West Papua: population, jobs, wages, poverty and inequality

West Papua is a special autonomy province of Indonesia, number 37 of 38 by population. West Papua had 587,645 people in 2025 (308,424 men and 279,221 women), 2nd least populous of 38 provinces, or 0.2% of Indonesia's 284.4 million. The figure is for the province as it is now, after Papua was divided into more provinces in 2022.

In depth

• Economy, jobs and prices in West Papua: The open unemployment rate in West Papua was 4.55% in August 2025, joint 15th highest of 38 provinces; the national rate was 4.85%.
• Health in West Papua: West Papua had 80 community health centres (Puskesmas) in 2024, about 13.8 per 100,000 residents, 3rd highest of 38 provinces on that measure (Indonesia overall: 3.6 per 100,000). Of these, 26 had inpatient beds.
• Education in West Papua: Adults aged 15 and over in West Papua had completed an average of 10.70 years of schooling in 2024 (2nd highest of 38 provinces), compared with 9.22 years nationally (BPS Susenas).
• Poverty and living standards in West Papua: 19.58% of people in West Papua lived below the poverty line in September 2025, 3rd highest of 38 provinces; the national poverty rate was 8.25%.
• Government budget and revenue in West Papua: The provincial government of West Papua collected Rp 3.39 trillion in revenue in 2025 (97.6% of its Rp 3.47 trillion budget) and spent Rp 3.28 trillion (91.9% of budget), according to the Ministry of Finance; this is the province government alone, not its regencies and cities.

How special autonomy provinces are governed in Indonesia

Provinces (38; 34 in 2020 data, four new Papuan provinces created in 2022). Governor and provincial council (DPRD) directly elected for five years; Yogyakarta's governor is its hereditary Sultan. Coordinates regencies and cities; the governor also represents central government.

Every tier of government in Indonesia

Other special autonomy provinces of Indonesia

• West Java 50,759,003
• East Java 42,089,271
• Central Java 38,233,933
• North Sumatra 15,785,839
• Banten 12,537,436
• DKI Jakarta 10,677,975
• South Sulawesi 9,563,127
• Lampung 9,522,913
• South Sumatra 8,928,515
• Riau 6,811,158
• West Sumatra 5,914,296
• West Kalimantan 5,766,030
• East Nusa Tenggara 5,742,564
• West Nusa Tenggara 5,731,107
• Aceh 5,625,960
• Bali 4,461,267
• South Kalimantan 4,323,330
• East Kalimantan 4,267,598
• Special Region of Yogyakarta 3,781,549
• Jambi 3,768,482
• Central Sulawesi 3,156,102
• Central Kalimantan 2,844,992
• Southeast Sulawesi 2,836,738
• North Sulawesi 2,721,438
• Riau Islands 2,213,456
• Bengkulu 2,138,044
• Maluku 1,970,563
• Bangka Belitung Islands 1,550,821
• West Sulawesi 1,525,335
• Central Papua 1,492,286
• Highland Papua 1,484,858
• North Maluku 1,373,824
• Gorontalo 1,242,238
• Papua 1,073,637
• North Kalimantan 749,367
• Southwest Papua 636,434
• South Papua 549,651

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Sources

• Ministry of Health (Kemenkes), Secretariat General: Profil Kesehatan Indonesia 2025, Lampiran 1.8: Gini index by province, 2021-2025 (Susenas, Statistics Indonesia), read 23 October 2026 · saved copy (SHA-256 d90b802535dc…)
• Ministry of Manpower (Kemnaker), Satudata Kemnaker: Not in Employment, Education and Training (NEET), Februari 2026: NEET by province and sex (Sakernas February 2026), read 23 October 2026 · saved copy (SHA-256 df089218f4bc…)
• Ministry of Manpower (Kemnaker), Satudata Kemnaker: Tingkat Produktivitas Tenaga Kerja Berdasarkan Provinsi Tahun 2016-2025 (regional GDP per worker at constant 2010 prices, from BPS regional GDP of 10 February 2026 and Sakernas), read 23 October 2026 · saved copy (SHA-256 1afeb96d222f…)
• Ministry of Manpower (Kemnaker), Satudata Kemnaker: Upah Minimum Provinsi (UMP) di Indonesia Tahun 2026 (provincial minimum wages, set under Government Regulation 49 of 2025), read 23 October 2026 · saved copy (SHA-256 75af2078cb8d…)
• Ministry of Finance, Directorate General of Fiscal Balance (DJPK): Regional budget (APBD) data: budget and December realisation of the provincial government and of the province with its regencies and cities, 2024 and 2025, read 23 October 2026 · saved copy (SHA-256 f767c05fc67c…)
• Ministry of Health (Kementerian Kesehatan): Profil Kesehatan Indonesia 2024, Lampiran 20.f: health Special Allocation Fund (DAK) by province, 2024, read 23 October 2026 · saved copy (SHA-256 8157f6d47b4b…)
• Ministry of Primary and Secondary Education (Kemendikdasmen): Ministry of Primary and Secondary Education reference data: number of primary and junior secondary education units by province (all statuses, formal route), read 23 October 2026 · saved copy (SHA-256 ac359f193df5…)
• Ministry of Primary and Secondary Education (Kemendikdasmen): Ministry of Primary and Secondary Education reference data: number of senior secondary, vocational and special education units by province (all statuses, formal route), read 23 October 2026 · saved copy (SHA-256 02de29ed74c1…)
• Ministry of Primary and Secondary Education (Kemendikdasmen): Ministry of Primary and Secondary Education reference data: number of early childhood education units by province (all statuses, formal route), read 23 October 2026 · saved copy (SHA-256 9f23469cd02f…)
• Ministry of Finance, Directorate General of Fiscal Balance (DJPK): Transfers to regions and village funds (TKDD): budget and realisation for the province with its regencies and cities, 2024 and 2025, read 23 October 2026 · saved copy (SHA-256 cc13a587f861…)

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