Economy of Sulawesi

A growing population and abundant natural resources contribute to the wealth of the island of Sulawesi in Indonesia, while terrain and under-developed infrastructure limits economic growth.

[2] Efforts to improve the island's infrastructure are ongoing,[3] notably the construction of a new port and train line in Makassar in the late 2010s.

[3] Most agriculture on the island is done on a local scale on family-owned plots, though as of the early 2010s more farmers were beginning to grow cash crops in place of the traditional rice.

[2] Mining, quarrying, and other forms of mineral extraction contribute to economic activity in the island; as with other sectors of the economy, these industries are primarily concentrated in Northern and Southern Sulawesi.

[5] In the late 2010s and early 2020s, the international mining industry has taken an increasing interest the Morowali Regency (located in the province of Central Sulawesi) and the region's high-quality nickel reserves - vital for the production of lithium batteries.

[6] As of 2021, the largest foreign investors were American, Brazilian, Chinese, and Japanese companies, while the government of Indonesia is attempting to build a domestic battery industry.