 was part of theRussian Orthodox Diocese of Sydney, Australia and New Zealand (Russian Orthodox Church Outside Russia),[73] and then comes under the unified spiritual leadership of theDiocese of Singapore (Russian Orthodox Church).
In addition, there are communities ofOriental Orthodoxy, namely theSyriac Orthodox Church (Indonesian:Kanisah Ortodoks Suriah) andCoptic Orthodox Church (Indonesian:Gereja Kristen Ortodoks Koptik di Indonesia).[74] AnArmenian Orthodox community historically existed in the country during the colonial era, but has mostly left following independence.[75]
Other branches ofChristianity also exist in Indonesia, such asMormonism (since 1969)[76] andJehovah's Witnesses (since 1930).[77] Previously banned in 1976 for to theirrefusal to salute the Indonesian flag and participate in politics,[77] Jehovah's Witnesses were officially registered with the Ministry of Religious Affairs in March 2002.[77] In November 2019,Russell M. Nelson, President ofthe Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints (LDS Church) visited theVice Presidential Palace, where he officially metMa'ruf Amin, theVice President of Indonesia.[78]
Hindu culture and religion arrived in the archipelago around the 2nd century CE, which later formed the basis of several Hindu-Buddhist kingdoms such asKutai,Mataram, andMajapahit. Around 130, aSundanese kingdom namedSalakanagara emerged in western Java. It was the first historically recordedIndianised kingdom in the archipelago, created by an Indian trader following marriage to a local Sundanese princess.[79] The largest Hindu temple in Indonesia,Prambanan, was built during the Majapahit kingdom by the Sanjaya dynasty. The kingdom existed until the 16th century when Islamic empires began to develop, this period known as the Hindu-Indonesian period.[80]
Hinduism in Indonesia takes on a distinct tone from other parts of the world.[81][82] Hinduism, referred to asAgama Hindu Dharma in Indonesia, formally applied thecaste system.[83] It also incorporated native Austronesian elements that reveredhyangs, deities and spirits of nature and deceasedancestors. The Hindu religiousepics, theMahabharata and theRamayana, are expressed in Indonesianwayang puppetry and dance. All practitioners of Agama Hindu Dharma share many common beliefs, mostly the Five Points of Philosophy, the Panca Srada. These include the belief in one Almighty God (Brahman), belief in thesouls and myriad of local and ancestral spirits andkarma or the belief in the law of reciprocal actions, rather than belief in cycles of rebirth andreincarnation. In addition, the religion focuses more onart andritual rather thanscriptures,laws and beliefs.[82][84] In many areas on Java, Hinduism and Islam have heavily influenced each other, in part resulting inAbangan andKejawèn (Kebatinan) traditions.[85]
According to the 2018 data, Hindus numbered 4.69 million (1.69% of Indonesians).[54] TheParisada Hindu Dharma Indonesia has disputed this figure, who estimated as many as 18 million Hindus in the country.[86] The majority of Hindus live in Bali. Sumatra, Java,Lombok,Kalimantan andSulawesi also have significant Hindu populations; most areBalinese who migrated to these areas through government-sponsoredtransmigration program or urbanised Balinese attracted to cities in Java, especially theGreater Jakarta area. TheTamil Indonesians in Medan represents another important concentration of Hindus.[15]
There areindigenous religions that are incorporated into the Hinduism (not all followers agree): HinduKaharingan ofDayak people;[87]Javanese Hinduism ofTenggerese tribe;[88] HinduTolotang ofBugis;[89] andAluk Todolo (Hindu Alukta) ofToraja.[90]
There are also some internationalHindu reform movements, including theInternational Society for Krishna Consciousness,Sathya Sai Organization,[15]Chinmaya Mission,Brahma Kumaris,Ananda Marga,Sahaja Yoga, and Haidakhandi Samaj.[91]
Buddhism is the second oldest religion in Indonesia, arriving around the sixth century. The history of Buddhism in Indonesia is closely related to that of Hinduism, as some empires based on Buddhist culture were established around the same period. The Indonesian archipelago has witnessed the rise and fall of powerful Buddhist empires such asShailendra dynasty,Srivijaya andMataram Empires. The arrival of Buddhism was started with trading activities that began in the early first century on theSilk Road between Indonesia and India. According to some Chinese sources, a Chinese monk on his journey to India, witnessed the powerful maritime empire of Srivijaya based inSumatra. The empire also served as a Buddhist learning centre in the region. Somehistorical heritage monuments can be found in Indonesia, including the Borobudur Temple inYogyakarta and statues orprasasti (inscriptions) from the earlier history of Buddhist empires.[92]
