Religion by Country
Religion in Indonesia: Statistics, Demographics & Beliefs
The world's largest Muslim-majority nation — and a constitutionally multi-faith state where every citizen records one of six official religions.
Quick answer
Islam is the majority religion of Indonesia, followed by about 87% of the population, making it the country with the world's largest Muslim population. Christianity is the largest minority at roughly 10–11% (Protestant 7.4% and Catholic 3.1%), followed by Hinduism (1.7%, concentrated in Bali) and Buddhism (0.7%). Indonesia officially recognises six religions, and citizens must record one on their ID card.
- Largest religion
- Islam — 87.08% (world's largest Muslim population)
- Largest minority
- Christianity — ~10.5% (Protestant + Catholic)
- Other major faiths
- Hinduism 1.68% · Buddhism 0.71%
- Data source
- Dukcapil civil registry, Ministry of Home Affairs
- Reference period
- First semester 2024 (pop. ~282.5 million)
Religion in Indonesia at a glance
Indonesia is home to the world's largest Muslim population, and Islam is followed by around 87% of Indonesians. But the country is constitutionally a multi-faith state built on the national philosophy of Pancasila, and it officially recognises six religions. The figures below come from the civil registry maintained by the Directorate General of Population and Civil Registration (Dukcapil), Ministry of Home Affairs, for the first half of 2024, when Indonesia's registered population was about 282.5 million.
| Religion | Population | Share |
|---|---|---|
| Islam | 245,973,915 | 87.08% |
| Christianity (Protestant) | 20,911,697 | 7.40% |
| Catholicism | 8,667,619 | 3.07% |
| Hinduism | 4,744,543 | 1.68% |
| Buddhism | 2,004,352 | 0.71% |
| Confucianism & indigenous beliefs | — | ~0.06% |
The largest religions in Indonesia
Islam, with roughly 246 million adherents, makes Indonesia the largest Muslim-majority country on earth. Indonesian Islam is predominantly Sunni and is known for blending with local custom, though more conservative currents also exist. Christianity is the largest minority faith: Dukcapil records Protestants (7.4%) and Catholics (3.1%) separately, together making up around one in ten Indonesians. Hinduism (1.7%) is concentrated overwhelmingly in Bali, and Buddhism (0.7%) is followed mainly by Chinese-Indonesians. Confucianism and officially recognised indigenous beliefs make up the remainder.
Six official religions and the ID card
Indonesia formally recognises six religions — Islam, Protestantism, Catholicism, Hinduism, Buddhism and Confucianism — and every adult must record a religion on their national identity card. “No religion” is not an available option, which is a key reason Indonesia reports almost no unaffiliated population, unlike neighbours such as Singapore. Since a 2017 Constitutional Court ruling, followers of indigenous beliefs (Kepercayaan terhadap Tuhan Yang Maha Esa) may record that status, though many have not updated their records, so indigenous adherence is under-counted.
Religion by region
Indonesia's religious map is highly regional. Java and most of Sumatra are strongly Muslim. Bali is Hindu-majority. Several eastern provinces are Christian-majority — including East Nusa Tenggara and the Papuan provinces — and pockets of North Sumatra and Sulawesi have large Christian communities. This regional patterning means national percentages hide very different local realities.
A short history
Hindu and Buddhist kingdoms such as Srivijaya and Majapahit shaped the archipelago for centuries, a legacy still visible in monuments like Borobudur and Prambanan and in Balinese Hinduism today. Islam spread through maritime trade from around the 13th century and became dominant across most of the islands. Christianity arrived with Portuguese and Dutch colonialism and took root particularly in the east. Since independence, Pancasila has framed the state as founded on belief in one God while recognising religious plurality.
Belief and public life
Religion is deeply woven into Indonesian public life, from the ID-card requirement to the recognition of major festivals across faiths as national holidays. The framework is officially pluralist, but it also operates within limits: a blasphemy law protects the six recognised religions, and religious minorities have at times faced restrictions on building places of worship. For regional comparison, see religion in Malaysia and religion in Singapore.
Frequently asked questions
What is the main religion in Indonesia?
Islam is the main religion of Indonesia, followed by about 87% of the population — the largest Muslim population of any country in the world.
Is Indonesia an Islamic state?
No. Despite having the world's largest Muslim population, Indonesia is constitutionally a multi-faith state founded on the national philosophy of Pancasila, and it officially recognises six religions.
What religions are recognised in Indonesia?
Indonesia officially recognises six religions: Islam, Protestantism, Catholicism, Hinduism, Buddhism and Confucianism. Every adult records one on their national ID card.
Which parts of Indonesia are not Muslim-majority?
Bali is Hindu-majority, while several eastern provinces — including East Nusa Tenggara and the Papuan provinces — are Christian-majority, along with parts of North Sumatra and Sulawesi.
Sources & methodology
These figures come from Indonesia's civil-registration system (Dukcapil), which records the religion listed on each citizen's identity document and is updated twice a year. Because the ID card requires one of the six recognised religions and offers no ‘no religion’ option, registry data under-represents non-affiliation and indigenous beliefs compared with survey-based measures used in other countries.
- Directorate General of Population and Civil Registration (Dukcapil), Ministry of Home Affairs, Indonesia — population by religion, first semester 2024 (via Databoks / Katadata).
- Pew Research Center, 5 facts about Muslims and Christians in Indonesia.