Province

Central Papua

Papua – Central Papua

Central Papua, a province located in eastern Indonesia, is a new province that was split from Papua province on June 30, 2022, based on Law No. 15/2022 and Law No. 16/2022. The province is bordered by the districts of Waropen, Mamberamo Raya, and Cendrawasih Bay to the north. To the east, it is bordered by Lanny Jaya, Nduka, Tolikara, and Asmat districts; to the south lies the Arafuru Sea; and to the west are Kaimana district and Wondama Bay.

Central Papua Province encompasses a land area of 66,129 square kilometers, with the Nabire regency serving as the province’s central hub, acting as both the capital city and the administrative center. The province has a population of 1.3 million people.

The population of this province reflects a diverse religious landscape. Christians make up the largest share at 68.59 percent, followed by Catholics at 19.01 percent. Islam is practiced by 12.26 percent of the population, while Hindus and Buddhists form a very small minority, accounting for 0.07 percent and 0.03 percent, respectively. The remaining 0.04 percent adhere to other faiths.

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Economic Description

Despite its recent establishment as a province, Central Papua boasts a promising economic outlook. In 2023, the province achieved a Gross Domestic Regional Product (GRDP) of Rp 101.6 trillion, with the mining and quarrying sector emerging as the primary driver of the region’s economic activity with a GRDP of Rp 78.3 trillion. This sector's dominance highlights the region's rich natural resources and their importance in driving economic growth.

The creation of the new autonomous regions of Central Papua, as well as South Papua, and Highland Papua, has led to a change in how local people make a living. As Central Papua was once part of Papua province, their commodities are very similar. Just like Papua province, Central Papua is now relying more on fishing and maritime activities, having previously mainly relied on gold mining. This is evidenced by the agriculture, forestry, and fisheries sector closely following the mining sector, making a notable contribution of Rp 6.16 trillion.

Lastly, the construction sector contributes around Rp 5.2 trillion to Central Papua’s GRDP. Due to its recent establishment, there is significant market potential for construction in this province. Furthermore, infrastructure development efforts on the island of Papua have been geared towards benefiting both the general population and commercial enterprises. Consequently, it has become increasingly crucial to continually enhance the province’s infrastructure to support the overall infrastructure development of the island.

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Latest News

August 8, 2025

Following the successful operational test of its aircraft in Nabire Regency, Central Papua Province on July 17, 2025, Batik Air is scheduled to conduct its first commercial flight to the Douw Aturure Nabire Airport on Aug. 17, 2025.

The information for Batik Air's inaugural flight to the Nabire airport, which would coincide with the 80th anniversary of Indonesian independence, was confirmed by Acting Central Papua Transportation Office Head Ewanggen Kogoya.

"Batik Air aircraft will operate at Nabire Airport on Aug. 17, 2025," he told Nabire.net on Aug. 4, 2025.

Ewanggen Kogoya hopes the entry of the Lion Air Group airline will create more economic, tourism, and transportation connectivity opportunities for the people of Nabire Regency and Central Papua as a whole.

"I don't know about ticket [schedule] and flight routes yet. I'll let you know when I have them," Ewanggen added.

Batik Air officially landed for the first time at the Nabire airport on July 17, 2025, using an Airbus A320-200 airplane. Two flight routes are set to be available to Nabire Regency, namely the Jakarta-Makassar-Nabire route and the Jakarta-Makassar-Timika-Nabire route. Meanwhile, the new Nabire-Timika route is in gradual development to full operation.

The Douw Aturure Nabire Airport has a 2,500 x 30 meters runway. Sriwijaya Air  is currently the  sole operator of large aircrafts to and from the airport.

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