Distribution of Minangkabau People's Settlements in Indonesia

The Minangkabau people are an ethnic group originating from West Sumatra Province. Studies by the Central Statistics Agency (BPS) show that this group has a tradition of migration among its population.

The BPS explained that in the Tambo Minangkabau, many pituah (admonitions) or proverbs are found as guidelines for migration. An example is this traditional proverb:

“Karatau madang dihulu. Babungo babuah balun. Marantau bujang dahulu. Dikampuang paguno balun.”

According to the BPS, this proverb has a deep meaning and is a message from ancestors encouraging young Minangkabau men to migrate from a young age, whether for work, education, experience, or other livelihoods.

The Minangkabau tradition of migration persists to this day. This is also evident in the results of the 2020 BPS Population Census.

In this census, the BPS mapped the distribution of Minangkabau people's residences born in their province of origin as follows:

• Province of origin (West Sumatra): 86.34%
• Other provinces on the island of Sumatra: 9.27%
• Java Island: 4.06%
• Kalimantan Island: 0.17%
• Maluku and Papua Islands: 0.07%
• Bali and Nusa Tenggara Islands: 0.05%
• Sulawesi Island: 0.04%

“This migration culture is also reflected in the percentage of Minangkabau people who are lifelong migrants (which) is 16.03%, a relatively high figure,” said the BPS.