With the biggest archipelago, the fourth most populous country in the world, and the third largest democracy, Indonesia is situated in Southeast Asia along important maritime lanes in a huge arc between the Indian Ocean and the China Sea. This enormous archipelago is home to more than 245 million people, has more than 17,000 islands, and is strategically situated at the equator astride key routes of sea communication between the Pacific and Indian Oceans. It is also rich in natural resources. Southeast Asia's progress and stability depend heavily on Indonesia.
Free and fair elections, a recent rise in the prominence of regional centers due to decentralized government since 2001, and the first peaceful transition have all contributed to its successful shift from authoritarian to democratic governance, which started in 1998. Susilo Bambang Yudhoyono won the first direct election to the presidency in the nation's history in 2004.
Indonesia has demonstrated the dynamics of a developing democracy since the transition, with a strong economic team at the top of government that has provided macroeconomic stability, a vibrant and aggressive parliament, and advancement on professional reform, including the military and police forces. As Indonesia was able to peacefully elect the first president outside the military and political system, President Joko Widodo's victory in the 2014 direct election demonstrated the nation's rising democracy and political stability.
Indonesia is one of the few Muslim-majority countries where Islam is not the state despite having the world's largest Muslim population—more than all the Middle Eastern Arab governments combined. Indonesia is a voice of moderation in the Islamic world and is proving that democracy and Islam can coexist.
The population of Indonesia increased from 238.5 million in 2010 to 268.1 million in 2019. The province with the most population in 2019 was West Java (49.317 million), while the province with the lowest population was West Papua (959,600), which is situated in Indonesia's far east. The population growth rate was 1.31 percent.
Regarding population size, Indonesia is fourth in the world after China, India, and the United States. The rising middle class in Indonesia is also taking over the country's consumer market. Urban customers will make up 57 percent of the nation's population by 2020. These clients tend to choose convenience, relying more on modern trade shops and e-commerce delivery, and spend more per capita on needs and discretionary things like travel, welfare, and leisure.