Betawi People Primarily Reside on Java Island

The Betawi people are indigenous to Jakarta. A 2010 study by the Central Statistics Agency (BPS) found them to be one of the six largest ethnic groups in Indonesia.

Historically, the Betawi people emerged from the assimilation of various ethnic groups brought to Jakarta by the Dutch colonial government for political and economic reasons.

BPS research indicates that the Betawi emerged as a distinct ethnolinguistic group during the colonial era through intermarriage in Jakarta between the original inhabitants, primarily from Bali, and people of Chinese, Arab, and European descent.

The 2020 Population Census revealed that 76.30% of Betawi people born in Jakarta continue to reside there.

Besides Jakarta, the majority of Betawi people live in various provinces on the island of Java. The following percentages show the distribution of Betawi people born in Jakarta:

• Province of origin (Jakarta): 76.30%
• Other provinces on Java Island: 23.14%
• Sumatra Island: 0.35%
• Kalimantan Island: 0.10%
• Sulawesi Island: 0.05%
• Bali and Nusa Tenggara Island: 0.05%
• Maluku and Papua Island: 0.02%

Regarding migration patterns, BPS stated that 16.36% of the Betawi population are lifetime migrants. This indicates a movement of Betawi people to other provinces.

"Given the high percentage of Betawi people on the island of Java, it is highly likely that this migration occurred within other provinces on Java," the BPS wrote in its report.

(Read: Geographic Distribution of the Bugis People in Indonesia)