Indonesian people
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Indonesia's 238 million people make it the world's fourth-most populous nation. The island of Java is one of the most densely populated areas in the world, with more than 114 million people living in an area the size of Greece.

Indonesia includes numerous related but distinct cultural and linguistic groups. Since independence, Indonesian (a form of Malay and official national language) is the language of most written communication, education, government, and business. Many local ethnic languages are the first language of most Indonesians and still important.

Population data

Population: 237,512,355 (July 2008 est.)

Age structure:

0-14 years: 28.4% (male 34,343,198/female 33,175,135)

15-64 years: 65.7% (male 78,330,830/female 77,812,339)

65 years and over: 5.8% (male 6,151,305/female 7,699,548) (2008 est.)

Population growth rate: 1.175% (2008 est.)

Birth rate: 19.24 births/1,000 population (2008 est.)

Death rate: 6.24 deaths/1,000 population (2008 est.)

Net migration rate: -1.25 migrant(s)/1,000 population (2008 est.)

Gender ratio:

at birth: 1.05 male(s)/female

under 15 years: 1.04 male(s)/female

15-64 years: 1.01 male(s)/female

65 years and over: 0.8 male(s)/female

total population: 1 male(s)/female (2008 est.)

Infant mortality rate:

total: 31.04 deaths/1,000 live births

male: 36.14 deaths/1,000 live births

female: 25.68 deaths/1,000 live births (2008 est.)

Life expectancy at birth:

total population: 70.46 years

male: 67.98 years

female: 73.07 years (2008 est.)

Total fertility rate: 2.34 children born/woman (2008 est.)

Nationality:
noun: Indonesian(s)
adjective: Indonesian

List of Indonesian provinces' population

Ethnic groups

There are over 300 ethnic groups in Indonesia. Many ethnic groups, particularly in Kalimantan and Papua, have only hundreds of members. Most of the local languages belong to Austronesian linguistic family, although a significant number, particularly in Papua, speak Papuan languages. In addition, there are roughly 8 million people of Chinese descent who some of them speak various Chinese dialects, most notably Hokkian and Hakka. Chinese Indonesian population makes up about 3 % of the total Indonesian population.

The proportional populations of Indonesian ethnic groups according to the (2000 census) is as follows:

The regions of Indonesia and some of their traditional ethnic groups are as follows. Note however that due to migration within Indonesia (as part of government transmigration programs or otherwise), there are significant populations of ethic groups who reside outside of their traditional regions.

• Java: Javanese, Sundanese, Bantenese, Betawi, Tengger, Osing, Badui
• Madura: Madurese
• Sumatra: Malays, Batak, Minangkabau, Acehnese, Lampung, Kubu
• Kalimantan: Dayak, Banjar
• Sulawesi: Makassarese, Buginese, Mandar, Minahasa, Gorontalo, Toraja, Bajau
• Lesser Sunda Islands: Balinese, Sasak
• The Moluccas: Nuaulu, Manusela
• Papua: Dani, Bauzi, Asmat

Religions

Main article: Religion in Indonesia

Although it is not an Islamic state, Indonesia is the world's most populous Muslim-majority nation, with almost 86.1% of Indonesians declared Muslim according to the 2000 census.^[1] 8.7% of the population is Christian,^[2] 3% are Hindu, and 1.8% Buddhist or other. Most Indonesian Hindus are Balinese,^[3] and most Buddhists in modern-day Indonesia are ethnic Chinese.^[4]

Languages

Indonesian is the official national language, but there are many different languages native to Indonesia. According to Ethnologue, there are currently 737 living languages ^[5] the most widely spoken of which is Javanese.

A number of Chinese dialects, most prominently Min Nan, are also spoken. The public use of Chinese, especially Chinese characters, was officially discouraged between 1966 and 1998.

Literacy

definition: age 15 and over and can read and write
total population: 87.9%
male: 92.5%
female: 83.4% (2005 est.)

Education is not free; however, it is compulsory for children through to grade 9. Although about 92% of eligible children are enrolled in primary school, a much smaller percentage attend full time. About 44% of secondary school-age children attend junior high school, and some others of this age group attend vocational schools.

See also

Indonesia portal

• Culture of Indonesia
• Transmigration program

References

External links

• CIA World Factbook article on Indonesia
• [1]