Indonesia (Republic of Indonesia)

Indonesia Republic of Indonesia
Status	Independent State
Social and Moral Index	81st best
Capital	Jakarta
Land Area	1 811 570km21
Location	Asia
Population	267.7m2
Life Expectancy	67.57yrs (2017)3
GNI	$11 466 (2017)4
ISO3166-1 Codes	ID, IDN, 3605
Internet Domain	.id6
Currency	Rupiah (IDR)7
Telephone	+628

1. Overview
2. Indonesia National and Social Development
3. Indonesia's Demographics and Migration
4. Human Rights, Equality & Tolerance
5. Indonesia's Health
6. Indonesia's Responsibility Towards The Environment
7. Indonesia's Modernity and Learning
8. Indonesia's Culture, Peace and Inequality
9. Religion and Beliefs
10. Links

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1. Overview

#australia #germany #indonesia #islam #japan #malaysia #netherlands #papua_new_guinea #UK

“The Dutch began to colonize Indonesia in the early 17th century; Japan occupied the islands from 1942 to 1945. Indonesia declared its independence shortly before Japan's surrender, but it required four years of sometimes brutal fighting, intermittent negotiations, and UN mediation before the Netherlands agreed to transfer sovereignty in 1949. A period of sometimes unruly parliamentary democracy ended in 1957 when President SOEKARNO declared martial law and instituted "Guided Democracy." After an abortive coup in 1965 by alleged Communist sympathizers, SOEKARNO was removed from power. From 1966 until 1988, President SUHARTO ruled Indonesia with his "New Order" Government. After rioting toppled Suharto in 1998, free and fair legislative elections took place in 1999. Indonesia is now the world's third most populous democracy, the world's largest archipelagic state, and the world's largest Muslim-majority nation. Current issues include: alleviating poverty, improving education, preventing terrorism, consolidating democracy after four decades of authoritarianism, implementing economic and financial reforms, stemming corruption, reforming the criminal justice system, holding the military and police accountable for human rights violations, addressing climate change, and controlling infectious diseases, particularly those of global and regional importance. In 2005, Indonesia reached a historic peace agreement with armed separatists in Aceh, which led to democratic elections in Aceh in December 2006.”

CIA's The World Factbook (2013)₉

Indonesia owns half of the large island, New Guinea.

The island of New Guinea is divided almost equally into two halves. The Eatern half is called Papua New Guinea, which has been an independent state since 1975, before which it was owned by Australia, Germany and the UK. The Western half is part of Indonesia. Humans have lived on the island of New Guinea for 40,000 years, whereupon they started cultivating and exploiting plants like yams and taro₁₀. "Indonesia continues to face low intensity armed resistance in Papua by the separatist Free Papua Movement"₉.

“From the western tip of Sumatra to the eastern edge of Papua, Indonesia offers endless exploration and infinite diversity. This unique land may well be the last great adventure on Earth. Indonesia defines adventure: the only limitation is how many of its 17,000 islands you can reach before your visa expires. Following the equator, Indonesia stretches between Malaysia and Australia in one long intoxicating sweep. The nation´s natural diversity is staggering, alluring and inspiring, from the snow-capped peaks in Papua, sandalwood forests in Sumba, dense jungle in Borneo and impossibly green rice paddies in Bali and Java. Indonesian reefs are a diver´s fantasy while the surf breaks above are the best anywhere.

But even as the diversity on land and sea run like a traveller´s fantasy playlist, it´s the mash-up of people and cultures that´s the most appealing. Bali justifiably leads off, but there are also Papua´s stone-age folk, the many cultures of Flores, the artisans of Java, mall-rats of Jakarta and much more. Whether it´s a dreamy remote beach, an orang-utan encounter or a Bali all-nighter, Indonesia scores.”

"The World" by Lonely Planet (2014)₁₁

2. Indonesia National and Social Development

#economics #human_development #wealth

UN HDI (2021)12
Pos.		Higher is better Value12
1	Switzerland	0.962
2	Norway	0.961
3	Iceland	0.959
	...
111	Samoa	0.707
112=	Gabon	0.706
112=	Lebanon	0.706
114	Indonesia	0.705
115	Vietnam	0.703
116	Philippines	0.699
117	Botswana	0.693
118=	Bolivia	0.692
	Asia Avg	0.75
	World Avg	0.72
q=191.

Gross National Income Per-Capita (2021)12
Pos.		Higher is better PPP $12
1	Liechtenstein	$146 830
2	Singapore	$90 919
3	Qatar	$87 134
	...
101	St Vincent & Grenadines	$11 961
102	Egypt	$11 732
103	Dominica	$11 488
104	Indonesia	$11 466
105	Algeria	$10 800
106	Mongolia	$10 588
107	Ecuador	$10 312
108	Tunisia	$10 258
	Asia Avg	$22 215
	World Avg	$20 136
q=193.

Social & Moral Development Index13
Pos.		Lower is better Avg Rank13
1	Denmark	29.7
2	Norway	33.6
3	Switzerland	35.2
	...
78	Turkey	82.9
79	Georgia	83.0
80	Andorra	83.6
81	Indonesia	83.8
82	Dominican Rep.	84.6
83	Cape Verde	84.9
84	Bahamas	85.3
85	Armenia	85.4
	Asia Avg	92.0
	World Avg	88.9
q=199.

The United Nations produces an annual Human Development Report which includes the Human Development Index. The factors taken into account include life expectancy, education and schooling and Gross National Income (GNI) amongst many others..

