How Many Expats Live in Indonesia?

Who Knows?

The question remains as difficult to answer definitively today as it ever has been — but the numbers are significantly larger than they were a decade ago, and improving data collection by Indonesian authorities is slowly bringing more clarity.

Current Figures (2023–2024)

The most recent comprehensive data comes from two official Indonesian sources. According to Statistics Indonesia (BPS) and the Ministry of Manpower, Indonesia recorded 168,048 foreign workers in 2023 — the highest figure in at least five years. By the end of 2024, the Ministry of Manpower reported that Indonesia employed approximately 184,000 foreign workers, representing an 8.9% increase from the 168,000 recorded in 2023, extending three consecutive years of growth.

It is important to note that these figures cover registered foreign workers only — they do not include retirees, dependents, long-stay visa holders, digital nomads, or the sizeable number of foreigners residing on tourist or social visit visas.

The COVID-19 Dip and Recovery

Statistics Indonesia data shows clear fluctuations across the recent period. In 2019, there were 155,248 foreign workers in Indonesia, a figure that dropped to 129,109 in 2020. The sharpest decline came in 2021, with only 102,902 workers recorded, primarily due to the COVID-19 pandemic and restrictions on international mobility. As the pandemic subsided, foreign worker numbers rebounded to 133,327 in 2022 and soared to 168,048 in 2023, reflecting Indonesia’s economic recovery and increasing foreign investment.

Top Countries of Origin for Foreign Workers (2023)

China continues to lead as the top source of foreign workers by a significant margin, with 82,623 workers in 2023. Japan followed with 15,961 workers, South Korea with 15,660, India with 8,747, and Malaysia with 5,794. Other notable contributors included the Philippines (4,742), the United States (3,585), the United Kingdom (3,086), Australia (2,892), and Singapore (2,090).

(Source: Statistics Indonesia / BPS and Ministry of Manpower, via expatindonesia.id, January 2025)

China dominates the workforce, followed by Japan, South Korea, India, and Malaysia, while talent from Australia, the US, the UK, and the EU increasingly fills high-skill gaps in technology, manufacturing, energy, and professional services.

Job Categories of Foreign Workers (as of mid-2024)

Professional roles dominate among foreign workers. As of July 2024, there were 52,036 professionals, followed by 21,256 advisors and consultants, 19,022 in managerial positions, 7,270 directors, and 767 commissioners.

Sector Breakdown

The services sector employed the largest share of foreign workers, with a total of 82,649 workers in 2023 and 50,543 as of July 2024. The industrial sector came second, absorbing 80,661 foreign workers in 2023 and 47,031 by July 2024. The agriculture and maritime sectors employed significantly fewer, with 4,738 workers in 2023 and 2,777 by July 2024.

(Source: Ministry of Manpower / BPS data, via expatindonesia.id)

The New Golden Visa Program

A significant development in Indonesia’s foreign residency landscape is the launch of the Golden Visa program. Indonesia officially launched the Golden Visa on July 25, 2024. It is a long-term residency program designed for high-net-worth individuals, entrepreneurs, global talents, ex-Indonesian citizens, and their descendants, offering residence permits of five or ten years in exchange for investment in the country’s economy.

As of May 2025, Indonesia’s Directorate General of Immigration had issued 1,274 Golden Visas, surpassing the government’s original target of 1,000 visas set at launch. The program has generated Rp52.1 trillion (approximately US$2.95 billion) in investment realization.

(Source: Directorate General of Immigration, via The Bali Times, May 2025)

Foreigners in Bali

Bali continues to be the most visible hub of foreign residents and visitors in Indonesia. Bali’s foreign tourist arrivals reached 6.3 million in 2024, surpassing pre-pandemic levels and cementing the island as Indonesia’s top tourism gateway, accounting for nearly half of Indonesia’s 13.9 million foreign visitors that year.

In 2024, the leading sources of foreign tourists to Bali were Australia (1,544,141 visits), India (550,379), China (448,446), the United Kingdom (295,326), and South Korea (294,024).

On the enforcement side, Bali’s immigration offices expelled 378 foreigners between January and September 2024, compared with 335 deportations in 2023. Nationally, the Directorate General of Immigration recorded 2,669 deportations and 2,009 detentions from January to July 2025, with violations ranging from visa overstays and illegal work to abuse of investor visas.

