Regency vs. City: What's the Real Difference?

In Indonesia, Regencies and Cities both have Level II Region status, but have very different socio-economic characteristics.

Regional Characteristics

Regencies generally have much larger areas, covering rural, forest, and agricultural areas. Conversely, Cities have relatively small but very dense areas with built infrastructure.

Economic Base

Regency economies are generally rooted in the agrarian sector (agriculture, plantations, fisheries). While Cities are dominated by service, industrial, and trade sectors.

Administrative Structure

Under Regencies are Sub-districts overseeing Villages and Urban Villages. While in Cities, Sub-districts directly oversee only Urban Villages; a city generally does not have "Villages" in its structure.

Regional Heads

Regencies are led by a Regent, while Cities are led by a Mayor, both of whom are directly elected by the people through Regional Elections.

Special Case: DKI Jakarta

Jakarta is unique because it is the only province that has "Administrative Cities" and "Administrative Regencies" (Kepulauan Seribu). Here, mayors and regents are not elected by the people but appointed by the Governor.

Conclusion

Understanding these differences helps us see how development in Indonesia runs through two paths: agrarian and urban that complement each other.