Land Area
Indonesia
1,904,569 km²
Largest
Malaysia
329,847 km²
17.3% of largest
Indonesia is 5.77× larger than Malaysia
Population
Indonesia
LARGEST
275.77M
PEOPLE
Malaysia
11.7% OF LARGEST
32.37M
PEOPLE
Indonesia has 8.52× the population of Malaysia
GDP
Indonesia
LARGEST
$1.29T
Malaysia
31.1% OF LARGEST
$400.7B
Armed Forces
Active Personnel
Indonesia
LARGEST
395.5K
TROOPS
Malaysia
28.6% OF LARGEST
113K
TROOPS
Indonesia has 3.50× the active personnel of Malaysia
Air Force
Indonesia
LARGEST
451
AIRCRAFT
Malaysia
37.9% OF LARGEST
171
AIRCRAFT
Indonesia has 2.64× the aircraft of Malaysia
Naval Assets
Indonesia
Malaysia
Wealth
Gold Reserves
Indonesia
LARGEST
78.6
Metric Tonnes
Malaysia
49.5% OF LARGEST
38.9
Metric Tonnes
Foreign-Exchange Reserves
Indonesia
LARGEST
$149B
Reserves · excl. gold
Malaysia
75.8% OF LARGEST
$113B
Reserves · excl. gold
Billionaires
Indonesia
MOST
35
billionaires
Malaysia
—
Oil
Proven Reserves
Indonesia
LARGEST
2.4
Billion barrels
Production & Consumption
Indonesia
NET IMPORTER
Production
0.6M b/d
Consumption
1.7M b/d
−1.1M b/d net
Trade (Import/Export)
Indonesia
$309.8B
Exports
$309.8B
Imports
$284.7B
Trade Balance
+$25.1B
Trade Surplus
Malaysia
$301.2B
Exports
$301.2B
Imports
$278.8B
Trade Balance
+$22.5B
Trade Surplus
Drinks per Person
Coffee
kg / person / yr
Indonesia
consumption
Malaysia
supply
Tea
kg / person / yr
Malaysia
supply
Indonesia
consumption
Beer
litres / person / yr
Malaysia
consumption
Indonesia
consumption
Wine
litres / person / yr
Malaysia
supply
Indonesia
consumption
Alcohol
litres pure alcohol / person / yr
Malaysia
consumption
Indonesia
consumption
Smoking
% of adults 15+ who smoke
Indonesia
Malaysia
Per-capita — consumption where available, else FAOSTAT supply · alcohol = litres of pure alcohol; smoking = % of adults 15+ (WHO)
Olympic Medals
Indonesia
10
Gold
14
Silver
16
Bronze
40
Total Medals
☀ Summer: 40
❄ Winter: 0
Malaysia
0
Gold
8
Silver
7
Bronze
15
Total Medals
☀ Summer: 15
❄ Winter: 0
Religious Demographics
Religious Distribution
Religious Composition by Country
Indonesia
Malaysia
Age Demographics
Median Age
Malaysia
30.3
YEARS
10
30
50
70
Indonesia
30.2
YEARS
10
30
50
70
Age Distribution
Population breakdown by age bracket (percentage)
Demographic Insights
Age Gap
Malaysia is 0.1 years older (median) than Indonesia
Youth Population
Indonesia has the highest youth population at 49.4% (under 30)
Elderly Population
Indonesia has the highest elderly population at 11.0% (60+)
Global Statistics
| Metric |
Indonesia
|
Malaysia
|
|---|---|---|
| Travel & Mobility | ||
| Passport Power visa-free destinations |
78
|
— |
| Tourist Arrivals per year |
11.7M
|
— |
| Culture & Prestige | ||
| Nobel Laureates all-time |
0
|
— |
| 3-Michelin-Star Restaurants current guide |
0
|
— |
Figures as of 2026. Sources: IMF, EIA/OPEC, Henley Passport Index, UNWTO, Forbes, Michelin Guide, Nobel Foundation.