(Source: Directorate General of Immigration, via The Bali Times, August 2025)

Why Accurate Numbers Remain Elusive

Despite improvements in data collection, the true total of foreigners residing in Indonesia — as opposed to working on formal permits — remains extremely difficult to pin down. Several factors contribute to this:

The official figures from the Ministry of Manpower cover only registered foreign workers with formal employment permits (previously IMTA, now a notification-based system under updated regulations). They exclude: retirees on second home visas or the new Golden Visa; dependents of foreign workers; digital nomads and remote workers; and foreigners residing on extended tourist or social visit visas — a practice that, while not advisable, remains common.

Embassy registration data is also unreliable. Historically, the majority of expatriates have not registered with their home country’s embassy in Jakarta, and many fail to inform their embassy when they depart. Most embassies have acknowledged that their registered figures are not an accurate count of nationals actually residing in Indonesia at any given time.

The Indonesian Directorate General of Immigration does maintain entry and exit records, and its SIAPkerja platform (launched under Ministry of Manpower Regulation No. 17 of 2024) is building a more integrated national labour data system — but comprehensive publicly available counts of all foreign residents remain elusive.

Some Historic Numbers — For Reference and Context

The ebb and flow of the expat community over the decades is worth preserving as historical context:

Work Permits Issued — Top 10 Countries of Origin (2013–2016)

*2016 figures reflect only the first half of the year.

(Source: Indonesian Ministry of Manpower)

• July 2016: The Labor Ministry reported 43,816 foreign workers in Indonesia, reflecting a steady decline in work permits every year since 2010.
• 2014: The Manpower Ministry recorded approximately 68,500 foreign workers, including 21,751 professionals, 15,172 advisors/consultants, nearly 14,000 managers, 9,879 directors, 6,867 supervisors, and 1,101 commissioners. (Source: Manpower Ministry, October 2015)
• 2012: 72,427 foreign workers; 2011: 77,307 — comprising all nationalities. (Manpower Ministry, February 2014)
• 2010: Mid-2010 sources cited approximately 83,000 expats in Indonesia.
• May 2010: Manpower Ministry statistics showed a working expat population of 45,981.
• 2005: An online Manpower Ministry spreadsheet (now offline) listed 50,900 expatriates.
• 2004: Jakarta immigration figures showed 28,717 foreigners registered across Jakarta’s five districts. In Bandung, just under 1,500 expatriates were recorded.
• Post-May 1998 riots: Various sources reported 8,000–12,000 Americans, 20,000 Australians (though DFAT cited 8,000 in Jakarta and 4,000 in Bali), 10,000–11,000 South Koreans, 4,000 British, and 3,300 French.
• 1996: Before the introduction of a US$100/month working expat tax in 1997, the government reported 57,000 foreigners working in Indonesia.
• 1992: The Indonesian Embassy in Malaysia reported 221,461 foreigners living in Indonesia, the vast majority (220,129) being Asian nationals.
• 1987–1990: UNESCO cited 19,000 foreign workers in Indonesia in 1987, rising to 75,000 by 1990.

To Sum Up

The answer to “how many expats live in Indonesia?” depends entirely on what you count. For formally registered foreign workers, the Ministry of Manpower’s latest data puts the figure at approximately 184,000 as of end-2024 — a record high driven by post-pandemic economic recovery and rising foreign investment. Add in Golden Visa holders, Second Home Visa holders, retirees, long-stay residents, and dependents, and the real number is certainly higher.

No single source captures the full picture. The Ministry of Manpower tracks workers. Immigration tracks arrivals and departures. Embassies track only voluntary registrations. The true count of foreigners calling Indonesia home at any given time remains, as it always has, an educated estimate.

If you have recent figures from a reliable official source, please do share them with us and we’ll update this article accordingly.

Sources:

• Ministry of Manpower (Kemnaker), Indonesia — foreign worker registration data 2019–2024
• Statistics Indonesia (BPS) — foreign worker data, via expatindonesia.id (January 2025)
• Directorate General of Immigration, Indonesia — Golden Visa and deportation data
• The Bali Times — Golden Visa programme update, May 2025; Bali tourism and deportation data, August 2025
• Gadjian.com (citing Ministry of Manpower) — 2024 foreign worker totals, December 2025
• VisaGuide.World / Visaguide.news — Golden Visa issuance data, December 2024
• Emerhub — Ministry of Manpower data, updated June 2025
• BPS Bali Government Tourism Office — Bali foreign arrivals 2024