| Official Name: | Karo Regency |
| Native Name: | Tanah Karo |
| Type: | Regency |
| Motto: | Pijer Podi ("Mutual cooperation") |
| Subdivision Type: | Country |
| Subdivision Name: | Indonesia |
| Subdivision Type1: | Province |
| Subdivision Name1: | North Sumatra |
| Seat Type: | Regency seat |
| Seat: | Kabanjahe |
| Leader Title: | Regent |
| Leader Name: | Cory Sebayang |
| Leader Title1: | Vice Regent |
| Leader Name1: | Theopilus Ginting |
| Leader Title2: | Chairwoman of Council of Representatives |
| Leader Name2: | Iriani Tarigan (PDI-P) |
| Leader Title3: | Vice Chairmen of Council of Representatives |
| Leader Name3: | Sadarta Bukit (Gerindra) and David Kristian Sitepu (Nasdem) |
| Area Total Km2: | 2127.35 |
| Elevation Min M: | 200 |
| Elevation Max M: | 2,460 |
| Population As Of: | mid 2023 estimate |
| Population Total: | 420799 |
| Population Density Km2: | auto |
| Population Footnotes: | [1] |
| Timezone1: | WIB |
| Utc Offset1: | +7 |
Karo Regency is a landlocked regency of North Sumatra Province of Indonesia, situated in the Barisan Mountains. The regency, which was established on 7 November 1956, covers an area of and according to the 2010 census it had a population of 350,479,[2] increasing to 404,998 at the 2020 Census;[3] the official estimate as at mid-2023 was 420,799, comprising 208,600 males and 212,200 females.[4] 60.99% of the regency is forested.[5] Its regency seat is the town of Kabanjahe. The Batak Karo language is spoken in the regency, as well as the Indonesian language. It borders Southeast Aceh Regency in Aceh to the west, Deli Serdang Regency and Langkat Regency to the north, Dairi Regency and Toba Samosir Regency to the south, and Deli Serdang Regency and Simalungun Regency to the east.
The GDP per capita of Karo Regency in 2005 was 11.65 million rupiah, approximately US$1,200. 74% of the population works in agriculture, which comprises 60% of the regional GDP.[6] The second-largest sector is government, which comprises 11% of the regional GDP.[7]
The regency is divided administratively into seventeen districts (kecamatan), tabulated below with their areas and their populations at the 2010 Census[8] and the 2020 Census,[9] together with the official estimates as of mid-2023.[10] The table also includes the locations of the district administrative centres, the number of administrative villages in each district (totaling 259 rural desa and 10 urban kelurahan), and its post codes.
| Kode Wilayah | Name of District (kecamatan) | Area in km2 | Pop'n Census 2010 | Pop'n Census 2020 | Pop'n Estimate mid 2023 | Admin centre | No. of villages | Post code | |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 12.06.10 | 267.11 | 17,062 | 19,954 | 20,812 | Mardingding | 12 | 22165 | ||
| 12.06.09 | 252.60 | 17,713 | 20,652 | 21,519 | Laubaleng | 15 | 22164 | ||
| 12.06.08 | 160.38 | 19,900 | 22,395 | 23,096 | Tigabinanga | 20 (a) | 22162 | ||
| 12.06.07 | 218.56 | 13,244 | 14,787 | 15,215 | Juhar Perangin-angin | 25 | 22163 | ||
| 12.06.06 | 125.64 | 19,686 | 22,909 | 23,857 | Munte | 22 | 22161 | ||
| 12.06.13 | 195.70 | 10,586 | 12,602 | 13,210 | Kutabuluh | 16 | 22155 | ||
| 12.06.11 | 47.24 | 10,837 | 12,249 | 12,649 | Payung | 8 | 22154 | ||
| 12.06.17 | 86.76 | 13,178 | 14,555 | 14,929 | Tiganderket | 17 | 22156 | ||
| 12.06.12 | 93.48 | 19,015 | 21,355 | 23,010 | Ndokum Siroga | 17 | 22150 | ||
| 12.06.16 | 87.82 | 12,796 | 14,622 | 15,147 | Naman | 14 | 22151 | ||
| 12.06.15 | Merdeka * | 44.17 | 13,310 | 15,580 | 16,252 | Merdeka | 9 | 22153 | |
| 12.06.01 | 44.65 | 63,326 | 73,581 | 76,592 | Kabanjahe | 13 (b) | 22111 - 22115 | ||
| 12.06.02 | Berastagi * | 30.50 | 42,541 | 48,244 | 49,866 | Berastagi | 10 (c) | 22152 | |
| 12.06.04 | 186.84 | 29,319 | 34,263 | 35,725 | Tigapanah | 26 | 22170 | ||
| 12.06.14 | Dolat Rakyat * | 32.25 | 8,296 | 9,848 | 10,315 | Dolat Rakyat | 7 | 22171 | |
| 12.06.05 | 125.51 | 18,054 | 22,746 | 24,240 | Garingging | 19 | 22173 | ||
| 12.06.03 | Barusjahe * | 128.04 | 22,097 | 24,656 | 25,365 | Barusjahe | 19 | 22172 | |
| Totals | 2,127.25 | 350,960 | 404,998 | 420,799 | Kabanjahe | 269 |
Notes: (a) including one kelurahan (Tigabinanga town).
(b) comprising 5 kelurahan (Gung Leto, Gung Negeri, Kampung Dalam, Lau Cimba and Padang Mas) and 8 desa.
(c) comprising 4 kelurahan (Gundaling I, Gundaling Ii, Tambak Lau Mulgap I and Tambak Lau Mulgap Ii) and 6 desa.
Note that four of these districts (indicated by "*" above) constitute a part of the Medan metropolitan area.