Based on data from the Indonesian Ministry of Industry's Center for Crafts and Batik (BBKB), there are approximately 3,159 registered batik businesses throughout Indonesia.
Of this number, 208 are large-medium scale batik industries (2021 data), and 2,951 are micro, small, and medium-scale batik businesses (2018 data).
Further breakdown reveals that micro-scale batik businesses number 1,794, the largest among the business classes. Small-scale businesses account for 815 units, and medium-scale businesses for 342 units.
UNESCO has designated Indonesian batik as an Intangible Cultural Heritage of Humanity since 2009.
Batik is considered to play many roles in Indonesian society. It is not only used as everyday clothing but also as attire for important events and rituals.
"Babies are carried in batik cloth adorned with symbols to bring good fortune to the child, and the deceased are shrouded in burial batik. Batik is commonly used in business and academic settings, and worn at weddings, pregnancy celebrations, and artistic performances," explains UNESCO on its official website.
Batik is also regarded as a cultural work that records the history of interaction between Nusantara society and other nations.
"The diversity of batik cloth patterns reflects various influences, ranging from Arabic calligraphy, European floral arrangements, Chinese phoenix birds, Indian or Persian peacocks, to Japanese cherry blossoms," UNESCO states.