Quick facts
Palu overview
Palu (orange) and the other large cities of Indonesia
Palu lies in Central Sulawesi in Indonesia at 0.91°S, 119.87°E, about 9 m above sea level. The local time zone is Asia/Makassar (UTC+8); GeoNames classifies it as a regional capital.
It is smaller than Bengkulu (397,321) and larger than Yogyakarta (375,699). The largest city in Indonesia is Jakarta with 8,540,121 people; the capital, Jakarta, has 8,540,121.
The national capital, Jakarta, is about 1,561 km away.
Indonesia as a whole has a live population of 288,519,962 (+0.7% a year) and ranks #4 of 238 countries — see the Indonesia population page for the full statistics and the Indonesia atlas for provinces, terrain and society maps.
Largest cities in Indonesia
| # | City | Region | Population |
|---|---|---|---|
| 1 | JakartaCapital | Jakarta | 8,540,121 |
| 2 | Surabaya | East Java | 3,018,022 |
| 3 | Bekasi | West Java | 2,648,272 |
| 4 | Bandung | West Java | 2,528,163 |
| 5 | Medan | North Sumatra | 2,486,283 |
| 6 | Depok | West Java | 2,163,635 |
| 7 | Tangerang | Banten | 1,927,815 |
| 8 | Palembang | South Sumatra | 1,801,367 |
| 9 | Semarang | Central Java | 1,694,740 |
| 10 | Makassar | South Sulawesi | 1,474,393 |
Frequently asked questions
What is the population of Palu?
Palu has about 389,959 inhabitants according to the latest official census or estimate compiled by GeoNames. This is the city proper; the metropolitan area is larger.
Is Palu the capital of Indonesia?
No. The capital of Indonesia is Jakarta (8,540,121 people), about 1,561 km away. Palu is the 36th largest city of the country and a regional capital.
How big is Palu compared with the rest of Indonesia?
Its 389,959 residents are 0.1% of the 288,519,962 people living in Indonesia today. Jakarta is larger with 8,540,121 people.
Where is Palu?
In Central Sulawesi, Indonesia, at latitude -0.91 and longitude 119.87, 9 m above sea level.
Explore more
Cite or link to this page
Glostats. (2026). Palu Population 2026 — Indonesia. Retrieved October 20, 2026, from https://glostats.com/cities/indonesia/palu/<a href="https://glostats.com/cities/indonesia/palu/">Palu Population 2026 — Indonesia</a> — GlostatsFigures on this page may be quoted, charted or republished as long as the page is credited with a link. Terms · Download the data as CSV · Embed a live counter.
City populations are GeoNames figures (CC BY 4.0): the latest official census or estimate for the city proper — the municipality, not the wider metropolitan area — so they can differ from "metro area" numbers you see elsewhere. Country populations are live Glostats estimates from the UN World Population Prospects. Distances are great-circle distances between city centres. Page generated 2026-10-20. More about our data.