How Many Islands in Indonesia? From the largest to the smallest

How Many Islands Make Up Indonesia? From the largest to the smallest


Indonesia boasts an immense number of islands, ranging from small to large. As the largest archipelago in the world, Indonesia is home to tens of thousands of islands, and many people may be unaware of the exact count. If you're curious about the total number of islands in Indonesia, as of 2021, the figure recorded on indonesiaBaik.id is 17,000 islands.

As of 2020, the Gazet of the Republic of Indonesia recorded a total of 16,771 islands in Indonesia. However, in 2021, an additional 229 islands were added through verification by Big and other ministries and institutions. It's important to note that these new islands were not newly formed, but were previously unrecorded.


In terms of provinces with the highest number of islands, West Papua comes in first with 4,514 islands, followed by Riau Islands with 2,025, Central Sulawesi with 1,572, Maluku with 1,337, and North Maluku with 837.

The recorded number of islands in Indonesia has varied over time. In 1972, the Indonesian Institute of Sciences (LIPI) recorded 6,127 islands, which then increased to 17,503 islands in 1987 according to the ABRI Survey and Mapping Center. Of these, only 5,707 islands had verified names. By 2004, 2,870 islands had names and 9,634 were unnamed according to reports from governors and mayors. However, it's estimated that only around 6,000 of these islands are inhabited.




The Count of Small Islands in Indonesia:



  1. Sumatra Island: 3,665
  2. Sulawesi Island: 2,924
  3. Kalimantan Island: 932
  4. Java Island: 757
  5. Papua Island: 598


In addition to the five large islands, Indonesia also has numerous small islands scattered throughout the country. The following is a breakdown of the number of small islands in Indonesia by the major islands they are located around:

Out of the 5,876 mentioned small islands, 549 of them have already been named, while the remaining 49 have yet to be named. This provides an overview of the number of islands in Indonesia that you can learn and discover.


Moving on to the largest islands in Indonesia, Papua Island takes the top spot with an area of 786,000 square km. It's followed by Kalimantan Island with an area of 743,330 square km, and Sumatra Island with an area of 443,065 square km. Sulawesi Island comes in fourth with an area of approximately 174,600 square km, and Java Island takes fifth place with an area of 126,700 square km. These islands are divided into several regions and provinces, with each having its own distinct characteristics and populations.

Hopefully, this article is useful for those of you who read and require the information.

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