Province

West Sulawesi

Overview Economy

West Sulawesi

Located in the western part of Sulawesi island, West Sulawesi is a province in Indonesia that covers an area of 16,594.75 square kilometers as of 2022. It is bordered by Central Sulawesi to the east, South Sulawesi to the south, and the Makassar Strait to the west. West Sulawesi’s administrative region consists of six regencies: Majene, Polewali Mandar, Mamasa, Mamuju, Pasangkayu, and Central Mamuju. The capital city of the province is Mamuju, serving as the economic and administrative center of West Sulawesi.

Demographically, West Sulawesi has a population primarily consisting of indigenous ethnic groups such as the Mandar, Toraja Mamasa, Pattae, and Kalumpang people. Although the Mandar people are considered the largest ethnic group in the province, the population of West Sulawesi also consists of other ethnic groups who relocated from various parts of Indonesia, such as the Bugis, Javanese, Balinese, Sasak, and East Nusa Tenggara people. As for religion, the majority of the population in the province are Muslims, followed by Christians, Catholics, Hindus, Buddhists, Konghucu, and adherents of indigenous beliefs.

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West Sulawesi’s economy

Based on data from the West Sulawesi Central Statistics Agency (BPS), the province recorded a Gross Regional Domestic Product (GRDP) of Rp 35.4 billion in 2023. The province’s economy is known to be driven by the mining, agriculture, and fishing sectors. Consistent with this, the agriculture, forestry, and fishing sectors dominate contributions to the GRDP, totaling Rp 13.9 billion. This is mainly attributed to agriculture, livestock, hunting, and agriculture services, which collectively amount to Rp 10.2 billion.

The manufacturing sector made the second-largest contribution to West Sulawesi’s GRDP in 2023, achieving Rp 4.1 billion, mainly from the manufacture of food products and beverages, which accounted for Rp 3.7 billion.

The third most contributing sector to the province’s GRDP in 2023 is wholesale and retail trade, including the repair of motors, with Rp 3.4 billion. Out of this figure, the majority came from wholesale and retail trade, totaling Rp 2.8 billion.

Additionally, a national strategic project (PSN) is also being developed in the province, namely the Budong-Budong dam.

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Latest News

July 30, 2025

The 2025 Manakarra Fair will return to the Maleo Town Square in Mamuju Regency, West Sulawesi Province. The event ran for three days during July 11–13, 2025.

This year marks the fourth year that the Manakarra Fair has been included in the Tourism Ministry's Karisma Event Nusantara (KEN) calendar of cultural festivals.

Manakarrra Fair organizer Veronica Wijaya stated that KEN is a prestigious program featuring select events from across Indonesia.

"This year's Manakarra Fair has 'Treasure,' as its theme," said Veronica on July 10, 2025.

Veronica explained that Manakarra Fair 2025 focused on the cultural heritage of Sekomandi tenun ikat fabric from Kalumpang District, Mamuju Regency.

This traditional woven fabric is said to be the oldest of its kind in the world, dating back 480 years. To further introduce the fabric, the committee has created a Sekomandi Mini Museum and Art Gallery at the festival.

Visitors could directly observe the process to produce the ikat, from spinning, drying, dyeing, and weaving. At the end of the gallery, a digital experience was available as a photo spot.

"To complement the application of Sekomandi ikat weaving in everyday life, we are holding a Fashion Parade featuring representatives from elementary school students throughout Mamuju, renowned West Sulawesi designer Awhy Syahreza, and VEFLO fashion house," concluded Veronica.

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