The Social and Moral Development Index concentrates on moral issues and human rights, violence, public health, equality, tolerance, freedom and effectiveness in climate change mitigation and environmentalism, and on some technological issues. A country scores higher for achieving well in those areas, and for sustaining that achievement in the long term. Those countries towards the top of this index can truly said to be setting good examples and leading humankind onwards into a bright, humane, and free future. See: Which are the Best Countries in the World? The Social and Moral Development Index.

3. Indonesia's Demographics and Migration

#birth_control #demographics #fertility #health #immigration #life_expectancy #longevity #migration #overpopulation #population #yemen

Population Datasets:

Indonesia's population is predicted to rise to 279.66 million by 2030. These millions of extra people will all need space to live, food to eat, energy to consume, and will increase the burden on the planet's resources. This country has a fertility rate of 2.15. The fertility rate is, in simple terms, the average amount of children that each woman has. The higher the figure, the quicker the population will grow, although, to calculate the rate you also need to take into account morbidity - the rate at which people die. If people live healthy and long lives and morbidity is low, then, 2.0 approximates to the replacement rate (two new children for each set of parents who die), which would keep the population stable. If all countries had such a fertility rate, population growth would end. The actual replacement rate in most developed countries is around 2.1. The highest fertility rate ever detected in a single year was in Yemen in 1985, at 8.86.₁₄

Population2
Pos.		2018 Population2
1	China	1.4b
2	India	1.4b
3	USA	327.1m
4	Indonesia	267.7m
5	Pakistan	212.2m
6	Brazil	209.5m
7	Nigeria	195.9m
8	Bangladesh	161.4m
9	Russia	145.7m
10	Japan	127.2m
11	Mexico	126.2m
12	Ethiopia	109.2m
	World Avg	39.0m
q=195.

Life Expectancy Higher is better12
Pos.		2021 Years12
1	Monaco	85.9
2	Hong Kong	85.5
3	Japan	84.8
	...
132	Laos	68.1
133	Timor-Leste (E. Timor)	67.7
134	Sao Tome & Principe	67.6
135	Indonesia	67.6
136	Kiribati	67.4
137	India	67.2
138	Fiji	67.1
139	Senegal	67.1
	World Avg	71.28
q=195.

Fertility Rate 2.0 is best15
Pos.		202215
1	US Virgin Islands	2.00
2	Ecuador	2.00
3	Nepal	2.01
	...
17	Cape Verde	1.88
18	Argentina	1.88
19	Myanmar (Burma)	2.13
20	Indonesia	2.15
21	Greenland	1.84
22	Gibraltar	1.84
23	Peru	2.16
24	Venezuela	2.19
	World Avg	2.47
q=208.

Old-Age Dependency Ratio Lower is better16
Pos.		2016 Per 10016
1	Uganda	04.3
2	Mali	04.5
3=	Chad	04.7
	...
83	Uzbekistan	11.9
84=	Tonga	11.9
85	Kyrgyzstan	12.1
86	Indonesia	12.4
87=	Myanmar (Burma)	12.5
87=	India	12.5
89	Bolivia	12.7
90	Nicaragua	13.1
	World Avg	18.3
q=185.

• The Population of the Earth
• Abortion, Birth Control and Contraception

Migration Datasets:

Immigrants17
Pos.		2017 %17
1	UAE	88.4%
2	Kuwait	75.5%
3	Qatar	65.2%
	...
188	N. Korea	0.2%
189	Sri Lanka	0.2%
190	Myanmar (Burma)	0.1%
191	Madagascar	0.1%
192	Indonesia	0.1%
193	Cuba	0.1%
194	Vietnam	0.1%
195	China	0.1%
	World Avg	9.4%
q=195.

Emigrants18
Pos.		2010 %18
1	Dominica	104.8%
2	Palestine	68.4%
3	Samoa	67.3%
	...
171	UAE	1.2%
172	Mongolia	1.2%
173	Kenya	1.1%
174	Indonesia	1.1%
175	Myanmar (Burma)	1.0%
176	Solomon Islands	1.0%
177	India	0.9%
178	Papua New Guinea	0.9%
	World Avg	11.5%
q=192.

4. Human Rights, Equality & Tolerance

#buddhism #christianity #confucianism #equality #freedom #gender_equality #hinduism #human_rights #Indonesia #indonesia_freedom #islam #morals #politics #prejudice #tolerance

Human Rights, Equality & Tolerance (2025)19
Pos.		Lower is better Avg Rank19
1	Sweden	6.1
2	Denmark	8.6
3	Norway	9.0
	...
130	Morocco	107.0
131	China	107.2
132	Mozambique	107.6
133	Indonesia	107.7
134	Gambia	108.1
135	Sierra Leone	108.4
	Asia Avg	103.00
	World Avg	86.55
q=199.

Indonesia is amongst the worst places in the world at ensuring human rights and freedom, and it has severe cultural issues when it comes to tolerance and equality. Indonesia does better than average in supporting personal, civil & economic freedoms₂₀ and in its average Freedom in the World rating. But that's it. Indonesia has problems. It does worse than average in terms of its success in fighting anti-semitic prejudice₂₁, eliminating modern slavery₂₂, commentary in Human Rights Watch reports₂₃, opposing gender inequality₂₄, LGBT equality₂₅, supporting press freedom₂₆ (still high for Asia) and in freethought₂₇. And finally, it sits amongst the bottom 20 in the rate of gender bias (from 7 indicators)₂₈ (one of the worst in Asia) and in its nominal commitment to Human Rights₂₉. The United Nations made 58 recommendations on improvements that Indonesia could make, but they were rejected wholesale₃₀. Indonesia does not accept the concept of freedom of religion. The state only permits six religions: Islam, Hinduism, Buddhism, Catholicism, Protestantism, and Confucianism - there is no legal way to be non-religious₃₁. The country's blasphemy law makes it illegal to promote other faiths. In 2017, President Jokowi decreed the amendment of a law, enabling the government to fast-track the banning of groups it doesn't like₃₀.

