Which country has the largest population of any island nation?

Indonesia has the largest population of any island nation. Its population exceeds 270 million, putting it ahead of other island countries including the Philippines, Japan, and Madagascar.

Indonesia is an archipelago stretching between the Indian and Pacific oceans. It includes thousands of islands, with Java serving as the demographic center. Java is the world’s most populous island and contains major cities such as Jakarta, Surabaya, and Bandung.

The wording matters because Australia is often called an island country in casual conversation. Geographically, however, Australia is generally classified as a continent, so it is excluded from standard lists of island nations. Indonesia is also different from a country occupying only one island: its territory includes parts of New Guinea, Borneo, and Timor as well as many smaller islands.

Indonesia’s population is concentrated unevenly. Java occupies only a small share of the national land area but holds a very large share of the people, while remote islands such as Papua are much more sparsely settled.