International Resource Center

HomeInternational Overview

Indonesia: Overview

Consumption

• One-third of Indonesians smoke ones(34 percent), with 63 percent of men and 5 percent of women smoking some form of tobacco.
• Among youth (age 13-15), 12 percent smoke, including 24 percent of boys and 2 percent of girls.
• The majority of smokers in Indonesia (88 percent) smoke kreteks, clove-flavored cigarettes.

Health consequences

• Smoking kills at least 200,000 people each year in Indonesia.
• Among youth (age 13-15), 81 percent are exposed to secondhand smoke in public places and 65 percent are exposed to secondhand smoke at home.

Tobacco industry

Indonesia is the fifth largest tobacco market in the world. Major tobacco companies in Indonesia include Gudang Garam, Sampoerna (Philip Morris International), Djarum, and Bentoel (British American Tobacco). These four companies dominate the Indonesian tobacco market with more than 70 percent of the total market share. In 2008, over 165 billion cigarettes were sold in Indonesia.

FCTC status

Indonesia is one of the few countries in the world that has not signed or ratified the WHO Framework Convention on Tobacco Control.

Tobacco control policy status

Smoke-free environments: Indonesia has a national ban on smoking in healthcare facilities and educational facilities and on public transportation. However, the ban does not include government and private offices and restaurants and bars. Sub-national jurisdictions have the authority to pass smoke-free laws, and some cities have done so. However, enforcement of these sub-national laws is uneven.

Advertising, promotion and sponsorship: There are virtually no restrictions on tobacco advertising, promotion and sponsorship in Indonesia. Tobacco companies freely market their products throughout the country.

Warning labels: Tobacco products are required to carry text but not picture warning labels. However, there are no size or placement requirements for the labels.

Tobacco taxes: Tobacco is cheap in Indonesia, and tax rates are low compared to other countries in the region. Tobacco taxes in Indonesia are below the rate recommended by the World Bank (from 65 percent to 80 percent of retail price) that is commonly present in countries with effective tobacco control policies.