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Puncak Jaya Regency is one of the regencies (kabupaten) in the Indonesian province of Central Papua. It is an inland highland regency, lying directly east of Paniai Regency and west of Jayawijaya Regency and Tolikara Regency (including those new regencies which have subsequently been created within the former boundaries of those regencies). As of 2004, it was reported that these four regencies had a population that is 93–97% ethnic Papua; however this included areas which have subsequently been formed into new regencies.

In 2008 an additional regency - simply named Puncak Regency - was created from the western part of the area of Puncak Jaya Regency. The residual Puncak Jaya Regency covers an area of 6,515 km2, and had a population of 101,148 at the 2010 Census which increased to 224,527 at the 2020 Census; the official estimate as of mid 2025 was 221,045 (comprising 118,228 males and 102,817 females).

According to a 2009 profile in Indonesia's Tempo magazine, Puncak Jaya had sixteen districts (distrik) 147 villages, and 147,000 residents; However this did not take into account the fact that under Law No. 7/2008, eight of these districts had already been removed from Puncak Jaya Regency in 2008 and formed into a separate Puncak Regency in 2008. The 2010 Census revealed a population of 101,148 in the residual Puncak Jaya Regency, which by the 2020 Census had more than doubled to 224,527. It is a difficult ten-hour drive from Wamena (Jayawijaya Regency) to the mostly undeveloped regency. Separatists in the Free Papua Movement are active in the area.

Kabupaten Puncak Jaya dibentuk berdasarkan Peraturan Pemerintah Nomor 52 Tahun 1996 tentang Pembentukan Kabupaten Puncak Jaya, Kabupaten Paniai, Perubahan Nama dan Pemindahan Ibu Kota Kabupaten Daerah Tingkat II Paniai di Wilayah Provinsi Daerah Tingkat I Irian Jaya. Selanjutnya diperkuat dengan ditetapkannya Undang-Undang Nomor 45 Tahun 1999 tentang tentang Pembentukan Provinsi Irian Jaya Tengah, Irian Jaya Barat, Kabupaten Paniai, Kabupaten Mimika, Kabupaten Puncak Jaya dan Kota Sorong.

Mulia, the seat of the regency, has a subtropical highland climate (Köppen Cfb) with cool to pleasant mornings, warm to very warm afternoons, and heavy rainfall year-round.