<![CDATA[General Background: Regional inequality remains a major development challenge in archipelagic economies characterized by uneven resources, infrastructure, connectivity, and economic opportunities. Specific Background: Maluku Province exhibits substantial disparities among regencies and cities, requiring region-specific economic priorities and development strategies. Knowledge Gap: Previous research has discussed leading sectors as instruments for addressing regional disparities but has not specifically formulated regional development strategies integrating inequality, sectoral potential, competitiveness, and strategic policy analysis. Aims: This study assesses regional inequality, identifies competitive priority sectors, and formulates strategies for addressing disparities in Maluku Province. Results: Using 2019–2024 secondary data, Klassen Typology and the Williamson Index identified very high inequality and five relatively lagging regencies. Location Quotient and Shift-Share analyses identified four priority sectors: agriculture, forestry and fisheries; wholesale and retail trade including vehicle repair; public administration, defense and compulsory social security; and education services. SWOT analysis further emphasized sectoral development, inter-island connectivity, human resource development, downstream processing, digitalization, governance reform, and resource oversight. Novelty: The study combines inequality measurement, sectoral specialization, competitiveness analysis, and SWOT-based strategy formulation in one regional framework. Implications: Maluku’s development policy should prioritize these sectors while strengthening intersectoral linkages to support inclusive and sustainable economic growth and reduce regional disparities. Highlights: Five regencies were classified as relatively lagging during the study period. Agriculture-related activities, commerce, public administration, and education emerged as strategic economic fields. Connectivity, human capital, downstream processing, and governance form the principal policy directions. Keywords: Regional Inequality, Klassen Typology, Williamson Index, Location Quotient (LQ), Shift-Share (SS)]]>
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