Editing Central Java (section)

== Demographics ==
As of the 2010 census, Central Java's population stood at 32.38 million, barely increasing from 2000, compared with the 1990 census when the population was 28 million.<ref>''Kamus Besar Bahasa Indonesia'' (1997:1249)</ref> This reflected an increase of approximately 13.5% in 20 years. At the 2020 Census the population was 36,516,035, and the official estimate for mid 2023 was 37,608,336.<ref name="Badan Pusat Statistik 2024">Badan Pusat Statistik, Jakarta, 28 February 2024, ''Provinsi Jawa Tengah Dalam Angka 2024'' (Katalog-BPS 1102001.33)</ref>  Birthrates had not plunged between 2000 and 2010, instead losses due to domestic outmigration on 2010 figures, reversed themselves in 2020 with pandemic ''back to kampung'' influence.

The three biggest regencies in terms of population are: [[Brebes Regency|Brebes]], [[Cilacap Regency|Cilacap]] and [[Banyumas Regency|Banyumas]]. Together they make up approximately 16% of the province's population. Major urban population centres include Greater [[Semarang]], Greater [[Surakarta]] and the [[Brebes]]-[[Tegal Regency|Tegal]]-[[Slawi]] area in the northwest of the province.

===Religion===
{| class="wikitable"
|-
! Religions !! Total 
|-
| [[Islam]] || 37,273,804
|-
| [[Protestant]] || 593,139
|-
| [[Roman Catholic]] || 342,347
|-
| [[Buddhism]] || 49,987
|-
| [[Hinduism]] || 14,045
|-
| [[Kejawen]] || 6,262
|-
| [[Confucianism]] || 1,303
|-
| '''Overall''' || '''38,280,887''' 
|}<ref name="ArcGIS Web Application">{{cite web | url=https://gis.dukcapil.kemendagri.go.id/peta/ | title=ArcGIS Web Application }}</ref>
{{Pie chart
|thumb = right
|caption = Religion in Central Java (June 2024)<ref name="ArcGIS Web Application">{{cite web | url=https://gis.dukcapil.kemendagri.go.id/peta/ | title=ArcGIS Web Application }}</ref>
|label1 = [[Islam]]
|value1 = 97.37
|color1 = DarkGreen
|label2 = [[Protestantism]]
|value2 = 1.55
|color2 = DarkBlue
|label3 = [[Roman Catholic]]
|value3 = 0.89
|color3 = Purple 
|label4 = [[Buddhism]]
|value4 = 0.13
|color4 = Gold
|label5 = [[Hinduism]]
|value5 = 0.036
|color5 = DarkOrange
|label6 = [[Kejawen]]
|value6 = 0.016
|color6 = Black
|label7 = [[Confucianism]]
|value7 = 0.003
|color7 = Red

}}

{{See also|Religion in Indonesia|Hinduism in Java}}
Although the overwhelming majority of Javanese are Muslims, many also profess [[Javanese beliefs|indigenous Javanese beliefs]]. [[Clifford Geertz]], in his book about the religion of Java, made a distinction between the so-called ''[[santri]]'' Javanese and ''[[abangan]]'' Javanese.<ref>Clifford Geertz, ''The Religion of Java'' (1976:121–131), paperback edition</ref> He considered the former as orthodox Muslims and the latter as nominal Muslims that devote more energy to indigenous traditions.

Dutch Protestants were active in missionary activities and were rather successful. The Dutch Catholic [[Jesuit]] missionary, [[Franciscus Georgius Josephus van Lith|F.G.C. van Lith]] also achieved some success, especially in areas around the central-southern parts of Central Java and Yogyakarta at the beginning of the 20th century,<ref>{{cite web|url=http://www.kompas.com/kompas-cetak/0312/27/natal/768772.htm|title =  Van Lith dan Muntilan "Bethlehem van Java" |work = Kompas |language = id |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20060619142551/http://www.kompas.com/kompas-cetak/0312/27/natal/768772.htm |archive-date=19 June 2006 }}</ref> and is buried at the Jesuit necropolis at [[Muntilan]].

Following the [[Transition to the New Order|upheavals]] in 1965–66, religious identification of citizens became compulsory, and there has been a renaissance of Buddhism and Hinduism since then. As one has to choose a religion out of the five official religions in Indonesia; i.e. Islam, Protestantism, Catholicism, Hinduism, and Buddhism, the latter two became alternatives for people who did not want to be Muslims or Christians. [[Confucianism]] is also common among Chinese Indonesians. In the [[post-Suharto era]], it is recognised as an official religion along with the aforementioned five.
<br />
<gallery>
File:Masjid Agung Demak.jpg|The [[Demak Great Mosque]], built in the 15th century.
File:Masjid Menara Kudus.jpg|[[Menara Kudus Mosque]], one of the oldest mosques in Indonesia.
File:Exterior of Blenduk Church, Semarang, 2014-06-18.jpg|[[Blenduk Church]], [[Semarang]]. Built in 1753, it is the oldest church in the province.
File:Sam Poo Kong Temple 2011 (2).jpg|[[Sam Poo Kong]] [[Chinese temple architecture|Chinese Temple]], in [[Semarang]]
File:Patung Buddha di Vihara Buddhagaya Watugong, Semarang.jpg|Statue of Buddha Vihara Buddhagaya Watugong, Semarang
</gallery>