Following the downfall of President Sukarno in the mid-1960s and the mandatory policy of having a religion,[93] founder of Perbuddhi (Indonesian Buddhists Organisation), BhikkuAshin Jinarakkhita, proposed that there was a single supreme deity,Sanghyang Adi Buddha. He was also backed up with the history behind the Indonesian version of Buddhism in ancientJavanese texts, and the shape of the Borobudur Temple.[94]
According to the 2018 data, roughly 0.73% of Indonesians are Buddhists, which takes up about 2 million people.[54] Most Buddhists are concentrated in Jakarta, although other provinces such asRiau,North Sumatra andWest Kalimantan also have a significant number of practitioners. However, the figures are likely higher, since practitioners of Confucianism andTaoism, the latter of which is not considered an official religion, referred to themselves as Buddhists on the census. Today, most Buddhists areChinese Indonesians and, to a lesser extent, among the Javanese and Balinese.[citation needed] Among the Indonesian Buddhists, the major Buddhist schools areTheravada,Mahayana, andVajrayana. Some Chinese Indonesians follow a syncretic combination of Chinese beliefs, such as thethree teachings (Tridharma) andYiguandao (Maytreya).[95]
Confucianism originated inChina and was brought to Indonesia byChinese merchants as early as the 3rd century AD. Unlike other religions, Confucianism evolved more into loose individual practices and belief in thecode of conduct, rather than a well-organised community with a sound theology—akin to a way of life orsocial movement than a religion. It was not until the early 1900s that Confucianists formed an organisation, calledKhong Kauw Hwe (KKH) in Batavia.[96][97][98]
After the Indonesian independence in 1945, Confucianism was affected by several political conflicts. In 1965,Sukarno issued Presidential Decree No. 1/Pn.Ps/1965, recognising that six religions are embraced by the Indonesian people, including Confucianism. In 1961, theAssociation of Khung Chiao Hui Indonesia (PKCHI) (now theSupreme Council for the Confucian Religion in Indonesia) had declared that Confucianism is a religion andConfucius is theirprophet.[99][98]
During theNew Order, theanti-China policy became a scapegoat-like method to gain political support from the masses, especially after the fall of PKI, which had allegedly been backed by China. In 1967, Suharto issued controversial Presidential Instruction No. 14/1967, which effectively banned Chinese culture, including documents printed in Chinese, expressions of Chinese belief, Chinese celebrations and festivities, and even Chinese names. However, Suharto acknowledged that theChinese Indonesians had a large amount of wealth and power, despite consisting only 3% of the population.[99][98]
In 1969,Statute No. 5/1969 was passed, restoring the official total of six religions. However, it was not always put into practice. In 1978, the Minister of Home Affairs issued a directive asserting there are only five religions, excluding Confucianism. On 27 January 1979, a presidential cabinet meeting decided that Confucianism is not a religion. Another Minister of Home Affairs directive in 1990 re-iterated the total of five official religions in Indonesia.[99][98] Therefore, the status of Confucianism during the New Order regime was never clear.De jure, there were conflicting laws, because higher laws permitted Confucianism, but lower ones did not recognise it.De facto, Confucianists were not recognised by the government, and they were forced to register with one of the original five official religions to maintain their citizenship. This practice was applied in many places, including the national registration card, marriage registration, and family registration card. Civics education in Indonesia taught school children that there are only five official religions.[99][98]
Following the fall of Suharto in 1998,Abdurrahman Wahid was elected as the country's fourth president. He rescinded the 1967 Presidential Instruction and the 1978 Home Affairs Ministry directive, and Confucianism once again became officially recognised as a religion in Indonesia. Chinese culture and activities were again permitted.[100]
_in_Indonesia_(2022).svg)
A number of ancestralanimistic/polytheisticindigenous religions (Austronesian andPapuan ethnic beliefs) are present, which were dominant throughout the archipelago before the arrival of Dharmic and Abrahamic religions. Some still exist in some parts of Indonesia as either pure orsyncretic. They include:
