History of Indonesia in Timeline

Indonesia is a Southeast Asian and Oceanian country, the world's largest archipelago with over 17,000 islands. Spanning 1,904,569 square kilometers, it's the 14th-largest country by area and the fourth most populous with over 280 million people, making it the most populous Muslim-majority nation. Java, its most populous island, houses over half of Indonesia's population.

1900: Indonesia becomes more common

After 1900, the name Indonesia became more common in academic circles outside the Netherlands, and native nationalist groups began using it for political expression.

1913: Ki Hajar Dewantara Establishes Indonesisch Pers-bureau

In 1913, Ki Hajar Dewantara, the first native scholar, established a press bureau in the Netherlands called Indonesisch Pers-bureau.

1930: Dutch and European-Descent Populations

In 1930, the Dutch and other European-descended populations in Indonesia numbered around 200,000.

August 1945: Proclamation of Indonesian Independence

In August 1945, following Japan's surrender, Sukarno and Mohammad Hatta issued the Proclamation of Indonesian Independence, becoming the country's first president and vice-president. Sutan Sjahrir became Prime Minister.

1945: Number of Provinces

In 1945, Indonesia was divided into 8 provinces.

1945: Official Language Status

In 1945, following independence, Indonesian gained official status under the name Bahasa Indonesia.

1945: Jewish Population Dwindling

Since independence in 1945, the number of Jews in Indonesia has dwindled.

1948: Bebas Aktif

In 1948, Indonesia coined the term bebas aktif.

1949: Dutch Recognition of Indonesian Independence

In 1949, the Netherlands recognized Indonesian independence at the Dutch–Indonesian Round Table Conference, following international pressure after a war of independence.

1949: Garuda Indonesia as National Flag Carrier

Since 1949, Garuda Indonesia has been the national flag carrier.

1950: United Nations Membership

In 1950, Indonesia became a member of the United Nations.

1950: Forest Cover

In 1950, forest cover in Indonesia was 87%.

1955: First General Election

In 1955, the first general election was held to elect members of the DPR and the Constitutional Assembly.

1957: Peacekeeping Missions

Since 1957, Indonesia has been deploying military and police personnel to United Nations peacekeeping missions.

1961: Post-Colonial Census

In 1961, Indonesia's first post-colonial census recorded a population of 97 million.

1962: Papua Conflict

Since 1962, Indonesia has been engaged in an ongoing conflict in Papua.

1965: Attempted Coup and Anti-Communist Purge

In 1965, an attempted coup led to a violent anti-communist purge led by the Army's Major General Suharto that killed at least 500,000 people and imprisoned around a million more. The PKI was blamed for the coup and destroyed, weakening Sukarno's power.

1968: Suharto Becomes President

In 1968, Suharto became President and established a US-backed "New Order" administration, which fostered foreign direct investment and economic growth.

1971: Ramsar Convention

Indonesia has five wetlands of international importance under the 1971 Ramsar Convention.

1972: Volcanic Eruptions in Java

Between 1972 and 1991, Java experienced a total of 29 volcanic eruptions.

1975: Indonesia's Invasion of East Timor

In 1975, Indonesia invaded East Timor, leading to a 25-year occupation.

1976: First Satellite Launch

In 1976, Indonesia launched its first satellite, Palapa, with assistance from the United States, becoming the first developing country with a satellite system.

1991: Volcanic Eruptions in Java

Between 1972 and 1991, Java experienced a total of 29 volcanic eruptions.

1997: Asian Financial Crisis

In 1997, Indonesia was the country worst affected by the Asian financial crisis, leading to widespread discontent with the New Order and ending Suharto's rule.

1998: Constitutional Amendments

Following the fall of the New Order in 1998, sweeping amendments to the Constitution of Indonesia restructured the state's executive, legislative, and judicial branches.

1998: Anti-Chinese Riots

In 1998, anti-Chinese riots occurred in Indonesia.

1998: Political Reforms in TNI

In 1998, political reforms removed the Indonesian National Armed Forces' (TNI) formal legislative role.

1998: Democracy Strengthened

Since 1998, Indonesia has strengthened democracy by granting regional autonomy.

1998: Enhancement of DPR's Governance Functionality

Since 1998, reforms have significantly enhanced the DPR's governance functionality.

1999: East Timor Secedes

In 1999, East Timor seceded after a controversial 25-year occupation following Indonesia's 1975 invasion.

1999: GDP Growth

In 1999, Indonesia's GDP grew by only 0.8% due to the Asian economic crisis.

1999: Multi-Party System

Since 1999, Indonesia has operated under a multi-party system.

2001: Implementation of Regional Autonomy

Since the implementation of regional autonomy in 2001, regencies and cities have become key administrative units responsible for most government services.

2004: Presidential Elections

At the national level, Indonesians did not elect a President until 2004.

