📜 A long story
Indonesia, 1800 → today
Indonesia grew from 16.1 million in 1800 to 281 million; a newborn can expect 41.1 more years of life than in 1927, and output per person is 16× its 1815 level, adjusted for inflation.
Told with long-run reconstructions, not the yearly series used elsewhere on the site: each chapter names its source. Scroll to move through the years.
☺ Chapter 1 · Population
How many people live there?
1800
In 1800, about 16.1 million people lived in Indonesia.
1900
38.2 million people.
2.4× the 1800 level
Reached twice the 1800 level in 1886.
1950
68.8 million people.
1.8× the 1900 level
2023
281 million people, the latest year in this series.
4.1× the 1950 level
Reached 5 times the 1800 level in 1957.
Reached 10 times the 1800 level in 1984.
Long-run series: before 1950, reconstructions by HYDE and Gapminder, filled in between benchmark years by those sources. Log scale: equal steps up mean equal growth rates.
✚ Chapter 2 · Life expectancy
How long do people live?
1927
In 1927, a newborn in Indonesia could expect to live 30 years, on average.
1950
40.2 years.
+10 years since 1927
Passed 40 years in 1950 (no data between 1947 and 1950, so it may have happened earlier).
2023
71.1 years, the latest year in this series.
+31 years since 1950
Passed 50 years in 1967.
Passed 60 years in 1983.
Passed 70 years in 2017.
The sharpest fall in the data: down 6.6 years between 1964 and 1965 (49.4 years → 42.8 years).
Long-run series: before 1950, historical estimates (Riley, Clio Infra, Human Mortality Database), only for years they cover. Dashed stretches are years without data.
◎ Chapter 3 · GDP per person (PPP)
How much is produced per person?
1815
In 1815, Indonesia produced about Int$795 per person, in 2011 prices.
1900
Int$1,150.
1.4× the 1815 level
The sharpest fall in the data: down 18% between 1842 and 1850 (Int$878 → Int$724).
1950
Int$1,280.
1.1× the 1900 level
Reached twice the 1815 level in 1927.
2022
Int$12,800, the latest year in this series.
10× the 1950 level
Reached 5 times the 1815 level in 1990.
Reached 10 times the 1815 level in 2010.
Long-run series (Maddison Project) in 2011 international dollars: adjusted for inflation, so not the same unit as today’s PPP figure. Log scale: equal steps up mean equal growth rates. Dashed stretches are years without data.
❦ Chapter 4 · CO₂ per person
How much CO₂ does each person emit?
1889
In 1889, fossil fuels and industry in Indonesia emitted about 0.00011 t of CO₂ per person.
1950
0.1 t.
1,300× the 1889 level
Reached twice the 1889 level in 1890.
Reached 5 times the 1889 level in 1891.
Reached 10 times the 1889 level, reached 20 times the 1889 level, reached 50 times the 1889 level in 1892.
The sharpest fall in the data: down 96% between 1939 and 1946 (0.5 t → 0.021 t).
2024
2.9 t, the latest year in this series.
20× the 1950 level
Long-run series: fossil CO₂ emitted within each country’s borders (Global Carbon Budget); early estimates are less certain. Log scale: equal steps up mean equal growth rates.
☕ Chapter 5 · Years of schooling
How long do people go to school?
1870
In 1870, people aged 15–64 in Indonesia had spent 0.01 years in school, on average.
1900
0.04 years.
about the same as 1870
1950
1.1 years.
+1.1 years since 1900
2015
8.5 years, the latest year in this series.
+7.4 years since 1950
Passed 2 years in 1965.
Passed 4 years in 1985.
Passed 6 years in 2005.
Passed 8 years in 2010.
Long-run series (Lee & Lee, Barro & Lee) for people aged 15–64, every 5 years until 2015: a different age group than today’s figure (25 and older).