Province

Maluku

Overview Economy

Maluku – Maluku

Maluku is a provincial territory encompassing the southern region of the Maluku Islands in Indonesia. It covers an area of 46,150 square kilometers, with only about 7.6 percent of the province's surface being land, while the remaining 92.4 percent consists of sea. To the north, Maluku is bordered by the Seram Sea, while the Indian Ocean and Arafura Sea lie to the south, Papua to the east, and Sulawesi to the west. Ambon, the largest city in the province, also serves as its capital and administrative center. Maluku’s administrative area is divided into nine districts and two cities.

Before its establishment as a separate province in 1999, the Maluku Islands constituted a unified province within Indonesia. However, a division occurred that year, separating the northern region, including the North Maluku regency, Central Halmahera regency, and the city of Ternate, to establish the distinct province of North Maluku

The province boasts a population of 1.9 million people and presents a diverse community. The majority of the population consists of indigenous Maluku locals from various tribes such as Alifuru, Ambon, Buru, Kei, and Tanimbar. Maluku’s religious landscape is dominated by Muslims at 52.70 percent of the population, followed by Christians at 39.58 percent, and Catholics at 6.87 percent. Other religions make up less than 1 percent of the population.

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Economic Description

As of the fourth quarter (Q4) of 2023, Maluku’s economy thrived with Rp 8 trillion in Gross Domestic Regional Product (GRDP). The province’s economic landscape is primarily driven by the agriculture and fisheries sector, which contributed Rp 2 trillion to the GRDP. Transportation also plays a significant role in the region's leading sectors, with a contribution of Rp 403 billion.

Additionally, apart from agriculture, fisheries, and transportation, two other significant contributors to Maluku’s Q4 GRDP are the government administration, contributing Rp 1.8 trillion, and the wholesale and retail trade sector, including car and motorcycle repairs, which contributed Rp 1.2 trillion.

The province’s agriculture sector is led by the production of coconuts at 107,776 tonnes, followed by cloves at 21,435 tonnes, and cocoa at 8,287 tonnes. Meanwhile, Maluku’s fisheries sector is most well-known for its catch in tuna and skipjack, with capture fisheries contributing around 52,865 tonnes of tuna and 38,759 tonnes of skipjack as of 2022. Additionally, there is significant market potential for grouper and shrimp cultivation, seaweed cultivation, the seaweed processing industry, as well as the preserving and processing industry for tuna and skipjack fishery products.

Regarding the transportation sector, there is a market potential for sea, air, and land transport. As Maluku is an archipelago with 1,340 islands, air transport activity is increasing along with the province’s economic activity. Currently, Maluku boasts 64 ports; however, a strategic expansion plan is necessary to optimize its maritime capabilities.

Furthermore, Maluku presents several investment opportunities focusing on tourism such as the Rhun Island Breda Pala Resort, and in the agro-industry such as integrated capture fisheries and processing. Additionally, the province has several national strategic projects (PSN), including the Ambon New Port, and the Way Apu Dam.

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Latest News

April 25, 2025

The East Java Provincial Trade Mission in Maluku Province held at The Natsepa Resort & Conference Center in Central Maluku Regency, Maluku recorded a transaction value of Rp460.75 billion as of Apr. 23, 2025. East Java Governor Khofifah Indar Parawansa, who directly led the activity, stated that this achievement shows the resilience and strength of the East Java trade sector amid the global economic slowdown.

"We facilitate meetings between business actors, both traders and buyers, from East Java and Maluku. The goal is to expand the potential for trade, fisheries, agribusiness, and investment opportunities in an integrated manner," she explained.

Khofifah added that the trade mission is not only about economic benefits, but it is also a place for cultural and traditional exchange between regions.

Several commodities that was part of the recorded transactions fishery products, tobacco products, eggs and chicken products, rice, poultry carcasses, animal feed, whole coconuts, logs, snacks, and forest products. Khofifah said that the trade mission's transaction value has doubled compared to the previous edition in December 2021, and it is expected to continue to increase by the time the activitiy ended.

Furthermore, Khofifah emphasized that inter-regional trade is one of the main drivers of East Java's economy. Based on data from Indonesian Inter-Regional Trade 2023, East Java recorded the highest trade surplus reaching Rp209 trillion.

"This is thanks to good collaboration between East Java and partner provinces, including Maluku," she said.

East Java's 14.39 percent contribution to the Indonesian gross domestic product (GDP) in 2024 makes it the province with the second highest economic contribution nationally after the Jakarta Special Capital Region. The province also contributed to 25.23 percent of Java Island's gross regional domestic product (GRDP). In the fourth quarter (Q4) of 2024, East Java's economy grew by 5.03 percent year-on-year (yoy) with a GRDP value based on current prices of Rp802.45 trillion.

Khofifah said that Maluku supplies several important commodities such as copper plates, crude palm oil, logs, spices, rubber, alcohol, fruit, and frozen fish. Conversely, East Java supplies trucks, rice, medicines, frozen meat, flour, sugar, motor vehicles, and other manufactured products to Maluku.

She hopes that the trade mission will be able to strengthen economic and cultural cooperation between the two provinces and improve the quality of human resources through cooperation in the field of education.

"We want to expand access to education by opening opportunities for Maluku students to study at six East Java Taruna Nusantara high schools, which are [all] boarding schools, and collaborate with the TNI (Indonesian Military), POLRI (Indonesian Police), and IPDN (Institut Pemerintah Dalam Negeri)," she said.

Khofifah also emphasized the importance of fostering a younger generation that excels academically as well as posssesses a national and archipelagic insight that could help realize the Indonesia Gold Vision 2045.

Meanwhile, Maluku Governor Hendrik Lewerissa welcomed the East Java Trade Mission to Maluku. He considered the activity as a strategic step to strengthen regional economic resilience and open up opportunities for long-term cooperation.

"One commodity can provide value, but collaboration can secure the future," said Hendrik.

In addition, the trade mission features the signing of a memorandum of understanding (MoU) between the governors of East Java and Maluku, as well as a cooperation agreement between regional government organizations, region-owned enterprises, and businesses from the two provinces.

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