Population structure in the Indonesian archipelago
Consisting of more than seventeen thousand islands, the Indonesian archipelago includes some of the world’s biggest and most famous islands, such as Sumatra, Borneo, Sulawesi, and Bali. However, for the past centuries, developments in Indonesia have focused more on Java Island, attracting people to move there, leading to an unequal population distribution. Java Island has the highest number of people living below the poverty line in Indonesia. However, the share of the island’s total population in poverty is still low compared to other islands in Eastern Indonesia. The unique geographical situation and unequal infrastructure development across Indonesia mean the population structure of the nation varies considerably.In the past decade, Indonesia’s overall rate of population growth has been steadily declining. However, Indonesia was predicted to experience substantial population growth by 2030, with an increase of over 20 million from its current total population. Furthermore, Indonesia’s life expectancy has also been increasing, indicating improvement in Indonesia’s economy, health, and living conditions.
Impending challenges on Indonesia’s aging population
Indonesia’s demographic advantage offers great potential for its economic growth, as the country is entering the golden period where the population is dominated by citizens in the productive age group. However, as this demographic dividend period ends and the younger generation grows older, Indonesia will face an increase in its aging population. This shift will cause Indonesia to face challenges and necessitate proactive initiatives to ensure robust pension and healthcare systems and sustain Indonesia’s economic growth.Unlike other Asian countries trying to enhance their population growth, the Indonesian government has been aiming to convince Indonesians to have fewer children. Through their efforts in promoting later marriages and family planning, Indonesia has been profiting greatly from these programs, which have helped to control population growth. However, considering the post-demographic dividend impact, the government has been evaluating its family planning campaign to make it more relevant to anticipate the risk of an aging population and avoid having a shortage of productive workers in the future.
