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The term West Papua can be an ambiguous term depending on which territory it refers to. As a consequence, what’s referred to as the population of West Papua may vary greatly depending on the West Papua terminology that is used.

The Two West Papua

Generally, two regions are eligible to be called West Papua. The first is the entire Indonesian portion of the island that is distinct from the Papua New Guinean portion. Because this Indonesian portion is located at the western half of New Guinea Island, this portion is often globally called West Papua.

The second region is the westernmost peninsular part of the island. The Indonesian portion of the island consists of two separate provinces. The eastern province that extends to the Indonesia-Papua New Guinea border is called Papua whereas the province west of it is called West Papua Province. These two provinces have distinct demographics, making it necessary to distinguish between the population of the entire Indonesian part of the island and that of the western province of that part.

In a nutshell, there are two West Papua: the entire Indonesian part of the island and the western section of this part. We are to define the population of these two distinct regions.

The Population of Indonesian New Guinea

The population of West Papua that covers the entire Indonesian part of the island includes the combined population of the two Indonesian provinces in the island. Based on the statistics published by the Indonesian Center of Statistics Agency, in 2020, the population census shows that approximately 5.4 million Indonesian citizens are living in the region.

Statistically, together with the Moluccan population, the West Papuan population makes up 3.17 percent of the Indonesian citizens.

In terms of population characteristics compared with other parts of Indonesia, West Papua is a distinct region. It is a region with predominantly Christian affiliations and minorities including Muslims, Hindus, Buddhists, and folk religion adherers.

It is also a region with distinct ethnic and racial characteristics. Unlike other parts of the country, West Papua has a predominantly Melanesian population. This distinct ethnicity, along with other problems, has encouraged the local population to separate from Indonesia and to form an independent nation. West Papua news covers this phenomenon extensively.

These Melanesian people make up a heterogeneous society consisting of independent tribes. Among the most famous Papuan tribes include Asmat, Dani, Muyu, Komoro, and Empur.

The Population of West Papua Province

As mentioned above, the Indonesian part of the island consists of two provinces with the western province called West Papua, hence the ambiguity.

Of the two provinces, West Papua is more scarcely populated. Based on the 2020 population census, West Papua is the second least populated province in Indonesia after North Kalimantan, with a population consisting only of 597,128 male citizens and 536,940 females. This makes the neighboring Papua Province about four times more populous than West Papua.

Geographically, the two provinces are also different. While the eastern province consists mostly of jungles and mountainous regions, West Papua consists mostly of peninsulas and small islands. These distinct geographic features ultimately determine the lifestyle, culture, and professions of the West Papuan people. The eastern population are mostly foragers and hunters, with a cosmopolitan population living in Jayapura and around the Freeport mining area in Mimika. The West Papuan population work mostly near the coastal areas.

The West Papuan population is also more diverse in terms of ethnicity and religion compared with its eastern counterpart. Although this diversity potentially causes clashes between ethnic groups, such as the one occurring in Sorong in 2019, the general population of West Papua consists of pleasant individuals with known hospitality.