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Anti-government protests in the streets of Indonesia
The world’s most optimistic country
How can that be?
Indonesia, a sprawling archipelago of over 275 million people, is a land of contrasts.
On one hand, its people are celebrated for their unshakable optimism.
This was revealed by the Ipsos Predictions Survey 2025, which involved 23,721 participants from 33 countries in November 2024.
Ipsos is a global market research and consulting firm specializing in surveys, data analysis, and insights across various industries.
The survey highlights the most optimistic countries based on how their populations view the upcoming year 2025. Indonesia comes first. See attached picture.
This optimism stems from a resilient spirit, economic growth averaging 5% annually, and a youthful population driving innovation.
On the other hand, beneath this sunny outlook, storm clouds gather.
Reuters reports on the “Dark Indonesia” protests, erupting in February 2025 across cities like Jakarta and Surabaya, where students and activists decry President Prabowo’s $19 billion budget cuts to education, healthcare, and infrastructure.
These austerity measures, funding his ambitious meal initiative, have sparked fears of weakened public services and rising tuition fees.
Omong-Omong, an online search engine for business news and intelligence in Indonesia, paints a bleaker picture, warning of a “slumping Indonesia” as the rupiah hits a 27-year low and foreign investors flee, rattled by fiscal strain and perceived democratic backsliding under Prabowo’s militarized governance.
Despite these tensions, the optimistic thread holds strong.
Indonesia’s history of overcoming crises, like the 1998 financial meltdown, bolsters faith in its resilience.
The World Bank forecasts a robust 5.1% GDP growth for 2025, driven by domestic consumption and strategic investments.
Prabowo’s focus on food security and economic self-reliance resonates with a nation eager to thrive.
The protests, while vocal, represent a minority against a backdrop of widespread support, suggesting a people more inclined to hope than despair.
Indonesia stands at a crossroads: a nation full of potential but facing real challenges.
Its optimism is not blind but battle-tested, a beacon amid global uncertainty.
So, where do you stand, do you see Indonesia’s future as a rising star worth betting on, or a fragile hope tested by growing pains?
Let us know in comments on LinkedIn (link below) or by email at bonjour@cintasia.com
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Picture: Visual Capitalist, Ipsos
Source: Grok and Cintasia