Demographic and spatial patterns of Indonesia's recent urbanisation

An Erratum has been published for this article in Population, Space and Place 10(6)2004, 421–434. This study examines urbanisation patterns in Indonesia, using data from the National Population Census 2000. Urbanisation in Indonesia is still characterised by the high concentration of urban population in a few large cities, notably Jakarta Metropolitan Area (Jabotabek), which indicates an interurban disparity between Jabotabek and other cities, and between large and smaller cities. It might also reflect an integration of Jabotabek into the global economy. The populations on the outskirts of large cities are growing rapidly, while those in core areas have a very low rate of growth. The small towns and intermediate cities on the outer islands are experiencing higher population growth compared with those in Java, which might suggest that those towns and cities are playing a more significant role in regional development.