There are 1,340 recognised ethnic groups in the multicultural Indonesian archipelago, making it one of the most diverse countries in the world. The vast majority of these belong to the Austronesian peoples, concentrated in western and central Indonesia (Asia), with a sizable minority are Melanesian peoples concentrated in eastern Indonesia (Oceania). With its large population, Indonesia has the world's largest number of Austronesians and Melanesians. Based on ethnic classification, the largest ethnic group in Indonesia is the Javanese who make up about 40% of the total population. The Javanese are concentrated on the island of Java, the world's most populous island, particularly in the central and eastern parts. It is also the largest ethnic group in Southeast Asia. The Sundanese are the next largest group; their homeland is located in the western part of the island of Java and the southern edge of Sumatra. The Sunda Strait is named after them. The Malays, Batak, Madurese, Betawi, Minangkabau, and Bugis are the next largest groups in the country. Many ethnic groups, particularly in Kalimantan and Papua, have only hundreds of members. Most of the local languages belong to the Austronesian language family, although a significant number of people, particularly in eastern Indonesia, speak unrelated Papuan languages. Indonesians of Chinese, Arab and Indian descent each make up less than 3% of the total Indonesian population. 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 consider the Bantenese to be members of the Sundanese people; however, others argue that they are different ethnic groups altogether since they have their own distinct dialects. This is also the case with the Baduy people, who share many cultural similarities with the Sundanese people. An example of hybrid ethnicity is the Betawi people, descended not only from marriages between different peoples native to Indonesia, but also intermarriages with Arab, Chinese and Indian migrants since the era of colonial Batavia (modern-day Jakarta).

Statistics

Number and percentage of population of ethnic groups with more than a million members according to the 2010 census.

List by 2010 Indonesian census

The following lists ethnic groups by population from data by 2010 Indonesian census.

List by Institute of Southeast Asian Studies

The list is compiled from the ethnic groups with the largest population to the smallest, according to calculations by the Institute of Southeast Asian Studies.

Indigenous ethnic groups

Most ethnic groups are indigenous to certain regions of Indonesia. Due to migration within Indonesia (as part of government transmigration programs or otherwise), significant proportions of those ethnic groups reside outside of their traditional regions.

Non-indigenous ethnicities

Throughout Indonesian history, various ethnic groups of foreign origin spread throughout Indonesia in several migration waves, and usually established themselves in urban centres, seldom settling rural parts of the country.

Migrants

According to the United Nations, there were 355,505 international migrants in Indonesia in 2020. Their most common countries of origin were as follows:

Citations