Padang, (5/5) - The economy of West Sumatra Province in the first quarter of 2026 grew by 5.02 percent y-on-y. In terms of business fields, the industry with the highest growth was Accommodation and Food and Beverage Service Activities (17.77 percent). Other business fields that also experienced high y-on-y growth were Other Services (9.10 percent) and Financial and Insurance Activities (7.94 percent). In terms of expenditure components, the Import of Goods and Services component (which is a deduction component of GRDP) recorded the highest growth at 21.04 percent. Another component that also experienced high growth was the Export of Goods and Services (20.14 percent).
In line with the positive y-on-y growth, the economy of West Sumatra Province in the first quarter of 2026, when compared to the fourth quarter of 2025 (q-to-q), also showed a growth of 3.15 percent. Compared to other provinces, in this first quarter of 2026, West Sumatra Province contributed 6.83 percent to the economy of Sumatra Island and 1.51 percent to the national economy.
Open Unemployment Rate (TPT) of West Sumatra Province in February 2026 was 5.51 Percent, Down by 0.18 Percentage Points Compared to February 2025
The working-age population (15 years and over) has shown an increasing trend in line with the population growth in West Sumatra. The working-age population in February 2026 was 4.52 million people, an increase of 67.65 thousand people compared to February 2025. The majority of the working-age population is in the labor force, amounting to 3.24 million people (71.76 percent), while the rest are not in the labor force.
The composition of the labor force in February 2026 consisted of 3.06 million employed people and 178.68 thousand unemployed people. The number of employed people increased by 85.75 thousand, and the number of unemployed decreased by 1.05 thousand people. Out of the 3.06 million employed people, the three business fields that absorbed the most labor in West Sumatra were Agriculture, Forestry, and Fishing at 32.95 percent; Wholesale and Retail Trade at 17.06 percent; and Accommodation and Food and Beverage Service Activities at 8.92 percent. Through the issuance of BPS Regulation Number 7 of 2025 concerning KBLI 2025, BPS is making adjustments by gradually replacing KBLI 2020 with KBLI 2025 across all statistical activities, including the implementation of the February 2026 National Labor Force Survey (Sakernas). Meanwhile, the February 2025 Sakernas still used KBLI 2020.
According to employment status, the highest proportion of working people were laborers/employees/staff, accounting for 31.30 percent, while the lowest proportion were employers assisted by permanent and paid workers, at 4.66 percent. In February 2026, people working in informal activities still dominated, amounting to 1.96 million people (64.04 percent), while those working in formal activities amounted to 1.10 million people (35.96 percent).
The TPT based on the February 2026 Sakernas was recorded at 5.51 percent. This means that out of 100 people in the labor force, there are around 5‒6 unemployed individuals. The TPT decreased by 0.18 percentage points compared to February 2025, and in absolute terms, the number of unemployed decreased by 1.05 thousand people. By sex, the male TPT was 5.44 percent, lower than the female TPT of 5.60 percent. When viewed by area of residence, the urban TPT was 6.83 percent, higher than the rural TPT of 3.83 percent.
In February 2026, the distribution of unemployment by highest educational attainment was dominated by Senior High School graduates, reaching 31.99 percent. Meanwhile, the lowest distribution of unemployment was among Diploma I/II/III graduates at 6.79 percent in February 2026.
SUPAS 2025: The Population of West Sumatra Province Reached 5.92 Million
The results of the 2025 Intercensal Population Survey (SUPAS) showed that the population of West Sumatra Province reached 5.92 million people, an increase compared to the SP2020 results. The population growth rate over the last five years was recorded at 1.41 percent per year. The population structure is dominated by the productive age group (15–64 years) at 67.75 percent, while the dependency ratio stands at 47.59, meaning that every 100 productive-age individuals support approximately 48 non-productive-age individuals.
In terms of demographic composition, the population of West Sumatra is dominated by the younger generation, specifically Generation Z and Millennials, who make up almost half of the population. The sex ratio was recorded at 102, indicating that there are more males than females. The 2025 SUPAS results also indicate that West Sumatra is entering an ageing population phase, with the proportion of the elderly population reaching 12.01 percent.
Fertility indicators show a consistent downward trend. The Total Fertility Rate (TFR) stands at 2.39, lower than the previous period. A decline is also seen in the Infant Mortality Rate (IMR) to 14.58 per 1,000 live births, reflecting improvements in public health conditions.
In the general mortality aspect, the crude death rate was recorded at 6.65 per 1,000 population. Child and under-five mortality indicators also show a decline compared to the previous period. Meanwhile, contraceptive use was recorded at 52.82 percent, which contributes to the decline in fertility rates.
In terms of mobility, most areas in West Sumatra serve as recent migration destinations with a generally positive net migration rate. Meanwhile, for lifetime migration, more people moved out than moved in. In addition, the majority of the population can speak Indonesian (97.60 percent) and continue to use regional languages in their daily lives (93.67 percent). The prevalence of persons with disabilities was recorded at 2.43 percent, providing an important overview for formulating inclusive policies in West Sumatra.
The Gender Inequality Index (GII) of West Sumatra Province in 2025 was 0.364, Down by 0.017 Points Compared to 2024
The Gender Inequality Index (GII) of West Sumatra Province in 2025 was recorded at 0.364. This achievement places West Sumatra in 12th place nationally, performing better than the national GII of 0.402. This figure indicates that inequality between men and women still exists, but generally, it has improved compared to previous years. This improvement reflects increasing gender equality across three main dimensions: reproductive health, empowerment, and the labor market.
In the reproductive health dimension, there was a decrease in the proportion of women giving birth outside health facilities (MTF) to 0.063, as well as a decrease in the proportion of women giving birth for the first time under the age of 20 (MHPK20) to 0.158. In the empowerment dimension, the percentage of women serving as legislative members reached 15.38 percent, while the percentage of women aged 25 years and over with at least a senior high school education reached 50.12 percent, higher than men at 46.66 percent. Meanwhile, in the labor market dimension, the Labor Force Participation Rate (LFPR) for men was recorded at 83.21 percent and for women at 59.40 percent, indicating that there is still a gap in labor participation.
Trend-wise, West Sumatra's GII during the 2019 to 2025 period showed a consistent decline, from 0.527 in 2019 to 0.364 in 2025. This decline signifies a narrowing gender gap, supported by improvements in reproductive health indicators, increased female participation in education and politics, and greater female involvement in the labor market, although disparities between men and women remain visible.
At the regency/city level, the 2025 GII achievements show inter-regional disparities. A total of 10 out of 19 regencies/cities had a GII value below the provincial average. The highest GII was recorded in Kepulauan Mentawai Regency at 0.841, while the lowest GII was in Pariaman City at 0.100. This shows that the level of gender equality in West Sumatra is not yet evenly distributed across all regions.
Looking at the changes, 63.16 percent of regencies/cities experienced a decline in their GII, indicating an increase in gender equality. The deepest decline occurred in Agam Regency, which dropped by 0.209 points from 0.355 to 0.146. Conversely, the highest increase occurred in Pasaman Regency, which rose by 0.029 points from 0.464 to 0.493.
Overall, the condition of gender equality in West Sumatra Province in 2025 shows positive development. However, gender gaps still exist in several indicators as well as inter-regional disparities, which need attention in future policy formulation to promote more even equality.
Media Contact
Anggie Suratman
Badan Pusat Statistik Provinsi Sumatera Barat
[email protected]
