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Sarmi Regency is one of the regencies (kabupaten) in Papua Province of Indonesia. It was formed from the western districts which had until then been part of Jayapura Regency with effect from 12 November 2002. It covers an area of 18,034.0 km2 (note that the province-level Statistics Bureau gives an alternate area figure of 14,068.37 km2), and had a population of 32,971 at the 2010 Census and 41,515 at the 2020 Census; the official estimate as at mid 2024 was 43,090 (comprising 22,890 males and 20,200 females). The regency's administrative centre is at the town of Sarmi.

Sarmi is named from an acronym of the five main ethnic groups, which are the Sobei (Sobey), Armati (Kwerba), Rumbuai (Bonggo), Manirem, and Isirawa. These five ethnic groups do not represent the overall diversity in this regency which has 87 ethnic groups, each with their own language.

Sarmi is inhabited by Sobey, Armati, Rumbuai, Manirem, and Isirawa - all of who are native Papuans - together with migrants from other parts of Indonesia, especially Javanese, Madurese, Batak, Minangkabau, Bugis, etc.

Long before European explorers landed on the northern coast of New Guinea, since prehistoric times the region had been in contact with various foreign cultures. About 3,000 years ago, Austronesian speakers migrated to the northern coast of New Guinea.

They made and used boats adapted for sea voyages, they were the ones who managed to find an outrigger system (balance on the left and right of the boat) to deal with the fierce waves of the ocean.

Nama Sarmi adalah singkatan dari nama suku-suku besar yang terdapat di wilayah ini, yakni Sobei, Armati, Rumbuai, Manirem, dan Isirawa. Keberadaan mereka telah lama menjadi perhatian antropolog Belanda, Van Kouwenhoven, yang kemudian memberikan nama Sarmi. Singkatan Sarmi sebenarnya belum mencerminkan suku-suku di sana mengingat di wilayah ini terdapat banyak kelompok lain. Dari bahasa yang ada, paling tidak bisa disimpulkan terdapat 87 suku, dan setiap suku mempunyai bahasa sendiri-sendiri.

Sarmi Regency borders Jayapura Regency to the east and Mamberamo Raya Regency to the west. The southern border of the regency is formed by the Taritatu River; there the regency borders Central Mamberamo Regency in Highland Papua Province. The highest elevation of this regency is the summit of the Gauttier Mountain Range, at ~2,250 m above sea level, near the border with Mamberamo Raya.