Indonesia Gen Z Identity: Religious, Digital, and Global

Citing a comparative study published in the Journal of Islamic Religious Education (Jamilah et al., 2024), the religiosity level of Muslim Gen Z in Indonesia reaches 83 percent, higher than the 79 percent among Muslim Gen Z in the United Kingdom. This difference, according to the same study, is influenced by the educational context: formal religious curricula remain a mandatory part of most Indonesian schools.

This figure matters because it often disappears from the narrative about Gen Z. We too often focus on their digital consumption and forget that the values driving that consumption are not culturally neutral.

A Jakpat 2024 survey released a list of the social issues Indonesian Gen Z cares about most: job opportunities (64 percent), economic inequality (64 percent), the education system (57 percent), violence against women and children (56 percent), and corruption (50 percent). This is not an individualistic agenda. It is a community agenda.

The picture above does not mean Indonesia's Gen Z is closed off from global currents. Quite the opposite.

The YouGov Indonesia Media Consumption Report 2025 reported that 60 percent of social media users in Indonesia are Gen Z, and 48 percent of them consume cross-platform content for one to five hours per day. Edward Hutasoit, General Manager of YouGov Indonesia, put the finding plainly: "Gen Z is the country's media super consumer."

According to GlobalData 2024, 56 percent of Indonesian Gen Z tend to choose products with trendy or unusual flavors in the snack category, higher than Millennials (54 percent) and Gen X (41 percent). Openness to new things is not something imposed; it is already embedded.

Research by Hanifatunnisa et al. from Padjadjaran University (2025) noted that K-pop consumption among young Indonesians has spread into how they process political information, not just entertainment.

The question is not "which is more dominant, tradition or global trends?" The more accurate question is: how do the two operate at the same time?

Citing research by Hinduan et al. (2020) on Gen Z in the collectivist countries of Southeast Asia, including Indonesia, Gen Z in this region resonates more with values that emphasize community welfare and social harmony, unlike Gen Z in Western countries who tend to prioritize individual values. This is not a lag in modernization. It is an active choice.

The marketing research platform Givsly reported that 64 percent of young consumers tend to support brands whose values align with their personal values. Jehian Panangian Sijabat, CEO of Mantappu Corp, described it directly: "They are not just buying the product, they are buying the message behind it."

The Indonesia Gen Z Report 2024, published by IDN Research Institute, noted that Indonesian Gen Z is willing to cut spending on health (7 percent) and food (6 percent) rather than change their lifestyle. This occurs amid a challenging economy: Statistics Indonesia (BPS) reported GDP growth of 4.87 percent year-on-year but a contraction of 0.98 percent quarter-on-quarter in the first quarter of 2025.

Researchers call this phenomenon by several names: glocalization, identity hybridization, or digital piety. But the technical label matters less than what is happening in practice.

Indonesia's Gen Z uses global platforms to strengthen their local identity. They consume K-pop while being active in digital religious study communities. They shop on TikTok Shop while sorting brands by moral values. They are fluent in global internet language while identifying themselves as proud Indonesian Muslims.

Chatrine Siswoyo, Senior ASEAN Advisor at Vero, framed it well: "Gen Z is a generation that is vocal, critical, and deeply connected to social issues. They want brands that walk the talk, not just show up at big moments, but also have a clear and consistent moral compass."

This is not a segment that can be reached with global aesthetics alone or with traditional symbols alone. They view both approaches as insufficient if there is no substance behind them.

According to IDN Research Institute data, Gen Z is the largest generational group in Indonesia, covering nearly 28 percent of the total 281 million population. The way they build their identity has direct consequences.

For brands: an approach that frames "global values" and "local values" as two separate choices is outdated. Gen Z does not feel that tension. They see the world as a single ecosystem in which all layers of identity can coexist.

For policymakers: high religiosity and a collective orientation are not barriers to modernization. Both can in fact become a strong foundation for youth empowerment programs, as long as those programs truly respond to their real needs, not to assumptions about who they are.

Indonesia's Gen Z is not confused between two worlds. They have already decided that there is no need to choose.

Sources:
Religiosity level from Jamilah et al. (2024).
Journal of Islamic Religious Education Vol. 21 No. 2, using the Centrality of Religiosity Scale (CRS) and EViews regression.
Social media data from the YouGov Indonesia Media Consumption Report 2025, n = 1,000+ respondents, April to May 2025.
Social issues data from the Jakpat 2024 survey.
Product preference data from GlobalData 2024.
Economic growth data from BPS, Q1 2025.
Demographic data from IDN Research Institute.