For tables, charts and commentary, see:

• Human Rights and Freedom in Indonesia

5. Indonesia's Health

#alcohol #birth_control #demographics #health #indonesia #life_expectancy #longevity #obesity #overpopulation #parenting #population #smoking #vaccines

Compared to Asia (2025)32
Pos.		Lower is better Avg Rank32
1	Japan	41.9
2	Hong Kong	47.0
3	Singapore	49.2
	...
20	Armenia	83.8
21	Azerbaijan	86.4
22	Turkmenistan	87.3
23	Indonesia	87.4
24	Bhutan	88.8
25	Kazakhstan	89.2
26	Lebanon	89.5
27	Uzbekistan	89.8
28	Oman	89.9
	Asia Avg	80.90
q=50.

Health (2025)32
Pos.		Lower is better Avg Rank32
1	Monaco	14.3
2	Liechtenstein	30.1
3	Isle of Man	32.1
	...
79	Bosnia & Herzegovina	86.6
80	Serbia	87.0
81	Turkmenistan	87.3
82	Indonesia	87.4
83	Grenada	87.4
84	Uruguay	88.2
85	Bhutan	88.8
86	Kazakhstan	89.2
	World Avg	96.49
q=213.

The countries with the best overall approach to public health, in terms of both public policy and individual lifestyle choices, are Monaco, Liechtenstein and The Isle of Man₃₃. These countries are worth emulating. And, although often through no fault of the average citizen, the worst countries are The Marshall Islands, The Cook Islands and S. Sudan₃₃.

27 datasets are used to calculate points for each country, including multiple decades of data on its average life expectancy, its alcohol consumption rate, its fertility rate, its smoking rate, its suicide rate, its food aid and health contributions and WHO compliance, the prevalence of overweight adults, obesity rate, its adolescent birth rate and its immunizations take-up. The regions with the best average results per country are Scandinavia, Europe and The Mediterranean₃₃, whereas the worst are Micronesia, Melanesia and Australasia₃₃.

For more, see:

• "Countries With the Healthiest Cultures and Health Policies" by Vexen Crabtree (2025).

Health Datasets:

Indonesia does relatively well in encouraging good health, compared to many other countries. Indonesia comes in the best 20 in the prevalence of overweight adults₃₄. It does better than average in terms of its fertility rate₁₅, its alcohol consumption rate₃₅ and in its adolescent birth rate₃₆ (but bad for Asia). But, things could still be better. Indonesia does worse than average for its food aid and health contributions and WHO compliance₃₇, its average life expectancy₁₂ and in its immunizations take-up₃₈. And finally, it sits amongst the bottom 20 in terms of its smoking rate₃₉. The number of overweight adults has increased by 14% between 1976 and 2016. Life expectancy in Indonesia improved by +7.3yrs in the 30 years from 1990, on par with the global average improvement of +7.9yrs. Indonesia's peak fertility rate was 5.62 in 1965.

Life Expectancy Higher is better12
Pos.		2021 Years12
1	Monaco	85.9
2	Hong Kong	85.5
3	Japan	84.8
	...
132	Laos	68.1
133	Timor-Leste (E. Timor)	67.7
134	Sao Tome & Principe	67.6
135	Indonesia	67.6
136	Kiribati	67.4
137	India	67.2
138	Fiji	67.1
139	Senegal	67.1
	Asia Avg	73.48
	World Avg	71.28
q=195.

Alcohol Consumption Lower is better35
Pos.		2016 Per Capita35
1	Bangladesh	0.0
2	Kuwait	0.0
3	Libya	0.0
	...
20=	Jordan	0.7
20=	Senegal	0.7
22	Oman	0.8
23=	Indonesia	0.8
23=	Azerbaijan	0.8
25	Algeria	0.9
26=	Malaysia	0.9
26=	Comoros	0.9
	Asia Avg	3.9
	World Avg	6.2
q=189.

Fertility Rate 2.0 is best15
Pos.		202215
1	US Virgin Islands	2.00
2	Ecuador	2.00
3	Nepal	2.01
	...
17	Cape Verde	1.88
18	Argentina	1.88
19	Myanmar (Burma)	2.13
20	Indonesia	2.15
21	Greenland	1.84
22	Gibraltar	1.84
23	Peru	2.16
24	Venezuela	2.19
	Asia Avg	2.17
	World Avg	2.47
q=208.

Smoking in the 2020s Lower is better39
Pos.		Total %39
1	Nigeria	3.3%
2	Ghana	3.4%
3	Panama	5.2%
	...
155	Andorra	36.2%
156	Solomon Islands	36.9%
157	Croatia	37.0%
158	Indonesia	38.2%
159	Timor-Leste (E. Timor)	38.8%
160	Bulgaria	39.5%
161	Serbia	39.6%
162	Papua New Guinea	39.7%
	Asia Avg	22.8%
	World Avg	20.0%
q=165.

Indonesia sits amongst only 10 countries in the world that saw its smoking rate increase over the 2010s, compared to the previous decade.

Food Aid, Health Contributions & WHO Compliance Lower is better37
Pos.		2017 Rank37
1	Sweden	1
2	Ireland	2
3	Denmark	3
	...
81	Dominican Rep.	81
82	Zambia	82
83	Croatia	83
84	Indonesia	84
85	Bolivia	85
86	Kyrgyzstan	86
87	Moldova	87
88	Syria	88
	Asia Avg	64.4
	World Avg	82.0
q=163.