The non-official number of ethnic believers is up to 20 million.[13] The government often views indigenous beliefs askepercayaan adat (custom) rather thanagama (religion) or as a variant of a recognised religion. Because of this, followers of these beliefs such as Dayak Kaharingan have identified themselves as Hindu as a result to avoid pressure to convert to Islam or Christianity. Several native tribal beliefs such as Sunda Wiwitan, Toraja Aluk Todolo, and Batak Parmalim—although different from Indian-influenced Balinese Hinduism—might seek affiliation with Hinduism to survive, while at the same time also preserving their distinction from mainstream Indonesian Hinduism dominated by the Balinese. In many cases, some of the followers of these native beliefs might convert to Christianity or Islam, at least registered as such on their KTP while still upholding and performing their native beliefs.[102]
However, "the branches/flows of beliefs" (Indonesian:aliran kepercayaan), including localnew religious movements, are partly recognised according to a 2017 decision of the Constitutional Court. It rules that the law requiring people whose 'religion is not recognised', or followers of indigenous religions to leave the religion column on identity documents blank is contrary to the constitution.[12][13]
Kejawèn (Javanese beliefs) orKebatinan is an amalgam of animism, Hindu-Buddhist, and Islamic—especiallySufi—beliefs. The beliefs are rooted inJavanese history and spiritualism with the tendency tosyncretise aspects of different religions in search for a common ground.Kejawèn is generally characterised as mystical, and some varieties were concerned with spiritual self-control. Although there were many varieties circulating in 1992,Kejawèn often implies pantheistic worship because it encourages sacrifices and devotions to local and ancestral spirits. These spirits are believed to inhabit natural objects, human beings, artefacts, and grave sites of the important wali (Muslim saints). Illness and other misfortunes are traced to such spirits, and if sacrifices or pilgrimages fail to placate angry deities, the advice of adukun or healer is sought.Kejawèn, while it connotes a turning away from the aggressive universalism of orthodox Islam, moves toward a more internalised universalism. In this way, Kebatinan moves toward eliminating the distinction between the universal and the local, the communal and the individual.[103]
TheKejawèn have no certain prophet, a sacred book, nor distinct religious festivals and rituals; it has more to do with each adherent's internalised transcendental vision and beliefs in their relations with others and with the supreme being. As a result, there is an inclusiveness that thekebatinan believer could identify themselves with one of six officially recognised religions, at least in KTP, while still subscribe to theirkebatinan belief and way of life. This loosely organised current of thought and practice was legitimised in the 1945 constitution and, in 1973, when it was recognised asKepercayaan kepada Tuhan Yang Maha Esa (Believer of One Supreme God) that somewhat gain the status as one of theagama. PresidentSuharto regarded himself as one of its adherents.[104]
The formal Kejawen/Kebatinan movements areSubud,Sumarah,Pangestu,Perjalanan,Amerta, and others.[105]
Subud is an internationalspiritual movement that began in Indonesia in the 1920s as a movement related toSufism and Javanese beliefs founded byMuhammad Subuh Sumohadiwidjojo. (The name Subud was first used in the late 1940s when Subud was legally registered in Indonesia.) The basis of Subud is a spiritual exercise commonly referred to as thelatihan kejiwaan, which was said by Muhammad Subuh to be guidance from "the Power of God" or "the Great Life Force".[106][107]
Muhammad Subuh saw the present age as one that demands personal evidence and proof of religious or spiritual realities, as people no longer just believe in words. He claimed that Subud is not a new teaching or religion, but only that the latihan kejiwaan itself is the kind of proof that humanity is looking for. There are now Subud groups in about 83 countries, with a worldwide membership of about 10,000.[107]
Indonesian social-religiousSaminism Movement (also Sedulur Sikep) rejected the capitalist views of the colonialDutch, was founded by Surosentiko Samin in north-central Java (Blora) in the late 19th and early 20th centuries.[108]
