Jakarta, March 30 -- Indonesia's population agency said the post-holiday reverse migration flow concentrated toward major cities risks undermining the country's demographic dividend, highlighting deep structural imbalances between urban and rural areas.

Bonivasius Prasetya Ichtiarto, deputy for population control at the Population and Family Development Ministry (BKKBN), said the stronger return flow compared to outbound travel reflects more than transport trends.

"Big cities attract rural residents seeking jobs and economic progress, but villages lose their young workforce, which should drive local development and sustainability," he said on Monday.

He added that the impact extends beyond economic inequality to social disparities, eco...