Geographically it forms the most eastern portion of the Lesser Sunda Islands, although it has never been administratively included with them, and politically has always comprised a part of the Maluku Province.

The total land area is 4,581.06 km2, and the population was 70,714 at the 2010 Census[2] and 81,928 at the 2020 Census;[3] the official estimate as at mid 2023 was 93,766 (comprising 47,943 males and 45,823 females).

As at 2010 the Southwest Maluku Regency was administratively composed of eight districts (kecamatan).

But by 2015 the number of districts had increased to seventeen by the splitting of existing districts, although by 2023 the names of several of these districts had been altered; Pulau Pulau Wetar (the Wetar Islands) has been divided into four districts - Wetar (now Wetar Selatan or South Wetar), Wetar Barat (West Wetar), Wetar Timur (East Wetar) and Wetar Utara (North Wetar); the other six newly created districts are Dawelor Dawera and Pulau Masela (Masela Island) formed from parts of Babar Timur District, Kepulauan Roma (Romang Islands) and Kisar Utara (North Kisar) formed from parts of Pulau Pulau Terselatan District (itself now renamed Kisar Selatan), Pulau Lakor (Lakor Island) formed from part of Moa Lakor District (itself now renamed Moa District), and Pulau Wetang (Wetang Island) formed from part of Pulau Pulau Babar District (itself now renamed Babar Barat or West Babar District).

The table also includes the locations of the district administrative centres, the number of administrative villages in each district (totaling 117 rural desa and 1 urban kelurahan - the latter being Tiakur on Moa Island), and its post code.