Stay or Leave: Indonesia’s 25–35 Generation at a Crossroads

In Indonesia today, people aged 25 to 35 are no longer only thinking about landing a first job or chasing a promotion. They are confronting a deeper question: does it still make sense to build a future at home, or is it more realistic to look elsewhere. This dilemma is not driven by impatience, but by a growing sense that the cost of staying is rising while the path upward is narrowing.

The core issue is not simply whether jobs exist, but what kind of jobs are available. Many young graduates enter a labor market defined by short-term contracts, wages that struggle to cover basic needs, and unclear career progression. That is where a more dangerous feeling begins to spread: hard work no longer guarantees a more stable life. When effort stops translating into improvement, exhaustion turns into distrust of the system itself.

At the same time, rising living costs are reshaping almost every major life decision. Rent and housing prices are climbing, education remains expensive, and daily expenses take up a larger share of income. For many young adults, buying a home, getting married, or raising children is no longer a milestone to work toward, but a goal quietly pushed out of reach. In that context, the phrase KaburAjaDulu is not just an online meme. It is a collective language for a generation trying to find breathing room.

This shift also reveals a new way of thinking. Staying in Indonesia is now seen as a strategy, but leaving for opportunities abroad is viewed as an equally rational one. Some choose to remain because of family ties, cultural belonging, and the hope that conditions will eventually improve. Others look outward in search of higher pay, stronger career prospects, and a future that feels more attainable elsewhere. Whatever choice they make, the message is the same: the current situation is not sustainable, and the country should treat this unrest as a warning sign, not a passing trend.