Demographics and Security in Maritime Southeast Asia

Brian Nichiporuk, RAND
Clifford Grammich, RAND

With a population of 325 million, Maritime Southeast Asia is an area of significant economic and security interests for the United States. Demographically, the significance of the region is increasing, with a current rate of population growth exceeding that for the rest of the world. The region is also home to one of the largest Muslim populations in the world, 200 million. The prominence of the Muslim population makes the relationship between Islam and the state an important part of regional politics. Other demographic characteristics also merit consideration for analysis of regional politics and conflict. This paper will review several demographic variables, including urbanization, differential growth rates, population dispersion, migration, and population age structure and review their implications for regional conflict and security.