Latest: These Are Indonesia's 5 Largest Migrant Worker Exporting Provinces

Working abroad remains one of the options for Indonesians seeking better income and job opportunities. According to the Statistics Indonesia (BPS) publication ‘Analysis of Labour Mobility from the 2025 Sakernas Results’, the number of people who have ever departed to work abroad increased from 3.17 million in 2021 to 4.43 million in 2025. This figure includes 315,000 who departed within the last five years.

The increase shows that the international labour market remains an alternative for Indonesian workers. Cross-border mobility also has the potential to improve family welfare through income brought home and remittances.

However, issues arise when examining the educational characteristics of these workers. BPS recorded that of the 315,000 people who had worked abroad in the last five years, 187,800 people, or 59.6%, had an education level of senior high school or below.

This condition is clearly visible in several main destination countries. In Malaysia, for example, of the 159,400 Indonesian workers who had worked there in the last five years, around 103,900 people, or nearly two-thirds, had an education level below senior high school.

In contrast, the characteristics of workers heading to Japan appear different. Of the 10,600 Indonesian workers who had worked in Japan in the last five years, all were recorded as having an education level of senior high school or above.

This difference indicates that education and skills are important factors in determining Indonesian workers’ access to overseas labour markets.

West Java Becomes the Province with the Largest Number of Migrant Senders

Based on BPS data, West Java, West Nusa Tenggara (NTB), and East Java are the three provinces with the highest number of residents aged 15 and above who have worked abroad and made departures or returns within the last five years.

Malaysia Remains the Main Destination

Of the 315,000 people who had worked abroad in the last five years, Malaysia was the largest destination country. BPS recorded that 159,400 people, or 50.6%, had worked in Malaysia. The next positions were occupied by Saudi Arabia with 48,600 people, or 15.4%, Taiwan with 25,100 people, or 8%, Singapore with 16,200 people, or 5.1%, and Japan with 10,600 people, or 3.4%.

Thus, more than half of Indonesian workers with overseas work experience in the last five years were concentrated in these five countries. This pattern is also inseparable from geographical proximity, labour demand, and migration networks that have been established in destination countries.