Overweight Adults Lower is better34
Pos.		1976 %34
1	Bangladesh	4.7
2	Vietnam	5.1
3	Nepal	5.4
	...
7	Laos	6.2
8=	Bhutan	6.3
8=	Afghanistan	6.3
10	Indonesia	6.6
11	Burkina Faso	6.8
12	Maldives	7.2
13=	Sri Lanka	7.5
13=	Ethiopia	7.5
	Asia Avg	23.1
	World Avg	27.1
q=191.

Adult Obesity Lower is better40
Pos.		2022 %40
1	Vietnam	2.1%
2	Timor-Leste (E. Timor)	2.2%
3	Ethiopia	2.4%
	...
43	France	10.9%
44	Kenya	11.0%
45	Tanzania	11.4%
46	Indonesia	11.5%
47	Yemen	11.6%
48	Bhutan	12.0%
49	Ghana	12.1%
50	Zimbabwe	12.4%
	Asia Avg	21.1%
	World Avg	24.7%
q=199.

Children's Health Datasets:

Adolescent Birth Rate Lower is better36
Pos.		2022 Per 100036
1	Hong Kong	1.6
2	Denmark	1.8
3	S. Korea	2.1
	...
90	Rwanda	32.2
91	Antigua & Barbuda	32.3
92	Myanmar (Burma)	32.8
93	Indonesia	32.9
94	Timor-Leste (E. Timor)	33.3
95	Kyrgyzstan	33.8
96	Vietnam	35.0
97	Uruguay	35.2
	Asia Avg	25.9
	World Avg	43.8
q=195.

Infant Immunizations 2011-2015 Higher is better38
Pos.		2015 Avg %38
1=	Hungary	99.0
1=	China	99.0
3	Uzbekistan	98.9
	...
166	Ivory Coast	76.9
167	Congo, DR	76.5
168	Timor-Leste (E. Timor)	76.5
169	Indonesia	76.4
170	Mali	76.0
171	India	75.1
172	Ethiopia	73.9
173	Pakistan	73.0
	Asia Avg	90.5
	World Avg	88.3
q=194.

6. Indonesia's Responsibility Towards The Environment

#biodiversity #climate_change #deforestation #energy #environmentalism #food #indonesia #internationalism #meat #over-exploitation #sustainability #the_environment #veganism #vegetarianism

Compared to Asia (2025)41
Pos.		Lower is better Avg Rank41
1	Sri Lanka	34.9
2	Nepal	47.9
3	India	49.5
4	Philippines	49.6
5	Japan	57.4
6	Thailand	59.5
7	Vietnam	60.6
8	Indonesia	61.9
9	Jordan	63.1
10	Hong Kong	64.6
11	Cyprus	64.8
12	Bangladesh	69.7
13	Maldives	70.5
	Asia Avg	86.44
q=51.

Responsibility Towards The Environment (2025)41
Pos.		Lower is better Avg Rank41
1	Sri Lanka	34.9
2	Uruguay	43.2
3	Switzerland	45.0
	...
32	Greece	61.4
33	Tanzania	61.6
34	Ethiopia	61.7
35	Indonesia	61.9
36	Cameroon	62.6
37	Italy	63.1
38	Jordan	63.1
39	Ireland	63.1
	World Avg	84.93
q=199.

We have known for a long term that we must protect the environment from habitation destruction, over-exploitation, pollution, and the emissions that cause climate change. In 1998, Greenpeace wrote that "Environment can no longer be meaningfully separated from health, quality of life, democracy, education, economy or trade"₄₂. What countries have been doing the right thing, via legislation and national culture? All countries' current and historical approach towards the environment is gauged via 21 datasets, including multiple decades of data on its forested percent change 2000-2020, its environmental performance, energy to GDP efficiency, its sign-up rate to major international accords on protecting the environment, the rate of rational beliefs on the environment in the population, reducing annual meat consumption per person and its score on the Green Future Index.

The countries that do the best (Sri Lanka, Uruguay and Switzerland) tend to have avoided the excesses of early industrial countries, and have not yet repeated the same mistakes of environmental destruction - at least, not on the same scale. The regions with the best average results per country are Central America, South America and Scandinavia. The worst are Eritrea, The Vatican City and Timor-Leste (E. Timor), and the worst regions Micronesia, Australasia and Melanesia.

For more, see:

• " Countries With the Best Environmental Records" by Vexen Crabtree (2025).

Indonesia ranks 35th in the world regarding its responsibility towards the environment. This is calculated from 21 data sets. Indonesia comes in the best 20 in the rate of rational beliefs on the environment in the population₄₃. It does better than average in reducing annual meat consumption per person₄₄, energy to GDP efficiency₄₅ and in its sign-up rate to major international accords on protecting the environment. Indonesia still has work to do. Indonesia does worse than average in its score on the Green Future Index₄₆, its environmental performance₄₇ and in its forested percent change 2000-2020₄₈.

Environmental Performance Higher is better47
Pos.		201847
1	Switzerland	87.4
2	France	84.0
3	Denmark	81.6
	...
130	Kenya	47.3
131	Bhutan	47.2
132	Vietnam	47.0
133	Indonesia	46.9
134	Guinea	46.6
135	Mozambique	46.4
136	Uzbekistan	45.9
137	Chad	45.3
	Asia Avg	54.5
	World Avg	56.4
q=180.

