Indonesia internet penetration now at 79.5% as Gen Z drives usage

Indonesia’s internet penetration rate has reportedly edged up from 78.1% this time last year to 79.5% as of January 2024, with younger people – particularly ‘Generation Z’ – continuing to be the key demographic in terms of usage.

That’s according to the latest survey from Indonesian Internet Service Providers Association (APJII) released on Wednesday.

According to a report from the Antara news agency, APJII chairperson Muhammad Arif said the results indicate a consistent increase in internet adoption, which stood at 64% in 2018. It also reflects the fact that accessibility and utilization of digital technology in Indonesia have increased, he said.

In terms of demographics, the survey found that the millennial demographic (age 28–43) is the most penetrated segment at 93.17%, followed by Generation Z (age 12–27) at 87.02%, Generation X (age 44–59), at 83.69%, and Generation Alpha (under 12) at 48.1%.

That said, in terms of contribution to internet utilization, Gen Z tends to be the most active, accounting for 34.4% of contribution to utilization, while millennials rank at 30.62% and Generation Alpha at 9.17%.

Arif said this shows the correlation between age and the adaptation of internet users to the younger generation.

“The penetration and contribution of the younger generation tend to be higher,” he was quoted by Antara as saying, adding that businesses engaging in the digital space should pay attention to this while mapping out their digital strategies.

The APJII survey also found that the internet gender gap is getting smaller, with male and female internet penetration rates at 87.6% and 85.5%, respectively. The gap is even narrower for usage contribution rates, with men contributing 50.7% and women 49.1%.