Dukun andpawang are Indonesians' terms for ashaman (theMalays in Indonesia use wordbomoh). Their societal role is that of atraditional healer,spirit medium, custom and tradition experts and on occasionsorcerers and masters ofblack magic. In common usage, the dukun is often confused with another type of shaman, thepawang. It is often mistranslated into English as "witch-doctor" or "medicine man". Many self-styled shamans in Indonesia are scammers and criminals, preying on gullible and superstitious people who were raised to believe in the supernatural.[109]
The earlySephardi Jews establishment in the archipelago came from Portugal and Spain in the 17th century.[110] In the 1850s, about 20 Jewish families of Dutch andGerman origins lived in Batavia. Some lived inSemarang andSurabaya. SeveralBaghdadi Jews also settled. Before 1945, there were about 2.000 Dutch Jews in Indonesia. Some Jews even converted to Christianity or Islam during the Japanese occupation when Jews were sent to internment camps, and the Indonesian National Revolution when Eurasians were targeted. In 1957, it was reported that around 450 Jews remained, mainlyAshkenazim in Jakarta and Sephardim in Surabaya. The community decreased to 50 in 1963 and to 20 in 1997.[111]
Jews in Surabaya maintained asynagogue for many years, with sporadic support from relatives and co-religionists residing in Singapore. Beth Shalom closed in 2009 after radical groups protested againstIsrael's assault on Gaza that year. It was later designated a heritage site by the Surabaya government, but was demolished in May 2013 without warning as part of a mysterious real estate deal.[112]
Since 2003, "Shaar Hashamayim" synagogue (unaffiliated) has been serving the local Jewish community of some 20 people inTondano city,North Sulawesi, which is attended by around 8Orthodox Jews. Currently, it is the only synagogue in Indonesia that provides services.[112][110] besides 6 home synagogues of a mixed Jewish group run and supervised by the United Indonesian Jewish community across Indonesia
The organization "The United Indonesian Jewish Community" (UIJC) has been formed since 2009 and inaugurated in October 2010. It embraces all Jewish streams (orthodox and egalitarian) members with 180 certified Jews. UIJC has coverage of 8 areas across Indonesia from Sumatra to Papua.[110] The first Indonesian Jewish Rabbi, Rabbi Benjamin Meijer Verbrugge (Dr. Benny Meijer) came from UIJC. He got his smicha/ordination as Para Rabbi by Rabbi Jonathan Ginsburg and Rabbi Steven Jules Peskind from Rodfei Kodesh Jewish Learning Institute Chicago in 2013, and he got his smicha/ordination as a full rabbi from Rabbi Joseph H. Gelberman Rabbinical Seminary International New York (Modern Chasidic) in 2015. The ordination took place at The Actors' Temple, officially named Congregation Ezrath Israel, is a non-denominational Jewish synagogue located at 339 West 47th Street, Manhattan New York, July 2, 2015.
In 2015, the group under AM Christian Denomination, claiming as a Jewish community "Beit Torat Chaim", was inaugurated by the Religious Affairs Ministry as a Christian Church. It is located in Jakarta and will be led by RabbiTovia Singer. Tovia already left Indonesia.[113]
According to theAssociation of Religion Data Archives in theBahá'í Faith in Indonesia made up 0.01% of the population in 2020.[114]
The community is subject to a measure of government discrimination.[115][116] Since 2014, the situation has improved in the form of government plans for possible recognition (there was an erroneous opinion on already held the official recognition of the Bahai in 2014).[117][118]
Sikhs migration to Indonesia began in the 1870s (guardians and traders). There are severalgurdwaras and schools in Sumatra and Java, for example, inMedan was built in 1911. In 2015, the Supreme Council for the Sikh Religion in Indonesia was founded.[119] Numbering between 10.000 and 15.000 in 2022,[7] Sikhs are not officially recognised by the government, resulting in adherents referring to themselves as Hindus on the KTP.[120]
A smallJain community, Jain Social Group Indonesia (JSG Indonesia), exists in Jakarta amongIndian Indonesians.[121]
During the Japanese occupation, State Shinto was imposed on the territory, leading to the construction of 11 shrines, including the Hokoku Shrine, theChing Nan Shrine, and theHirohara Shrine. After World War II, most of these Shinto shrines were destroyed or abandoned, leaving the Hirohara Shrine as the only surviving Shinto shrine in Indonesia.[122][123]
The most famous of thenew religious movements in Indonesia areTheosophical Society,[124]Transcendental Meditation movement,[125]Falun Gong,[7]Radha Soami Satsang Beas (RSSB),[126] and originated in IndonesiaSubud[127] andEden community (Jamaah Salamullah).
