Province

Southwest Papua

Overview Economy

Papua – Southwest Papua

Southwest Papua, with its capital in the bustling city of Sorong, officially gained provincial status on November 17, 2022, through Law No. 29/2022. The province shares its borders with various neighboring regions: to the north, it adjoins the countries of the Philippines and Palau, as well as the Pacific Ocean; to the east, it borders West Papua’s regencies of Manokwari and Teluk Bintuni; to the west, it shares boundaries with the provinces of Maluku and North Maluku; and to the south, it is bordered by West Papua’s Fakfak and Kaimana regencies.

Covering a vast area of 38,820 square kilometers and home to over 600,000 individuals, Southwest Papua comprises five districts and a city, including Sorong regency, the city of Sorong itself, South Sorong regency, Maybrat regency, Tambrauw regency, and the Raja Ampat regency, known for its island paradise. Additionally, the province features a diverse range of landscapes from mountains to beaches, as well as a rich variety of cultures and wildlife.

Southwest Papua also boasts a diverse religious landscape. As of 2022, a majority of its population practices Christianity at 54.05 percent, and Catholicism at 7.16 percent. Islam also holds a significant presence in the province at 38.14 percent, while Hinduism and Buddhism each make up a smaller portion of the population with 0.1 percent each.

Show more

Economic Description

In 2023, Southwest Papua's Gross Regional Domestic Product (GRDP) surged to Rp 24 trillion, marking a significant milestone considering its status as a newly established province. Among the key contributing sectors, mining and quarrying emerged as a formidable player, generating Rp 3.1 trillion in GRDP. This sector, encompassing activities such as crude petroleum, natural gas, and geothermal exploration, accounted for a substantial portion of the province's overall economic output, with contributions totaling Rp 1.9 trillion.

Furthermore, the construction industry played a pivotal role in driving economic growth, contributing Rp 3 trillion to Southwest Papua's GRDP. This sector's robust performance reflects ongoing infrastructure development initiatives and investment projects across the province, signaling confidence in its prospects and development trajectory.

Additionally, the agriculture, fisheries, and forestry sectors demonstrated resilience and stability, contributing Rp 2.8 trillion to the province’s GRDP in 2023. Southwest Papua holds promise for a thriving agricultural sector, with corn, peanuts, vegetables, sago, cattle, and chicken farming identified as areas with significant growth potential in the region.

Show more

Latest News

April 9, 2025

Southwest Papua Regional Development Planning, Research, and Innovation Agency (Bapperida) Head Rahman conveyed during the Southwest Papua Province Pre-Development Planning Discussion Coordination Meeting at the Rylich Panorama Hotel in Sorong City, Southwest Papua on Mar. 11, 2025, about the importance of realistic development planning based on concrete data as directed by the President Prabowo Subianto.

Rahman stated that the Southwest Papua Regional Government Work Plan (RKPD) must be aligned with the province's Regional Medium-Term Development Plan (RPJMD) and the Indonesian Government Work Plan (RKP), as stipulated in Article 5 Paragraph 3 of Law No. 45/2004.

Therefore, the Southwest Papua Bapperida has set five main development indicators for Southwest Papua 2026:

  1. The economic growth target at 8 percent set by the Indonesian government, with the provincial target set at the 5.1 to 5.6 percent range;
  2. The poverty rate target range assigned by the Indonesian government at 12 to 13 percent, with the provincial target decided at 13.3 to 13.5 percent;
  3. The Gini ratio target range at 0.29 to 0.39 set by the Indonesian government, with the assigned provincial target at the 0.39 to 0.41 range;
  4. The reduction of greenhouse gas emissions by 36.05 percent per the target decided by the Indonesian government, with the provincial target set at 2.5 percent;
  5. The open unemployment rate target range set at 4.6 to 5.28 percent, with the decided provincial target range at   5.1-5.6 percent.

"Through these targets, Southwest Papua is expected to be able to contribute significantly to national economic growth and the people's welfare," said Rahman.

In the 2025-2029 RPJMD, he added, Southwest Papua focuses development on several leading sectors. They include:

  1. The fisheries and marine sector through the shrimp and marine commodities industrial centers in Sorong City and South Sorong Regency;
  2. The energy and natural resources by utilizing the geothermal and renewable energy potential in Sorong Regency and Tambrauw Regency;
  3. The infrastructure and transportation sector through development of border areas such as Ayau District, Raja Ampat Regency and the entire Raja Ampat Islands to strengthen regional connections.

For the province's medium-term development framework, Southwest Papua has "Advanced, Independent, and Prosperous Southwest Papua Society Based on Local Economic Growth for Sustainable Development" as its vision.

In order to achieve said vision, four main missions have been formulated, namely improving quality and innovative human resources based on social capital, realizing e-government-based governance, improving the creative economy and local industry, as well as building regional connectivity to accelerate economic growth.

"The vision and missions have been synergized with national priority programs and the overall Papua development policy. We are committed to implementing inclusive, local potential-based, and sustainable development. Through the right strategy, we are optimistic that Southwest Papua can grow into a self-reliant and competitive province," Rahman explained.

Read more
March 21, 2025
March 13, 2025
March 4, 2025
February 20, 2025
February 5, 2025
January 12, 2025
December 12, 2024
October 23, 2024
Load more