Province

South Papua

Overview Economy

Papua – South Papua

Situated on Papua Island, South Papua is a newly established province in Indonesia. Its establishment was administered under Law No. 14/2022, signed by President Joko “Jokowi” Widodo on July 25, 2022. Through this law, the province of Papua underwent an administrative division, resulting in the formation of South Papua province.

Encompassing the southernmost portion of Papua, the province shares its land borders with Papua province to the north and the independent nation of Papua New Guinea to the east. To the south, it is bounded by the Arafura Sea, and to the west, by the Aru Sea.

Up to 120,279 square kilometers of landmass covers South Papua, which is also home to 553,910 individuals. Additionally, the province is divided into four districts, namely the Mappi district, Asmat district, Boven Digoel district, and Mappi district, which also serves as the province’s capital city.

In South Papua, Christianity is the dominant religion, according to 2023 data from the Directorate General of Population and Civil Registration Office. It represents 72.57 percent of the population, with Catholicism being the most prevalent Christian denomination at 49.62 percent, followed by Protestantism at 22.95 percent. Other religions, including Islam, were recorded at 27.28 percent, Hinduism at 0.11 percent, and Buddhism at 0.04 percent, making up a smaller portion of the province’s religious landscape.

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Economic Description

Despite being a recent addition to Indonesia's provinces, South Papua's economy is maintaining a steady pace. In 2022, the province’s Gross Regional Domestic Product (GRDP) reached Rp 28.6 trillion, with the construction sector serving as the province’s leading sector with a significant contribution of Rp 6.9 trillion. It is closely followed by the agriculture, forestry, and fisheries sector at Rp 6.1 trillion, and the wholesale and retail trade sector, including cars and motorcycles reparation, at Rp 3.5 trillion.

The construction sector’s leading role in South Papua extends from thriving construction activity across Papua Island. Subsequently, given the province’s recent establishment, the construction of essential infrastructure fuels activity across various sub-sectors, positioning construction as the backbone of South Papua’s ongoing economic development.

Furthermore, the agriculture, forestry, and fisheries sector is the second leading sector in South Papua. Within this sector, the largest sub-sector is farming and livestock, contributing nearly Rp 2.8 trillion. Fisheries closely follow with Rp 2.7 trillion, along with forestry at Rp 605 billion.

Lastly, the wholesale and retail trade sector has emerged as the third leading contributor to South Papua’s economic well-being. This sector experienced a significant growth rate of 8.76 percent in 2023, showcasing its potential to become an even more vital driver of economic activity in the province in the future.

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Latest News

February 11, 2025

The construction of the Merauke road to the Salor Integrated Self-Reliant Town (KTM) or Salor Indah Village in Kurik District, South Province, the site for South Papua Province's center of government, continues. Currently, the construction process of the governor's office, Regional Legislative Council (DPRD), the Papuan People Assembly (MRP), and apartments for future employees is also underway there.

South Papua Province Public Works and Spatial Planning (PUPR) Office Head Ramses Kambuaya said that his regional apparatus received a mandate from the South Papua Acting Governor, which is in line with the direction of the central government through 12 road maps that focus on the construction of provincial roads to local centers of government.

The total length of the road that the South Papua PUPR Office has worked on and completed reached around 4 kilometers. In 2025, the Public Works Ministry Construction Development Directorate-General's Merauke National Road Implementation Center (BPJN) helped build a provincial road from SP 9 Tanah Miring District, Merauke Regency to KTM Salor, Kurik District.

"The work was carried out collaboratively by the provincial PUPR and the Merauke BPJN," explained Ramses on Jan. 15, 2025.

He added that South Papua PUPR office's part of the road construction in 2024 has been completed. The South Papua PUPR Office is also repairing potholes so that activities heading to the center of government could proceed smoothly. For information, the distance between Merauke Regency and KTM Salor reaches 50 kilometers.

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