Energy to GDP Efficiency Lower is better45
Pos.		2022 Avg45
1	Rwanda	0.25
2	Chad	0.26
3	Tanzania	0.31
	...
35	Hong Kong	0.67
36	Puerto Rico	0.68
37	Angola	0.70
38	Indonesia	0.71
39	Swaziland	0.73
40	Guatemala	0.74
41	Togo	0.74
42	Romania	0.75
	Asia Avg	1.50
	World Avg	1.23
q=165.

International Accords on the Environment Higher is better
Pos.		Total Avg Rate
1	Sweden	83%
2	Canada	82%
3	Norway	81%
	...
84	Togo	61%
85	Thailand	61%
86	Zambia	61%
87	Indonesia	61%
88	Maldives	61%
89	Bahamas	60%
90	Malawi	60%
91	Monaco	60%
	Asia Avg	55.4%
	World Avg	57.5%
q=197.

Rational Beliefs on the Environment Higher is better43
Pos.		2011 %43
1	Argentina	78.3%
2	Greece	77.6%
3	Brazil	77.1%
	...
13	Mexico	67.0%
14	Nicaragua	67.0%
15	El Salvador	66.8%
16	Indonesia	66.5%
17	Japan	64.7%
18	Panama	64.6%
19	Peru	63.9%
20	Chile	63.8%
	Asia Avg	37.9%
	World Avg	39.9%
q=145.

Meat Consumption Lower is better44
Pos.		2021 kg44
1	Congo, DR	03.0
2	Burundi	03.5
3	Bangladesh	04.3
	...
34	Algeria	17.9
35	Iraq	18.3
36	Zambia	18.3
37	Indonesia	18.6
38	Pakistan	18.6
39	Senegal	19.3
40	Sudan	19.9
41=	Myanmar (Burma)	20.0
	Asia Avg	46.7
	World Avg	52.5
q=185.

Green Future Index Higher is better46
Pos.		2023 Score46
1	Iceland	6.7
2	Finland	6.7
3	Norway	6.4
	...
46=	Mexico	4.5
47	Ukraine	4.4
48	Argentina	4.3
49	Indonesia	4.3
50	India	4.3
51	Nigeria	4.2
52	Ecuador	4.1
53=	Kazakhstan	4.1
	Asia Avg	4.3
	World Avg	4.8
q=76.

7. Indonesia's Modernity and Learning

#atheism #education #english #indonesia #intelligence #islam #it_security #maths #modernity #pakistan #politics #religion #religiosity #research #science #secularisation #technology #the_internet

Compared to Asia (2020)50
Pos.		Lower is better Avg Rank50
1	S. Korea	22.2
2	Japan	24.7
3	Israel	29.5
	...
31	Oman	89.8
32	Palestine	91.6
33	Mongolia	91.7
34	Indonesia	93.3
35	Tajikistan	101.3
36	Maldives	102.1
37	Turkmenistan	114.0
38	Pakistan	116.1
39	Nepal	116.8
	Asia Avg	78.26
q=49.

Modernity & Learning (2020)50
Pos.		Lower is better Avg Rank50
1	Finland	7.1
2	Belgium	12.9
3	Denmark	13.6
	...
108	Oman	89.8
109	Palestine	91.6
110	Mongolia	91.7
111	Indonesia	93.3
112	Jamaica	94.6
113	Kenya	96.4
114	Botswana	96.5
115	Morocco	97.9
	World Avg	86.31
q=190.

The most modern countries, with the best results from education, the highest levels of research, and with the easiest access to information on the Internet, are Finland, Belgium and Denmark₅₁. The worst countries are Eritrea, S. Sudan and Sierra Leone₅₁. Despite improves in global education, access to tertiary (adult) education is becoming increasingly unequal between the rich haves and the poor have-nots₅₂.

“Education, at all levels and ages, is the single most vital support for equality as well as being a country's most vital economic and social resource. [...] Every successful aspirant to modernisation and economic development, from Japan to South Korea, China to Chile, has got there with a big emphasis on education.”

Bill Emmott (2017)₅₃

15 datasets are used to calculate points for each country, including multiple decades of data on Research and Development, Secondary Education, Length of Schooling, Intellectual Endeavours, Maths, Science & Reading, Religiosity, IQ, the percent of citizens with access to the internet, Freedom On The Internet, IT Security, IPv6 Uptake and digital quality of life. The regions with the best average results per country are Scandinavia, Baltic States and Europe₅₁, whereas the worst are Melanesia, Africa and Micronesia₅₁.

For more, see:

• "Which Countries are Most Modern, With the Best Education and Internet Access?" by Vexen Crabtree (2025).

Modernity and Education Datasets:

Research & Development Higher is better
Pos.		2016 % RDP PPP
1	S. Korea	4.2954
2	Israel	4.1154
3	Japan	3.5854
	...
110	Peru	0.1055
111	Paraguay	0.0956
112=	Congo, DR	0.0857
112=	Indonesia	0.0858
114	Saudi Arabia	0.0759
115=	Algeria	0.0755
115=	Cape Verde	0.0760
117	Trinidad & Tobago	0.0556
	Asia Avg	0.75
	World Avg	0.84
q=126.

Secondary Education Higher is better61
Pos.		201861
1=	Luxembourg	100.0%
1=	Estonia	100.0%
1=	Austria	100.0%
	...
110	Kuwait	51.5%
111	Congo, DR	50.7%
112	Macedonia	49.8%
113	Indonesia	48.8%
114	Congo, (Brazzaville)	48.8%
115	Iraq	48.0%
116	Paraguay	47.8%
117	Nicaragua	47.5%
	Asia Avg	66.0%
	World Avg	63.0%
q=169.