=== Ethnicity ===
{{See also|Javanese people}}
{{Pie chart
|thumb = right
|caption = Ethnic Groups in Central Java<ref name=census2010>{{Cite web |url=http://demografi.bps.go.id/phpfiletree/bahan/kumpulan_tugas_mobilitas_pak_chotib/Kelompok_1/Referensi/BPS_kewarganegaraan_sukubangsa_agama_bahasa_2010.pdf |title=Kewarganegaraan, Suku Bangsa, Agama, Bahasa, 2010 (PDF) |access-date=15 March 2019 |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20170712140438/http://demografi.bps.go.id/phpfiletree/bahan/kumpulan_tugas_mobilitas_pak_chotib/Kelompok_1/Referensi/BPS_kewarganegaraan_sukubangsa_agama_bahasa_2010.pdf |archive-date=12 July 2017 |url-status=dead }}</ref>
|label1 = [[Javanese people|Javanese]]
|value1 = 97.73
|color1 = Violet
|label2 = [[Sundanese people|Sundanese]]
|value2 = 1.4
|color2 = Green
|label3 = [[Chinese Indonesians|Chinese]]
|value3 = 0.43
|color3 = Red
|label4 = Others
|value4 = 0.44
|color4 = Black
}}
At approximately 98%, [[Javanese people]] form the overwhelming majority of the population, and a minority of the [[Sundanese people]].<ref name="Ethnic-Java">{{cite book|title=Indonesia's Population: Ethnicity and Religion in a Changing Political Landscape|publisher=Institute of Southeast Asian Studies|year=2003}}</ref> Central Java is known as the centre of Javanese culture. The cities of Surakarta and Yogyakarta are the centres of the Javanese royal palace that still stands today.

Significant minority ethnic groups include the [[Chinese Indonesians]]. They usually reside in urban areas, although they are also found in rural areas. In general, they primarily work in trade and services. Many speak the Javanese language with sufficient fluency as they have lived alongside the Javanese. One can feel the strong influence in Semarang and the town of Lasem in [[Rembang Regency]], which is on the northeastern tip of Central Java. Even Lasem is nicknamed ''Le petit chinois'' or the Small Chinese City. The urban areas that are densely populated by [[Chinese Indonesians]] are called ''[[pecinan]]'', which means "[[Chinatown]]". Additionally, in several major cities, the [[Arab Indonesians|Arab-Indonesian]] community can also be found. Similar to the Chinese community, they are usually engaged in trade and services.

In areas bordering the province of West Java, there are Sundanese people and Sundanese culture, especially in the Cilacap, Brebes, and Banyumas regions.  Sundanese toponyms are common in these regions such as [[Dayeuhluhur]] in Cilacap, Ciputih and Citimbang in Brebes and even Cilongok as far away in Banyumas.<ref>Sundanese toponyms often begins with the [[morpheme]] ''ci-'', which means "river" or "water" {{cite web|url=http://earth-info.nga.mil/gns/html/Indonesia_Names_Standardization_Policy1.0.pdf|title=Archived copy|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20070614232851/http://earth-info.nga.mil/gns/html/Indonesia_Names_Standardization_Policy1.0.pdf|archive-date=14 June 2007|url-status=dead|access-date=26 April 2007}}. ''Dayeuh'' is a Sundanese word which means ''region'', q.v. F.S. Eringa ''Soendaas-Nederlands woordenboek'' (1984)</ref> In the interior of [[Blora Regency|Blora]], which borders East Java, there is an isolated [[Saminism Movement|Samin community]], the case of which is almost the same as the [[Baduy people]] in [[Banten]].<!--One of the popular Pecinan in Central Java is Jalan Pemuda and its surrounding in [[Magelang]].{{Citation needed|date=April 2007}}-->

=== Language ===
{{See also|Javanese language}}
[[File:Java languages.JPG|thumb|Languages of Java]]

Although [[Indonesian language|Indonesian]] is the official language, people mostly speak [[Javanese language|Javanese]] as their daily language. The Solo-Jogja dialect or the Mataram dialect is considered as the standard Javanese Language.

Additionally, there are a number of Javanese dialects but in general, it consists of two, namely ''kulonan'' and ''timuran''. The former is spoken in the western part of Central Java, consisting of the Banyumasan dialects and Tegal dialects (also called ''Basa Ngapak)''. They are quite different in pronunciation from the standard Javanese. The latter dialect is spoken in the eastern part of the province, including the Mataram dialect (Solo-Jogja), Semarang dialect, and the Pati dialect. Between the borders of the two dialects, Javanese is spoken with a mixture of both dialects; these areas are [[Pekalongan Regency|Pekalongan]] and the [[Kedu Plain]], which composes [[Magelang Regency|Magelang]] and [[Temanggung Regency|Temanggung]].

===Sundanese language===
{{See also|Brebes Sundanese language}}

Some parts of the districts of [[Brebes Regency|Brebes]] and [[Cilacap Regency|Cilacap]] speak [[Sundanese language|Sundanese]], the western part of Central Java is the border between the Javanese people and [[Sundanese people]] worlds in the western of Java.<ref>{{Cite book|last=Priyadi|first=Sugeng|url=https://books.google.com/books?id=13YLAQAAMAAJ&q=sejarah+sunda|title=Banyumas, antara Jawa dan Sunda|date=2002|publisher=Penerbit Mimbar|isbn=9789759036188 |language=id}}</ref>