Indonesia 2025: West Java leads as population nears 286 million

Indonesia, the world’s fourth most populous country, has surpassed 285.7 million residents in 2025, according to the latest population data from Dukcapil Kemendagri (Ministry of Home Affairs, Indonesia).

Spread across more than 17,000 islands and 38 provinces, the nation’s demographic distribution highlights stunning contrasts in population density, economic activity, and regional development.

West Java: The nation’s most populous province

Topping the charts is West Java with over 51.3 million residents, more than the entire population of countries like South Korea or Spain.

As a key economic and industrial hub near Jakarta, West Java continues to draw internal migration from rural areas, boosting its urban population and spurring infrastructure growth.

Closely following are:

• East Java: 41.9 million
• Central Java: 38.4 million
• DKI Jakarta (Capital Region): 11 million
• Banten: 12.8 million

These provinces form Indonesia’s political and economic heartland, collectively housing more than half the country’s population.

Sumatra and Kalimantan

• North Sumatra leads the western region with over 15.6 million people.
• South Sumatra and Riau boast over 9 million and over 7 million, respectively.
• On the island of Borneo (Kalimantan), West Kalimantan stands out with 5.6 million, while Central and South Kalimantan hold over 2.8 million and 4.1 million, respectively.

These regions play a pivotal role in agriculture, mining, and the government's ongoing plan to relocate the national capital to Nusantara in East Kalimantan.

Eastern Provinces and Papua

Despite their large land areas, eastern provinces remain sparsely populated:

• East Nusa Tenggara: 5.7 million
• Maluku: 1.9 million
• Papua Highland & Central Papua: Approximately 1.4 million each
• Southwest Papua and South Papua: Approximately 600,000 each