Length of Schooling Higher is better62
Pos.		2021 Years62
1	Australia	21.1
2	New Zealand	20.3
3	Greece	20.0
	...
88	Bulgaria	13.9
89	Bosnia & Herzegovina	13.8
90	Egypt	13.8
91	Indonesia	13.7
92	Swaziland	13.7
93	S. Africa	13.6
94	Macedonia	13.6
95	Azerbaijan	13.5
	Asia Avg	13.5
	World Avg	13.5
q=193.

Intellectual Endeavours Lower is better37
Pos.		2017 Rank37
1	Ukraine	1
2	Czechia	2
3	Hungary	3
	...
156	Tanzania	156
157	Equatorial Guinea	157
158	Guyana	158
159	Afghanistan	159
160	Indonesia	160
161	Bolivia	161
162	Iraq	162
163	Angola	163
	Asia Avg	97.1
	World Avg	82.0
q=163.

Maths, Science & Reading Higher is better63
Pos.		2015 Score63
1	Singapore	1655
2	Hong Kong	1598
3	Japan	1586
	...
59	Qatar	1222
60	Georgia	1216
61	Jordan	1197
62	Indonesia	1186
63	Brazil	1185
64	Peru	1182
65	Lebanon	1129
66	Tunisia	1114
	Asia Avg	1398
	World Avg	1389
q=70.

Religiosity Lower is better64
Pos.		2018 %64
1	China	3
2	Estonia	6
3	Czechia	7
	...
99	Afghanistan	92
100=	Burkina Faso	93
100=	Tanzania	93
100=	Indonesia	93
103	Mali	94
104=	Pakistan	94
105	Ethiopia	98
106=	Senegal	98
	Asia Avg	55.8
	World Avg	54.3
q=106.

IQ Higher is better65
Pos.		200665
1=	Hong Kong	108
1=	Singapore	108
3	S. Korea	106
	...
64=	Bolivia	87
64=	Iraq	87
64=	Azerbaijan	87
64=	Indonesia	87
64=	Turkmenistan	87
64=	Uzbekistan	87
70	Kuwait	86
71=	Philippines	86
	Asia Avg	90.4
	World Avg	85.6
q=138.

Technology and Information Datasets:

The IHEU's Freedom of Thought publication notes that in countries like Pakistan and Indonesia, where "organized atheism is impossible if not directly illegal", atheists frequently organize themselves online. This is because in these heavily Muslim countries, any deviance from Islam is grimly punishable. It is their only possible avenue of expression. But those "who have been caught criticizing religion online have been arrested and harrassed on seemingly spurious thought-crime type offences"₆₆. The Internet is itself a tool of human rights, even in the dark corners of the world where the vested interests of powerful religionists seek to restrict basic freedoms.

Internet Users Higher is better67
Pos.		201667
1	Iceland	100%
2	Faroe Islands	99%
3	Norway	98%
	...
148	Zimbabwe	21%
149	Equatorial Guinea	21%
150	Lesotho	21%
151	Indonesia	20%
152	Marshall Islands	20%
153	Algeria	20%
154	Nicaragua	19%
155=	Uganda	19%
	Asia Avg	48.7%
	World Avg	48.1%
q=201.

Freedom On The Internet Lower is better68
Pos.		201268
1	Estonia	10
2	USA	12
3	Germany	15
	...
18	Kyrgyzstan	35
19	Mexico	37
20	India	39
21	Indonesia	42
22=	Libya	43
22=	Malaysia	43
24	Jordan	45
25=	Turkey	46
	Asia Avg	56.6
	World Avg	46.7
q=47.

IT Security Lower is better69
Pos.		201369
1=	Ireland	0.11
1=	Luxembourg	0.11
1=	Belize	0.11
	...
43	Canada	0.96
44	Tajikistan	1.01
45	Brazil	1.02
46	Indonesia	1.05
47	British Virgin Islands	1.08
48	Mali	1.12
49	France	1.13
50	Italy	1.15
	Asia Avg	1.08
	World Avg	0.98

IPv6 Uptake Higher is better70
Pos.		2017 Ratio70
1	Belgium	55.4
2	Germany	41.8
3	Switzerland	35.1
	...
64	UAE	0.3
65	Seychelles	0.2
66	Puerto Rico	0.2
67	Indonesia	0.2
68	S. Africa	0.1
69	Jersey	0.1
70=	Sudan	0.1
70=	Ukraine	0.1
	Asia Avg	2.11
	World Avg	3.82
q=176.

Digital Quality of Life Higher is better71
Pos.		202471
1	Germany	77.9%
2	Finland	76.9%
3	France	73.9%
	...
56	Oman	47.9%
57	Philippines	47.9%
58	Kazakhstan	47.6%
59	Indonesia	47.5%
60	India	47.0%
61	Costa Rica	46.9%
62	Albania	46.7%
63	Azerbaijan	46.0%
	Asia Avg	46.4%
	World Avg	48.4%
q=121.

8. Indonesia's Culture, Peace and Inequality

#Asia #buddhism #capitalism #charitability #charity #corruption #culture #economics #equality #extremism #happiness #health #human_development #indonesia #inequality #life_expectancy #morals #Myanmar #peace #politics #poverty #religious_violence #social_development #terrorism #Thailand #Theravada_Buddhism

Compared to Asia (2020)72
Pos.		Lower is better Avg Rank72
1	Singapore	20.2
2	Taiwan	37.2
3	Hong Kong	40.5
	...
11	Oman	61.8
12	Mongolia	62.1
13	Jordan	65.4
14	Indonesia	65.9
15	Kuwait	66.3
16	Thailand	67.3
17	Israel	68.6
18	Timor-Leste (E. Timor)	71.5
19	Maldives	75.1
	Asia Avg	79.59
q=49.

