Province

Yogyakarta

Special Region of Yogyakarta

In southern Java, the Special Region of Yogyakarta stands as a provincial-level autonomous region and is the only officially recognized diarchy within the government of Indonesia. With a land area of just 3,170 square kilometers, it is the second-smallest province-level entity in the country after Jakarta. The region’s capital city, also named Yogyakarta, remains the only Indonesian royal city still under the rule of a monarchy, namely the Yogyakarta Sultanate.

Furthermore, the Special Region of Yogyakarta is renowned as a significant center for classical Javanese fine arts and culture such as ballet, batik textiles, drama, literature, music, poetry, silversmithing, visual arts, and wayang puppetry. The region is also a renowned center of Indonesian education, home to dozens of schools and universities and the largest student population in the country.

As of 2023, the population of the Special Region of Yogyakarta amounted to 3.7 million people, with a density of 1,173 people per square kilometer. The major ethnic group residing in the region is the Javanese, followed by Sundanese, Malay, Chinese, Batak, Madura, and Minangkabau, among others. Meanwhile, in terms of religion, the majority of the population adheres to Islam, though a significant portion of the indigenous Javanese community is also Christian or Catholic. Other religious groups present in the Special Region of Yogyakarta include Buddhism, Hinduism, and various other beliefs.

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Special Region of Yogyakarta’s economy

The Special Region of Yogyakarta boasts a robust economy, with its Gross Regional Domestic Product (GRDP) in 2023 reaching Rp 118.6 trillion. Among the key contributors to this thriving economy are the manufacturing sector, agriculture, forestry, and fishing sector, and the accommodation and food service sector.

The manufacturing sector contributed Rp 13.4 billion to the region’s 2023 GRDP, dominated by contributions from the manufacture of food products and beverages, amounting to Rp 7.3 billion. The agriculture, forestry, and fishing sectors contributed Rp 8.3 billion, with Rp 3.2 billion coming from food crops. In addition, the accommodation and food service sector contributed Rp 11.1 billion, with Rp 9.2 billion coming from food and beverage services.

The region also hosts several national strategic projects (PSN) covering various sectors, including toll roads, airports, dams, railways, industrial zones, energy, as well as clean water and sanitation. These PSNs include the Yogyakarta-Bawen toll road, the Solo-Yogyakarta-YIA Kulon Progo toll road, the Yogyakarta-Kulon Progo airport, as well as the Development Program of the National Strategic Tourism Area (DPSP) Borobudur.

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Latest News

May 27, 2025

Hundreds of people chose to stay in the rain in Tinalah Tourism Village, Kulon Progo Regency, Yogyakarta Special Region (DIY) for the lively 2025 Keroncong Plesiran Festival that is also in tune with nature on May 24, 2025.

The festival has once again showed that combining traditional and contemporary music with a cross-generational approach could be relevant to our times and enchanting to experience.

Keroncong Plesiran 2025, which opened with performances by keroncong groups from various cities and culminated with a collaboration between national musicians across music genres such as Marcello Tahitoe, Bilal Indrajaya, Endah Laras, and Paksi Raras Alit, showcased keroncong as a fresh and inclusive emotional language.

“Keroncong Plesiran is a celebration of keroncong music. I saw firsthand how keroncong can be loved again, even by the youth,” said Paksi.

For urban dwellers who are less attached to traditional culture, the event is an open invitation to reconnect as both spectators and part of a cultural regeneration.

Borobudur Authority Implementing Agency Head Agustin Peranginangin noted Keroncong Plesiran is part of the Tourism  Ministry's Karisma Event Nusantara (KEN) 2025 calendar of cultural festivals.

“I salute the audience for holding out even though it was raining. This is not just a concert, but a living space for culture,” he said.

Keroncong Plesiran 2025 also has a notable economic impact, with around 70 percent of its visitors coming from outside the region - including Jakarta. That means the festival has succeeded in attracting city dwellers to revive tourist villages, such as Tinalah which is now a new star of DIY's tourism offerings.

“We want tourism to not just pile up in one spot. Keroncong Plesiran helps promote alternative destinations,” said Imam Pramana from the DIY Tourism Office.

Visitors are also treated with wingko tinalah, one of the region's characteristic rural snacks, which is distributed as a cultural souvenir to them. Local micro, small, and medium enterprises (MSMEs), from food sellers and craftspeople, are also involved in the mini bazaars around Keroncong Plesiran 2025.

The festival is supported by the DIY Special Fund, proving that fostering culture can go hand in hand with economic empowerment.

"We chose Kulon Progo because we [Keroncong Plesiran] have never been here before. This year, we want the village to be the main stage," said Ari 'Kancil' Sulistiyanto, event initiator from the Simphony Kerontjong Moeda Community.

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