Urbanization in Indonesia 2023

This statistic shows the degree of urbanization in Indonesia from 2013 to 2023. Urbanization means the share of urban population in the total population of a country. In 2023, 58.57 percent of Indonesia's total population lived in urban areas and cities. 

Indonesia's urban and rural population

In 2010, 51 percent of the world’s population lived in cities while 49 percent of the world’s population lived in rural areas. Indonesia is a prime example for this almost equal distribution: In 2010, for example, Indonesia’s population was half urban and half rural. While urbanization has been slower in Indonesia than in many other countries around the world, the urbanization process is now progressing rather quickly. The largest city in Indonesia is Jakarta, which is located on the island of Java. It is also the capital and home to close to 10 million of Indonesia’s 273 million inhabitants.

Three of the nation’s other large urban areas include Surabaya, Bandung and Bekasi, and are also located on the island of Java. Interestingly, in Indonesia there is a strong correlation between agricultural land, the location of volcanoes and population distribution: Most of the country's active volcanos are located on the island of Java and it is also there where the majority of the population lives and where the agricultural soils are best.

Indonesian’s agricultural and urban lands are still somewhat linked spatially. Furthermore, the agricultural sector of the economy is still strong, and around 13 percent of Indonesia's GDP pertains to the agricultural sector. Many people who live in urban regions often go back to the rural region where they come from, and the link to rural agricultural lifestyles remain strong.