Culture, Peace & Inequality (2020)72
Pos.		Lower is better Avg Rank72
1	Denmark	11.2
2	Norway	13.9
3	Netherlands	14.4
	...
53	Trinidad & Tobago	62.1
54	Bulgaria	62.5
55	Jordan	65.4
56	Indonesia	65.9
57	Albania	66.0
58	Kuwait	66.3
59	Thailand	67.3
60	Sao Tome & Principe	67.7
	World Avg	78.12
q=180.

This is the final pillar of the Social and Moral Development Index; it has 22 datasets, including multiple decades of data on World Giving Index, resisting corruption, overall happiness, Creativity and Culture, Open Trading, Aid and Development, its Global Peace Index rating, Peacekeeping and Security, Refugees and UN Treaties, the impact of terrorism, Inequality in Life Expectancy, Income Inequality (Gini Coefficient) and Multidimensional Poverty.

For more, see:

• "Which are the Countries for International Contributions, Creativity, Peace and Inequality?" by Vexen Crabtree (2025).

National Culture Datasets:

World Giving Index Higher is better73
Pos.		2022 %73
1	Indonesia	68.0
2	Kenya	61.0
3	USA	59.0
4	Australia	55.0
5	New Zealand	54.0
6	Myanmar (Burma)	52.0
7=	Sierra Leone	51.0
7=	Canada	51.0
9	Zambia	50.0
10=	Ukraine	49.0
10=	Ireland	49.0
12	Czechia	48.0
	Asia Avg	37.9
	World Avg	39.6
q=125.

Corruption Higher is better74
Pos.		2022 Points74
1	Denmark	90.0
2=	Finland	87.0
2=	New Zealand	87.0
	...
110	Gambia	34.0
111=	Sierra Leone	34.0
111=	Malawi	34.0
111=	Indonesia	34.0
111=	Bosnia & Herzegovina	34.0
111=	Nepal	34.0
116	Ukraine	33.0
117=	Mongolia	33.0
	Asia Avg	39.98
	World Avg	42.98
q=180.

When the Corruption Perception Index was launched in 1995, Indonesia had the worst score of the 50-or-so countries for which they gathered data, although in later years as the Corruption Perception Index expanded to include more countries, Indonesia was revealed to be not quite as bad as some other African and Central American countries.

Happiness Higher is better75
Pos.		2024 Score75
1	Finland	7.7
2	Denmark	7.5
3	Iceland	7.5
	...
80	Moldova	5.8
81	Greece	5.8
82	Venezuela	5.7
83	Indonesia	5.6
84	Algeria	5.6
85	Bulgaria	5.6
86	Macedonia	5.5
87	Armenia	5.5
	Asia Avg	5.41
	World Avg	5.58
q=147.

Creativity & Culture Lower is better37
Pos.		2017 Rank37
1	Belgium	1
2	Netherlands	2
3	Estonia	3
	...
85	Morocco	85
86	Jamaica	86
87	Senegal	87
88	Indonesia	88
89	Cambodia	89
90	Peru	90
91	Jordan	91
92	Haiti	92
	Asia Avg	99.0
	World Avg	82.0
q=163.

Open Trading, Aid & Development Lower is better37
Pos.		2017 Rank37
1	Ireland	1
2	Denmark	2
3	Sweden	3
	...
130	Kenya	130
131	Kazakhstan	131
132	Bangladesh	132
133	Indonesia	133
134	Egypt	134
135	Uruguay	135
136	Namibia	136
137	Yemen	137
	Asia Avg	86.3
	World Avg	82.0
q=163.

The region of south-east Asia hosts some of the kindest people in the world. Myanmar and Thailand often top the World Giving Index₇₆, which the Charities Aid Foundation attributes to the teachings and values of Theravada Buddhism₇₆. Likewise, in Indonesia, giving is strongly encouraged by the Islamic doctrine of zakat, causing that country to give to charity at three times the global average rate.

“Indonesia is ranked first in the CAF World Giving Index with a score of 69, up from 59 the last time a yearly Index was published in 2018, when it also ranked first in the Index. More than eight in 10 Indonesians donated money this year and the country´s rate of volunteering is more than three times the global average. [...]

Zakat is a traditional form of Islamic charity practised widely in Indonesia, the proceeds of which are redistributed to the needy. Reports suggest that Zakat payments globally were particularly high in 2020 as a response to the pandemic. In Indonesia, there were calls from Indonesian religious authorities for people to use such payments to help people in their communities who were experiencing hardships as a result of the economic slump caused by the pandemic.”

Charities Aid Foundation (2021)

Peace Versus Instability Datasets:

Global Peace Index Lower is better77
Pos.		2023 Score77
1	Iceland	1.12
2	Denmark	1.31
3	Ireland	1.31
	...
50	Uruguay	1.80
51	Ghana	1.80
52	Senegal	1.83
53	Indonesia	1.83
54	Argentina	1.84
55	Madagascar	1.85
56	Namibia	1.86
57	Moldova	1.87
	Asia Avg	2.17
	World Avg	2.07
q=163.

Peacekeeping & Security Lower is better37
Pos.		2017 Rank37
1	Samoa	1
2	S. Africa	2
3	Tunisia	3
4	Egypt	4
5	Nigeria	5
6	Uruguay	6
7	Indonesia	7
8	Brunei	8
9	Moldova	9
10	Morocco	10
11	Oman	11
12	Tanzania	12
	Asia Avg	76.0
	World Avg	82.0
q=163.

