Surabaya, on the island of Java, boasts a population of nearly 3m, but the population of Greater Surabaya is estimated at more than 10m, making it the second-largest city in Indonesia. In addition to its size, Surabaya is the birthplace of Sukarno, the country’s founding father and first president, and home to one of the busiest ports in South-east Asia. “We managed to become...
The capital of West Java, Bandung, is cool. Not only does it sit at a high altitude and have low average temperatures – 700 metres above sea level and 23°C, respectively – it is also a centre for education, culture and technological innovation. Some 60% of Bandung’s 2.4m people are younger than 40 and they are the main drivers of the city’s so-called “creative economy”, as...
Since the policy of decentralisation was enacted in 2011, the country’s central government has ceded increasing amounts of control, both budgetary and political, to its provinces. Local governments have thus seen their remit expanded to include almost every aspect of public life, and their authority to chart the course of their regions’ growth is almost unlimited. However, the...
The capital of North Sumatra, Medan, is the fourth most populous city in Indonesia and the largest city outside of Java. Located on the Deli River, which flows into the Straits of Malacca, its trading port has made it a strategic location for most of its history, as well as a gateway to the island of Sumatra. Remnants of architecture reflect Medan’s Dutch colonial past, with...
Unlike other global economies, Indonesia largely surfed over the 2008-09 financial crisis, with the economy bucking Western trends and going into a strong, expansionary mode – chalking up 6.5% GDP growth in 2011 and over 5% growth in the years since. This came in the wake of strong economic growth in the years prior to 2008 as well, leaving the Indonesian per capita income in...
After showing substantial growth across the board in recent years, the Indonesian real estate market began a period of consolidation in late 2014 that is likely to last throughout 2015. This slow down in price rises has been broadly welcomed, however, as indicative of a maturing of the sector as it heads off previous fears of over heating. Despite the slower pace overall,...
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