2004: First Direct Presidential Election

In 2004, Indonesia held its first direct presidential election.

2004: Indian Ocean Earthquake

In 2004, the Indian Ocean earthquake caused catastrophic disasters due to seismic activity.

2004: Economic Recovery

Since 2004, Indonesia's economy began to recover, resulting in growth rates between 4% and 6%.

2005: Political Settlement in Aceh

In 2005, a political settlement was achieved to a separatist insurgency in Aceh.

2005: Peace in Aceh

In 2005, the separatist movement in Aceh ended peacefully.

2007: Economic Growth

Since 2007, Indonesia's economy has performed strongly, though corruption remains an issue.

2008: Financial Crisis

In 2008, strong domestic consumption helped Indonesia weather the global financial crisis.

2009: Susilo Bambang Yudhoyono's Initiative

Indonesia had previous targets that included reaching 20 million hectares by 2020 under former President Susilo Bambang Yudhoyono's 2009 initiative.

2010: Population Growth Rate

Between 2010 and 2020, Indonesia's population grew at a rate of 1.25%.

2012: Marine Protected Areas

As of 2012, Indonesia has over 100 marine protected areas spanning 15.7 million hectares.

2013: Constitutional Court Ruling

In 2013, the Constitutional Court ruled that legislative and presidential elections would be held simultaneously, starting in 2019.

2015: Local Elections

Beginning with the 2015 local elections, elections for governors and mayors have occurred on the same date.

2018: Sulawesi Earthquake

In 2018, the Sulawesi earthquake caused catastrophic disasters due to seismic activity.

2019: Simultaneous Elections

In 2013, the Constitutional Court ruled that legislative and presidential elections would be held simultaneously, starting in 2019.

2019: Foreign Aid Agency Established

In 2019, Indonesia established its own foreign aid agency.

2020: Population Census

According to the 2020 census, Indonesia had a population of 270.2 million.

2020: Government Spending on R&D

In 2020, government spending on research and development in Indonesia was relatively low at 0.28% of GDP.

2020: Target

Indonesia had previous targets that included reaching 20 million hectares by 2020 under former President Susilo Bambang Yudhoyono's 2009 initiative.

2021: Employment by Sector

In 2021, services dominated the Indonesian economy in terms of employment at 49.2%.

2022: Framework

As of 2022, Indonesia aims to align its strategy with the Kunming-Montreal Global Biodiversity Framework.

2022: Power Generation Capacity

In 2022, Indonesia's total installed power generation capacity was approximately 83.8 gigawatts.

2022: Establishment of Southwest Papua

In 2022, Southwest Papua was established as the most recent province.

2022: GDP Share by Sector

In 2022, services and industry each accounted for roughly 41% of Indonesia's GDP.

2023: Religious Demographics

As of 2023, 87.1% of Indonesia's population (248 million) are Muslims.

2023: Protected Areas

As of 2023, Indonesia has designated 21.3% of its land as protected areas.

2023: Urban Population

As of 2023, approximately 59% of Indonesians live in urban areas.

2023: High-Speed Rail Inauguration

In 2023, Indonesia inaugurated its first high-speed rail (Whoosh), connecting Jakarta and Bandung, in collaboration with China.

2023: Energy Production and Consumption

In 2023, Indonesia produced 5,500 terawatt-hours of energy and consumed 3,081 terawatt-hours.

2023: Defence Spending

In 2023, Indonesia's defence spending was 0.7% of GDP.

2023: Tourism Contribution to GDP

In 2023, tourism contributed US$14 billion to Indonesia's GDP, with 11.6 million international visitors.

2024: Median Age

As of 2024, Indonesia has a median age of 31.5 years.

2024: Satellite Launches and Starlink Licensing

As of 2024, Indonesia has launched 19 satellites. Recently, the government licensed Starlink to provide internet connectivity to rural and underserved regions.

2024: Global Innovation Index Ranking

In 2024, Indonesia was ranked 54th among 133 countries on the Global Innovation Index.

2024: Passenger Volume at Soekarno–Hatta International Airport

In 2024, Soekarno–Hatta International Airport served 54 million passengers.

2024: Recent Elections

The most recent elections in 2024 brought eight political parties to the DPR, with a parliamentary threshold of 4% of the national vote.

2025: Energy Plan

In early 2025, the Indonesian government aims for a 71-gigawatt expansion in power capacity by 2034, with a focus on renewables.

2034: Power Capacity Expansion Target

By 2034, the Indonesian government aims for a 71-gigawatt expansion in power capacity with a focus on renewables.

2045: Marine Reserves

Indonesia is targeting to increase the country's maritime area to 30% by 2045.

2050: Projected Population

Projections estimate that Indonesia's population will grow to 321 million by 2050.

2050: Net-Zero Carbon Emissions Target

The Indonesian government plans to achieve net-zero carbon emissions by 2050.

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