Although there is no specific law that bansatheism, legal cases in which atheists have been charged with blasphemy for publicly expressing atheist points of view have raised the issue of whether it isde facto illegal to do so according to Pancasila. Some clerics invoke the first Pancasila principle to argue that it is illegal, while legal scholars say that the principle was adopted as a compromise between secular nationalist, Muslim and non-Muslim founders, and not intended to ban atheism. Nonetheless, atheists as a group tend not to express their atheism publicly for fear of prosecution.[128][129]
In 2012, civil servantAlexander Aan was sentenced to 30 months in prison for writing "God doesn't exist" on his Facebook page and sharing explicit material aboutMuhammad online,[130][131] sparking nationwide debate.[132] Alexander's lawyers speculated that there were only around 2,000 atheists in Indonesia, but stated that it was difficult to estimate due to the threat of imprisonment for open atheism.[132]
Although the government recognises several different religions, inter-religious conflicts have occurred. During the New Order, PresidentSuharto proposed theAnti-Chinese law which prohibits anything related toChinese culture, including names and religions. Suharto also made an effort to "de-Islamicise" the government, by maintaining a large proportion of Christians in his cabinet. However, in the early 1990s, the issue ofIslamisation appeared, and the military split into two groups, the Nationalist and Islamic camps. The latter, led by GeneralPrabowo Subianto, was in favour of Islamisation, while GeneralWiranto was in the former in favour of a secular state.[133]
During the New Order, thetransmigration program continued after it was initiated by theDutch East Indies government in the early nineteenth century. The intention was to move millions of people from overcrowded and populatedJava, Bali andMadura to less populated regions, such asAmbon,Lesser Sunda Islands andPapua. It has received much criticism, being described as a type of colonisation by theJavanese andMadurese who also brought Islam to non-Muslim areas. Citizens in western Indonesia are mostly Muslims with Christians a small minority, while in eastern regions, the Christian populations are similar in size or larger than the Muslim population. This more even population distribution has led to more religious conflicts in the eastern regions, includingPoso riots and theMaluku sectarian conflict communal violence since the resignation of President Suharto.[134]
The government has made an effort to reduce the tension by proposing the inter-religion cooperation plan. The Foreign Ministry, along with the most prominent Islamic organisation in Indonesia,Nahdatul Ulama, held the International Conference of Islamic Scholars, to promote Islamic moderation, which is believed to reduce the tension in the country.[135] On 6 December 2004, the "Dialogue On Interfaith Cooperation: Community Building and Harmony" conference was opened. The meeting, attended by ASEAN countries,Australia,East Timor,New Zealand andPapua New Guinea was intended to discuss possible cooperation between different religious groups to minimise inter-religious conflict in Indonesia.[135]
Nevertheless, the 2010 report to theUnited States Congress by theUnited States Commission on International Religious Freedom noted attacks against theShia communities in Indonesia, particularly inEast Java andMadura. In one incident in Madura, local villagers surrounded Shia houses and demanded they desist religious activities, but the crowd was dispersed by local leaders and clergy.[136] On the issue of theAhmadiyya, Indonesia has failed to act and uphold their human rights. Several Ahmadi mosques were burnt in 2008. 126 Ahmadis have become refugees within their own country in the four years before 2012.[49]
