Province

Gorontalo

Overview Economy

Gorontalo

Located on the Minahasa Peninsula, Gorontalo is a province that was formerly part of the North Sulawesi province until it was separated on December 5, 2000. Covering 12,025 square kilometers of land area, Gorontalo’s administrative region is divided into five regencies: Boalemo, Bolango, North Gorontalo, and Pohuato. The province is also home to one municipality, Gorontalo, which also serves as the province’s capital city.

Based on data from the Gorontalo Central Statistics Agency (BPS), as of 2022, Gorontalo has a population of 1.1 million people. Based on religious groups, the majority of residents in the province are Muslim, followed by Christians, Hindus, Catholics, Buddhists, and others. Regarding ethnic groups, the majority are Gorontaloan people who spread from North Sulawesi in the east towards Central Sulawesi in the west. Additionally, there are the Sama-Bajau people, sea nomads originating from the Southern Philippines, who reside in villages along the coast of Gorontalo. Other ethnic groups in Gorontalo are mostly people who migrated from other parts of Indonesia, such as the Javanese and Bugis people.

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Gorontalo’s economy

In 2023, the Gorontalo Statistics Agency (BPS) recorded the province’s Gross Regional Domestic Product (GRDP) at Rp 31.6 billion. The largest contributing sector to the GRDP data is the agriculture, forestry, and fishing sector, which contributed Rp 11.3 billion. The next two sectors which significantly contribute to Gorontalo’s GRDP are the wholesale and retail trade sector, including the repair of motor vehicles and motorcycles, with Rp 4.1 billion, and the construction sector with Rp 3.4 billion.

In terms of exports, Gorontalo’s export value in 2024 amounts to US$55.1 million. The Philippines is listed as the province’s main export destination with an export value of US$19.8 million or approximately 36.01 percent of the total export value. Based on commodities, Gorontalo mostly exports corn with a Free on Board (FOB) value of US$17.8 million. Additionally, the province exports wood and wooden goods with a FOB value of US$14.6 million and US$14.5 million worth of fruits and nuts.

Gorontalo also has a national strategic project (PSN) being developed in the area, namely the Bulango Ulu dam.

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Latest News

April 16, 2025

Transportation Ministry Air Transportation Directorate General gave its support to he Gorontalo Provincial Government proposal for Djalaluddin Gorontalo Airport to be designated as a hajj embarkation by the Religious Affairs Ministry to improve services and comfort for hajj pilgrims from Gorontalo Province and its surrounding regions.

On the sidelines of a meeting with Gorontalo Governor Gusnar Ismail on Apr. 14, 2025, Transportation Ministry Acting Air Transportation Director General Lukman F. Laisa said that the Djalaluddin Gorontalo Airport has shown significant improvements in terms of infrastructure, security facilities, and services.

However, he added that it is still necessary to develop the airport's airside infrastructure further to meet technical and operational standards of a hajj embarkation airport.

"We support efforts to fulfill the technical and operational requirements for hajj embarkation at Djalaluddin [Gorontalo] Airport," said Lukman.

The proposal is expected to shorten travel time, reduce operational costs, and increase the comfort and efficiency of hajj services for prospective pilgrims, especially the elderly and people with disabilities.

The support is part of the Air Transportation Directorate General's commitment to expand inclusive and equitable access to air transportation, as well as to support regional autonomy in public services based on local needs.

"The Transportation Ministry, through the Air Transportation Directorate General, is ready to coordinate further with the Religious Affairs Ministry as the agency authorized to determine the status of embarkation, as well as with other related stakeholders such as airlines, airport authorities, and the Gorontalo Provincial Government so the process of hajj embarkation [airport] designation could be applied [to the Djalaluddin Gorontalo Airport]," he concluded.

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