Indonesia Country Profile
How do New Zealanders view Indonesia?
How do New Zealanders view Indonesia and its relationship with New Zealand? Our country profiles draw on the 2025 New Zealanders’ Perceptions of Asia and Asian Peoples report to reveal how New Zealanders view individual Asian countries. Perceptions of Asia presents the results from a survey of 2,300 New Zealanders, providing a unique glimpse into the importance of Asia to New Zealanders.
Importance to New Zealand’s future:
Thirty-five percent of New Zealanders see Indonesia as important or very important to New Zealand's future. This is up from 33 percent in 2024.
“Indonesia and New Zealand are close geographically and will face some of the same challenges when environmental issues arise.”
Female, 18-19 years, Samoan, Auckland
Indonesia's importance to New Zealand's future
Q: How important do you think Indonesia is to New Zealand’s future?
Perceptions of Asia 2025
Pedestrians enjoy a car-free day in Jakarta
Friend perceptions:
Forty-seven percent of New Zealanders identify Indonesia as a friend or close friend, up nine percentage points from last year.
Only four percent of New Zealanders see Indonesia as a threat, with no one identifying the country as a major threat.
Friend and threat perceptions
Q: Do you view Indonesia as a close friend, friend, threat or major threat?
Perceptions of Asia 2025
How have perceptions changed since 2018
Positive sentiment towards Indonesia has increased over time. While 34 percent of New Zealanders saw Indonesia as a friend in 2018, 47 percent view it as a friend today. Likewise, perceptions of Indonesia as a threat have also declined.
Friend or threat perceptions of Indonesia 2018-2024
Q: Do you view Indonesia as a close friend, friend, threat or major threat? (Y axis = percentage of respondents)
Perceptions of Asia 2025
Knowledge of Indonesia
Forty percent of respondents feel they know at least a fair amount about Southeast Asia.
Seventy-eight percent can correctly identify Jakarta as the capital of Indonesia.
Fifty-nine percent can correctly name Indonesian or Bahasa Indonesia as the main language spoken in Indonesia.
"Indonesia is a close Indo-Pacific partner with New Zealand and plays a major role with New Zealand prosperity and also security.”
Male, 18–19 years, New Zealand European, Auckland
Download the Indonesia Country Profile
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Download the full Perceptions of Asia 2025 report
pdf, 8.36 MB
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