There is, however, indications that religious conflicts regarding the building of places of worships have more to do with business interest than in religious issues. For example, the dispute over a Bethel Injil Sepenuh Church (GBIS) in Jakarta was due to land dispute dating back to 1957, while theIndonesia Christian Church (GKI) Taman Yasmin dispute inBogor was due to the municipal government plan to turn the church's area into a business district. The Taman Yasmin Church in Bogor has been upheld and protected bySupreme Court of Indonesia, but the mayor of Bogor refused to comply with the court ruling.[137][138] A positive form of relations has also appeared in society, such as the effort from six different religious organisations to help the2004 tsunami victims. In 2011, the interfaith 'Indonesia Sunni and Shia Council' (MUHSIN) was established.[139]
In 2017, theblasphemy trial ofBasuki Tjahaja Purnama (Ahok) received international attention. In 2016, at a campaign stop duringthe capital city's gubernatorial election, Ahok stated some citizens would not vote for him because they were being "threatened and deceived" by those using the verse Al-Ma'ida 51 of the Qur'an and variations of it. After a university lecturer, Buni Yani edited the video containing his speech, widespread protests against him ensued, culminating in his controversial imprisonment in May 2017.[140] The Joko Widodo administration responded by banning the Indonesian chapter ofHizb ut-Tahrir.[141] Subsequent government attempts, particularly by the country's intelligence agency (BIN), in curbing radicalism has been called an attack on Islam by some sectarian figures.[142][143]
Religion was a census variable in the 1961, 1971, 1980, 1990, 2000, and 2010 and in various intercensal surveys. Being deemed divisive, the 1961 census data regarding religion was not published. In 1971, three groups of Christians were recorded: Catholic, Protestant and other. The U.N. Demographic Yearbook 1979 only lists data collectively for all Christians. In the 2000 census, only Catholics and Protestants were available as categories.[144]
| 1971[145][146] | 1980[147][148] | 1985[149] | 1990[149][150][151] | 2000[149][152][153] | 2005[149] | 2010[154] | ||||||||
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Muslim | 103.58 | 87.51% | 128.46 | 87.94% | 142.59 | 86.92% | 156.32 | 87.21% | 177.53 | 88.22% | 189.01 | 88.58% | 207,18 | 87.18% |
| Protestant | 8.74 | 7.39% | 8.51 | 5.82% | 10.59 | 6.46% | 10.82 | 6.04% | 11.82 | 5.87% | 12.36 | 5.79% | 16.53 | 6.96% |
| Catholic | 4.36 | 2.98% | 5.14 | 3.13% | 6.41 | 3.58% | 6.13 | 3.05% | 6.56 | 3.07% | 6.91 | 2.91% | ||
| Hindu | 2.30 | 1.94% | 4.76 | 3.26% | 3.18 | 1.94% | 3.29 | 1.83% | 3.65 | 1.81% | 3.70 | 1.73% | 4.01 | 1.69% |
| Buddhist | 1.09 | 0.92% | 1.60 | 0.98% | 1.84 | 1.03% | 1.69 | 0.84% | 1.30 | 0.61% | 1.70 | 0.72% | ||
| Confucian[155] | 0.97 | 0.82% | 0.95 | 0.58% | 0.57 | 0.32% | 0.41 | 0.20% | 0.21 | 0.10% | 0.12 | 0.05% | ||
| Other | 1.69 | 1.42% | 0.24 | 0.11% | 0.30 | 0.13% | ||||||||
| Unstated | 0.14 | 0.06% | ||||||||||||
| Not asked | 0.76 | 0.32% | ||||||||||||
| Total[156] | 118.37 | 146.08 | 164.05 | 179.25 | 201.24 | 213.38 | 237.64 | |||||||
Note: the drop in the Catholic population between 1990 and 2000 was due to the secession ofEast Timor in 1999.
