The number of foreign workers (TKA) in Indonesia reached 95,335 by the end of 2018, a 10.88% increase from the previous year. The largest number of these workers were from China, reaching 32,209 (one-third of the total number of foreign workers), followed by Japan with 13,897 workers in second place and South Korea with 9,686 workers in third place.
Chinese workers increased by 29.85% year-on-year, the largest increase compared to foreign workers from other countries. The second largest increase was from India at 10.55%, followed by the United Kingdom with a 5.8% growth from the previous year.
The increase in the number of foreign workers in Indonesia is directly proportional to the increase in foreign investment in the country during the 2016-2017 period. However, in 2018, the number of foreign workers in Indonesia increased again, even though the value of Foreign Direct Investment (FDI) decreased. Based on data from the Investment Coordinating Board (BKPM), FDI in 2018 fell by 8.8% to Rp 392.7 trillion from the previous year.