In Indonesia, what percentage of the population is muslim
Executive summary
Indonesia is a Muslim-majority country with contemporary estimates clustering around roughly 87% of the population identifying as Muslim; official civil‑registration figures from 2024 put the share at 87.09% while multiple demographic trackers and visualizations report similar values in the high‑80s [1] [2] [3]. Some surveys and older Pew reporting produce higher or lower numbers—most notably a cited 2023 Pew figure that reports 93% of adults identifying as Muslim—so the precise percentage depends on the source, the year, and whether the measurement covers adults only or the entire population [4] [5].
1. How most sources converge on “about 87%”
National civil‑registration data compiled in 2024 by Indonesia’s Ministry of Home Affairs, cited in reporting summarized on Wikipedia, gives 87.09% of Indonesians as Muslim, the most recent government‑based estimate in the provided files [1]. Major data aggregators and demographic visualizers mirror that ballpark: World Population Review repeatedly cites “about 87%” from census and compilation work and notes that Indonesia is home to the world’s largest Muslim population in absolute numbers [6] [2], while Visual Capitalist and other analysts present similar figures—around 87% or 87.2%—when ranking countries by the number and share of Muslims [3] [7].
2. Why some reputable sources give different percentages
Discrepancies arise from different methodologies, dates and populations surveyed: Pew Research’s 2010/2011 work and subsequent summaries reported roughly 88% in earlier releases and a 2023 Pew report (as summarized on Wikipedia) describes 93% of adults identifying as Muslim, which likely reflects survey sampling of adults and possibly different question wordings or weighting [5] [4]. Historical series and databases that track long trends sometimes report 87–88% for past decades [8]. Academic and policy briefs from organizations such as the Hudson Institute and ICLRS cite values in the 87–87.5% range but may rely on different base population estimates and years [7] [9].
3. What “percentage Muslim” actually measures and why it matters
A simple percentage masks definitional choices: census or civil‑registration systems typically record declared religion for the whole population and give a snapshot (the 87.09% government figure is from civil‑registration data) while polls measure self‑identification among adults and can produce higher or lower values depending on question phrasing, nonresponse, and sample design [1] [4]. Reporting that counts “Muslims” can also differ by whether it includes nominal affiliation, levels of observance, the small Shia and Ahmadi minorities within the Muslim total, and demographic dynamics—birth rates, internal migration and conversion patterns—that change percentages slowly over time [1] [10].
4. Bottom line and reporting caveats
The best summary supported by the available reporting is that about 87% of Indonesians are Muslim—government civil‑registration in 2024 lists 87.09%, and multiple independent compilers give similar high‑80s values [1] [2] [3]. Alternative figures exist—Pew’s adult‑survey summary reporting 93% and earlier Pew/other estimates of about 88%—and these are not contradictory so much as methodologically distinct; the reader should note whether a cited percentage applies to adults only, comes from a census year, or is an extrapolation from sample surveys [4] [5]. The provided sources do not allow a definitive resolution between every variant, but they consistently support the characterization of Indonesia as overwhelmingly Muslim, with the share concentrated in the high‑80s of the total population [1] [6].