| Ethnic Group | Muslims | Christians | Hindus | Buddhists | Confucians | Others | Total | |||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Javanese | 92,107,046 | 2,428,121 | 160,090 | 90,465 | 2,857 | 9,599 | 94,788,943 | |||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||
| Sundanese | 36,450,022 | 29,332 | 1,851 | 24,528 | 4,854 | 155,308 | 36,665,892 | |||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||
| Malay | 8,643,370 | 8,484 | 1,031 | 19,848 | 1,243 | 242 | 8,751,218 | |||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||
| Batak | 3,738,660 | 4,707,658 | 1,476 | 9,190 | 315 | 6,305 | 8,463,604 | |||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||
| Madurese | 7,157,518 | 7,695 | 368 | 435 | 32 | 43 | 7,166,091 | |||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||
| Betawi | 6,607,019 | 151,429 | 1,161 | 39,278 | 1,805 | 252 | 6,800,943 | |||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||
| Minangkabau | 6,441,071 | 1,822 | 179 | 1,255 | 49 | 44 | 6,459,420 | |||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||
| Buginese | 6,348,200 | 35,516 | 26,102 | 957 | 47 | 2,395 | 6,413,217 | |||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||
| Bantenese | 4,634,374 | 4,810 | 101 | 2,680 | 70 | 242 | 4,642,277 | |||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||
| Banjarese | 4,108,104 | 15,775 | 994 | 1,396 | 62 | 410 | 4,126,741 | |||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||
| Balinese | 127,274 | 49,385 | 3,736,993 | 10,378 | 142 | 473 | 3,924,645 | |||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||
| Acehnese | 3,398,818 | 403 | 70 | 1,028 | 7 | 4 | 3,403,961 | |||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||
| Dayak | 1,016,697 | 2,017,870 | 12,140 | 17,502 | 568 | 154,219 | 3,218,996 | |||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||
| Sasak | 3,153,671 | 5,540 | 4,555 | 10,682 | 7 | 439 | 3,174,894 | |||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||
| Chinese | 131,682 | 1,211,692 | 3,552 | 1,388,829 | 94,005 | 1,114 | 2,830,874 | |||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||
| Others | 23,057,923 | 12,436,323 | 63,909 | 73,027 | 9,422 | 117,848 | 35,758,452 | |||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||
| Total | 207,121,449 | 23,359,556 | 4,005,337 | 1,691,478 | 115,485 | 296,864 | 236,590,169 | |||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||
| Source:[157] | ||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||
In 2024, based oncivil registration data fromMinistry of Home Affairs, 87.09% of Indonesians areMuslims, 10.45% Christians (7.38%Protestants, 3.07%Roman Catholic), 1.67%Hindu, 0.71%Buddhists, 0.03%Confucians and 0.04%Folk and others.[1]
Muslim 241 Million (87), Christianity 29.1 Million (10.5), Hindu 4.69 million (1.7), Buddhist 2.02 million (0.7), Folk, Confucianism, and others 192.311 (0.1), Total 277.749.673 Million
The statistical data on religion show that Islam has the highest percentage of adherents with about 87.1 per cent of the population of Indonesia (National Socio Economic Survey, 1969). The second biggest religion in Indonesia is Protestant (5.2%), while Catholic is the third (2.5%). The rest are Hindu (2.0%) and Buddhist (1.1%) and other religions which are not included in the above classification.
The 1990 census recorded 156.3 million Muslims in Indonesia, 87.2 per cent of the population and the largest Muslim population of any nation in the world. This was a steady percentage, having been 87.1 per cent in 1980. Christians (Catholics and Protestants) totalled 17.2 million, 9.6 per cent of the population, whereas in 1971 the figure was 7.5 per cent and in 1980 it was 8.8 per cent. So Christianity was still growing. In the large cities of Central Java in particular, Christians constituted nearly 20 per cent of the population. The rising tide of religiosity was also reflected in the much smaller communities of Hindus (3.3 million, 1.8 per cent of the population in 1990) and Buddhists (1.8 million, 1.0 per cent of the population).
Muslim 86.1%, Protestant 5.7%, Roman Catholic 3%, Hindu 1.8%, other or unspecified 3.4% (2000 census)
Religion is belief in Almighty God that must be possessed by every human being. Religion can be divided into Muslim, Christian,, Hindu, Buddhist, Hu Khong Chu, and Other Religion.
The six categories for religion were Islam, Catholicism, Protestant, Hinduism, Buddhism, and Other. The decision to have a separate category for Confucianism (Kong Hu Cu) occurred during the enumeration process itself, hence it was not printed in the actual form of the L1. The data on the number of Confucians is only available for certain provinces. However, the number seems much smaller than expected due to the abrupt process of including it in the questionnaire.
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