Indonesia is the fourth most populous country in the world. It is a vast archipelago made up of about 18,000 islands, of which roughly 1000 are permanently inhabited. It stretches more than 3000 miles from east to west and more than 1000 miles from north to south. The population comprises over 300 ethnic groups and more than 700 languages are spoken across the country, although the national language (known locally as Bahasa Indonesia) is spoken by around 95% of the population. The country has a relatively high birth rate, contributing to a predominantly youthful population, with the median age of the population around 30.
Indonesia is a culturally rich and diverse country with several distinct regional cultures which include:
Most of present day Indonesia was controlled by the Netherlands for much of the period from the 17th century to the 20th century but at the time of independence in 1945 it had been occupied by Japan. In the post independence era, the country has been through a number of major political upheavals, most recently a revolution in 1998 which ushered in a period of transition, known as Reformasi in Indonesian, to a fledgling democracy. Direct presidential elections were introduced in 2004, since when there have been three presidents.
The Indonesian economy has been growing steadily, reflected in a rising GDP per capita, though income inequality remains a significant issue. Indonesia has the ambition to become the world’s fourth largest economy by 2045. Total agriculture contributes about 13% of the country’s economic output and the industrial sector contributes around 40%. Important industries include mining and the production of textiles and clothing.
Most market research takes place in Jakarta, or elsewhere on the island of Java but FieldworkHub has also conducted face-to-face research on the island of Sumatra and has recruited participants for online research from a number of other islands.