Cost of Living
|
Metric
All indices use New York City as base (100)
Lower values indicate lower costs.
|
Indonesia
|
Malaysia
|
|---|---|---|
| Cost of Living Index |
|
|
| Rent Index |
|
|
| Groceries Index |
|
|
| Restaurant Price Index |
|
|
| Local Purchasing Power |
|
|
| Common Expenses Comparison | ||
| Meal at Inexpensive Restaurant (USD) | $3 | $4 |
| Three-Course Meal for 2 (USD) | $15 | $20 |
| Monthly Rent - City Center (USD) | $400 | $600 |
| Monthly Rent - Outside Center (USD) | $250 | $400 |
| Monthly Utilities (USD) | $60 | $80 |
| Internet (60 Mbps, USD) | $20 | $25 |
| Monthly Public Transport Pass (USD) | $12 | $15 |
Historical Data
Basic Information
| Metric | Indonesia | Malaysia |
|---|---|---|
| Population | 275770000 | 32365999 |
| Area (sq km) | 1904569 | 329847 |
| Capital | Jakarta | Kuala Lumpur |
| Official Language | Indonesian | Malay |
| Currency | Indonesian Rupiah (IDR) | Malaysian Ringgit (MYR) |
| Government Type | Unitary presidential constitutional republic | Federal parliamentary constitutional elective monarchy |
Military Strength
| Metric | Indonesia | Malaysia |
|---|---|---|
| Active Personnel | 395,500 | 113,000 |
| Reserve Personnel | 400,000 | 51,600 |
| Total Military Personnel | 795,500 | 164,600 |
| Defense Budget (USD) | $9,300,000,000 | $4,000,000,000 |
| Tanks | 315 | 48 |
| Armored Vehicles | 1,280 | 1,159 |
| Self-Propelled Artillery | 0 | 19 |
| Towed Artillery | 356 | 110 |
| Rocket Projectors | 36 | 36 |
Economy
| Metric | Indonesia | Malaysia |
|---|---|---|
| GDP (USD) | $1,289,000,000,000 | $400,700,000,000 |
| GDP Per Capita (USD) | $4,680 | $12,380 |
| Unemployment Rate (%) | 5.8% | 3.4% |
| GINI Index (Income Inequality) | 38.2 | 41.0 |
| Currency | Indonesian Rupiah (IDR) | Malaysian Ringgit (MYR) |
| Direct Currency Comparison (1 unit of row currency equals X units of column currency) | ||
| Indonesia Currency | 1.00 (Same) | 4365.1597 Stronger |
| Malaysia Currency | 0.0002 Weaker | 1.00 (Same) |
| USD Base Exchange Rates (All calculations use USD as the base currency) | ||
| Currency | IDR | MYR |
| 1 USD equals | 17970.9258 IDR Updated: 2026-06-27 | 4.1169 MYR Updated: 2026-06-27 |
Interesting Comparisons & Trivia
Did You Know?
Indonesia is 5.8 times larger in area than Malaysia.
Indonesia has 8.5 times more people than Malaysia.
Malaysia has the highest GDP per capita at $12,380 among the selected countries.
Indonesia has the largest economy with a GDP of
$1.29 trillion.
Indonesia has the largest active military personnel with 395,500 troops.
Indonesia has the largest air force with 451 aircraft.
Indonesia has the largest navy with 282 vessels.
Indonesia vs Malaysia: Key Comparisons
Economy: Indonesia's GDP of $1.3T is 3.2x larger than Malaysia's $401B — both among the world's largest economies.
Population: Indonesia's population of 276M is 8.5x larger than Malaysia's 32M.
Area: Indonesia covers 1,904,569 km², making it 5.8x larger than Malaysia.
Military: Indonesia fields 400Thousand active troops vs Malaysia's 110Thousand.
Trade: Indonesia runs a trade surplus of $25B while Malaysia runs a trade surplus of $22B.
Life Expectancy: Malaysia leads with a life expectancy of 76 years vs Indonesia's 72.
Data compiled from World Bank, IMF, Global Firepower, SIPRI, Numbeo, and Pew Research.
Last updated June 2026.
Sources & methodology