Donggala Regency is a regency in the Central Sulawesi Province of Indonesia. It lies between 0° 30" north and 2°20" south latitude, and between 119° 45°" and 121° 45" east longitude, and covers a land area of 5,126.59 km2. It had a population of 277,236 at the 2010 CensusBiro Pusat Statistik, Jakarta, 2011. and 300,436 at the 2020 Census;Badan Pusat Statistik, Jakarta, 2021. the current official estimate as of mid-2025 is 321,011 (comprising 164,954 males and 156,057 females).Badan Pusat Statistik, Jakarta, 27 February 2026, Kabupaten Donggala Dalam Angka 2026 (Katalog-BPS 1102001.7205) The administrative capital of Donggala Regency is the town of Banawa, located a 30-minute drive (34 km) northwest from the city of Palu, the capital of the province.
History
Before the Dutch assumed administration in 1904 under Governor-General J. B. van Heutsz, the Central Sulawesi area was the home of eight small kingdoms (kerajaan): Palu, Sigi Dolo, Kulawi, Biromaru, Banawa, Tawaili, Parigi, and Moutong.
Since the Donggala Regency was established on 4 July 1959, then comprising almost the entire western portion of Central Sulawesi Province (Buol Toti-Toli Regency, previously part of the regency, was split off from it at that date), it has been significantly reduced in area and population. The city of Palu was split off as a separate municipality on 22 July 1994, the Parigi Moutong Regency was split off on 10 April 2002, and the Sigi Regency was split off on 21 July 2008.
In September 2018, Donggala and Palu City suffered heavy casualties due to the 2018 Sulawesi earthquake and tsunami.
Administrative districts The Dongala Regency is divided into sixteen districts (kecamatan). These are physically divided into two non-contiguous sections, lying to the west and to the east of the Palu River Valley respectively, and separated from each other by Palu city and the Sigi Regency. The first (southern) section comprises five districts, of which the northern Banawa and Banawa Tengah (together known as Donggala town) were the areas most grievously inundated by the 2018 earthquake and tsunami. The second (northern) section comprises eleven districts, stretching south to north along the west coast of Sulawesi's northern peninsula.
These districts are tabulated below with their areas and their populations at the 2010 Census and 2020 Census, together with the official estimates of population as of mid-2025.Badan Pusat Statistik, Jakarta, 27 February 2026, Kabupaten Donggala Dalam Angka 2026 (Katalog-BPS 1102001.7205) The table also includes the locations of the district administrative centres, the number of administrative villages in each district (totaling 158 rural desa and 9 urban kelurahan - the latter all in Banawa District), and its postal codes.
Kode Wilayah Name ofDistrict(kecamatan) Area in km2 Pop'nCensus2010 Pop'nCensus2020 Pop'nEstimatemid 2025AdmincentreNo.ofvillagesPostcodes 72.03.04 Rio Pakava 872.16 21,82021,33123,693Lalundu1494346 72.03.21 Pinembani 402.61 5,9366,3136,023Gimpubia994345 72.03.18 Banawa Selatan (South Banawa) 430.67 23,67725,42627,684Watatu1994350 72.03.27 Banawa Tengah (a) (Central Banawa) 74.64 10,07211,32712,714Limboro894341 72.03.08 Banawa (b) 99.04 32,01836,07638,464Gunung Bale1494351 Southern section 1,879.1293,523100,473108,578 64 72.03.19 Tanantovea 302.64 15,18215,86017,372Wani I1094342 72.03.09 Labuan 126.01 13,31914,86116,246Labuan794352 72.03.10 Sindue 177.19 18,43621,02423,355Toaya1394353 72.03.24 Sindue Tombusabora 211.55 11,32012,28113,728Tibo694344 72.03.25 Sindue Tobata 211.92 8,7759,92010,784Alindau694343 72.03.11 Sirenja 286.94 20,20621,81223,400Tompe1394354 72.03.12 Balaesang (d) 314.23 22,79625,05826,228Tambu1394355 72.03.31 Balaesang Tanjung (Balaesang Peninsula) 188.85 10,35012,54012,456Malei894359 72.03.06 Dampelas (formerly Damsol) 732.76 28,93832,03232,471Sabang1394356 72.03.14 Sojol (e) 705.41 25,41925,34026,777Balukang994357 72.03.30 Sojol Utara (f) (North Sojol) 139.07 9,3569,2359,616Ogoamas II594358 Northern section 3,396.57183,713199,963212,433 103 Totals 5,126.59277,620300,436321,011Banawa167
Notes: (a) including 2 offshore islands. (b) including 2 offshore islands. (c) comprising 9 kelurahan (Boneoge, Boya, Ganti, Gunung Bale, Kabonga Besar, Kabonga Kecil, Labuan Bajo, Maleni and Lalombi) and 5 desa. (d) including 17 offshore islands. (e) including 3 offshore islands. (f) including 6 offshore islands.
2013 Many of the districts of Donggala Regency, together with Palu City and some of the districts of Sigi Regency, were covered in the Rencana Pembangunan Jangka Panjang (Long-Term Development Plan) as of 2013. In all, the area of the Plan covered twenty-one districts.
Tourist attractions
Tanjung Karang Beach, Donggala, Labuan Bajo, Banawa Pusentasi (pusat Laut), Towale Boneoge Beach, Banawa Anjungan Gonenggati, Banawa Kabonga Beach, Banawa Art & Culture, Home Industry, Sarong Donggala, Salubomba village, Limboro,Watusampu, Kola-Kola, Ganti, Kabonga, Loli, WaniPidii.co.id Gonenggati Mangrove Forest, Kabonga Besar, Banawa Enu Beach, Enu Bambarano Beach Kalukku Beach, Limboro Hayalan Beach, Salubomba Lembasada Beach, Lembasada Surumana Beach, Surumana Tosale Beach, Tosale Batusuya Beach, Batusuya Salur Beach, Sioyong, Sabang Taipa Beach, Taipa Parimpi Indah Beach, Lende, Sirenja Saget Beach and LendeNtovea, Sojol Utara Majang Beach, Long Village, Damsol Sivalenta Beach Sirenja Salumbone Beach, Salumbone Labuana Beach, Lende Ntovea, Sirenja Lake Talaga Lake Dampelas Rano Lake Lino Lake, Lino Talaga Lake, Dampelas Kaledo (soup) Bambahano, Sabang Pasoso Island, Balaesang Maputi Island, Pangalaseang Taring Island, Lenju, Sojol Utara Loli Tasiburi Waterfall Powelua Waterfall, Banawa Tengah Walandanu Waterfall, Balaesang Bou Waterfall, Bou, Damsol Nupabomba Waterfall, Nupabomba Bale Waterfall, Bale, Tanantovea Ogoamas Waterfall, Sojol Utara Hotspring, Tambu Village Camping Ground Nupabomba, Nupabomba Pemandian Loli Indah, Loli Oge, Banawa Nature Reserve Sojol Mountain, Sojol
References