Refugees & UN Treaties Lower is better37
Pos.		2017 Rank37
1	Austria	1
2	Germany	2
3	Netherlands	3
	...
59	Bangladesh	59
60	Seychelles	60
61	Philippines	61
62	Indonesia	62
63	Uganda	63
64	Moldova	64
65	Mozambique	65
66=	Burkina Faso	66
	Asia Avg	92.2
	World Avg	82.0
q=163.

Impact of Terrorism Lower is better78
Pos.		2019 Score78
1	Togo	0.00
2	Mongolia	0.00
3	Swaziland	0.00
	...
113	Chad	4.76
114	Russia	4.90
115	France	5.01
116	Indonesia	5.07
117	Nepal	5.09
118	Burundi	5.10
119	Palestine	5.18
120	Bangladesh	5.21
	Asia Avg	3.60
	World Avg	2.78
q=150.

Economic Inequality and Poverty Datasets:

Inequality in Life Expectancy Lower is better79
Pos.		201979
1	Iceland	2.40
2=	Singapore	2.50
2=	Hong Kong	2.50
	...
106	Honduras	13.30
107	Paraguay	13.80
108=	Uzbekistan	13.90
108=	Indonesia	13.90
108=	Azerbaijan	13.90
111	Algeria	14.10
112	Vanuatu	14.40
113	Guatemala	14.60
	Asia Avg	11.80
	World Avg	14.59
q=184.

Income Inequality (Gini Coefficient) Lower is better80
Pos.		2023 %80
1	Slovakia	24.1%81
2	Slovenia	24.3%81
3	Belarus	24.4%82
	...
91=	Sierra Leone	35.7%83
91=	Mali	35.7%81
93	Vietnam	36.1%84
94=	Indonesia	36.1%85
95	Senegal	36.2%81
96=	Lithuania	36.7%81
96=	Yemen	36.7%86
98	Mauritius	36.8%87
	Asia Avg	33.0%
	World Avg	36.5%
q=167.

Multidimensional Poverty Lower is better88
Pos.		2018 Severity88
1	Armenia	.001
2	Ukraine	.001
3	Serbia	.001
	...
33	Philippines	.024
34	Mexico	.025
35	S. Africa	.025
36	Indonesia	.028
37	Syria	.029
38	Tajikistan	.029
39	El Salvador	.032
40	Iraq	.033
	Asia Avg	.084
	World Avg	.154
q=101.

9. Religion and Beliefs

#afterlife #belief #buddhism #christianity #confucianism #god #heaven #hell #hinduism #indonesia #islam #judaism #religion #religion_in_indonesia #religiosity #secularisation #universalism

Religiosity (2018)64
Pos.		Lower is better %64
1	China	3
2	Estonia	6
3	Czechia	7
	...
91=	Honduras	90
91=	Cameroon	90
91=	Rwanda	90
91=	Liberia	90
95	Morocco	91
96=	Guinea-Bissau	91
96=	Philippines	91
96=	Zambia	91
99	Afghanistan	92
100=	Burkina Faso	93
100=	Tanzania	93
100=	Indonesia	93
103	Mali	94
104=	Pakistan	94
105	Ethiopia	98
106=	Senegal	98
	World Avg	54.3
q=106.

Disbelief In God (2007)89
Pos.		Higher is better %89
1	Vietnam	81
2	Japan	65
3	Sweden	64
	...
69=	Central African Rep.	2
69=	Tajikistan	2
69=	Turkmenistan	2
69=	Indonesia	2
73	Paraguay	1
74=	Nicaragua	1
74=	Bolivia	1
74=	Colombia	1
74=	Costa Rica	1
74=	Honduras	1
74=	Brazil	1
74=	Ecuador	1
74=	S. Africa	1
74=	Venezuela	1
74=	Peru	1
74=	Guatemala	1
	World Avg	9.9
q=137.

Data from the Pew Forum, a professional polling outfit, states that in 2010 the religious makeup of this country was as follows in the table below₉₀:

Christian	9.9%
Muslim	87.2%
Hindu	1.7%
Buddhist	0.7%
Folk Religion	0.3%
Jewish	0.1%
Unaffiliated	0.1%

The CIA World Factbook has slightly different data, and states: Muslim 86.1%, Protestant 5.7%, Roman Catholic 3%, Hindu 1.8%, other or unspecified 3.4% (2000 census)₉₁.

The Afterlife: Ipsos-NA in 2011 gathered some statistics on Indonesia₉₂. Despite the large numbers of Muslims, not many have traditional beliefs in the afterlife - just 62%. Some people don't know what to believe (4%). Some believe that upon death, you simply cease to exist (2%). Also, 1% specifically believe in heaven but not in hell (which is nice - making them possible "universalists"). 6% believe in reincarnation.

Freedom of Religion and Belief: Indonesia does not accept the concept of freedom of religion. The state only permits six religions: Islam, Hinduism, Buddhism, Catholicism, Protestantism, and Confucianism₃₁ (with some exceptions for some 'native' beliefs). The country's terrible blasphemy law makes it illegal to promote other faiths. Non-religious folk are also forced into picking one of those religions on official forms - but, lying is itself illegal₃₁. Therefore, there is no legal way to be non-religious in Indonesia.

Links:

• A List of All Religions and Belief Systems
• Secularisation Theory: Will Modern Society Reject Religion? What is Secularism?
• Human Rights and Freedom in Indonesia: 4.3. Freedom of Thought