List of people from West Sumatra:

Individuals on this list are either native-born West Sumatra or emigrants who have chosen West Sumatra as their permanent home.

• Dorce Gamalama (born 1963), actress, transsexual pop singer, presenter, and comedian (Solok)

• Djamaluddin Adinegoro (1904–1967), reporter, writer, and political analyst (Sawahlunto)

• Carl Langbehn (1901-1944), German lawyer and politician, who joined the Nazi Party in 1933. In 1944 he met British officials in Switzerland in order to determine options for a German surrender. Upon his return to Germany he was imprisoned by the Gestapo and later sentenced to death. (Padang)
• Saldi Isra (1968-), Indonesian Constitutional Court Justice.

• Dolf Joekes (1884-1962), Dutch politician, Minister of Social Affairs of the Netherlands, Minister of Health of the Netherlands
• Patrialis Akbar (born 1958), lawyer, Minister of Justice and Human Rights (Padang)
• Azwar Anas (born 1931), former governor of West Sumatra, former Coordinating Minister for People's Welfare (Padang)
• Assaat (1904–1976), former president Republic of Indonesia sat on Yogyakarta part of the United States of Indonesia (Agam Regency)
• Gamawan Fauzi (born 1957), Minister of Home Affairs (Solok)
• Abdul Halim (1911-1988), 4th Prime Minister of Indonesia (Bukittinggi)
• Mohammad Hatta (1902-1980), Indonesia's 1st vice president, later also serving as the country's Prime Minister (Bukittinggi)
• Mohammad Natsir (1908–1993), 5th Prime Minister of Indonesia (Solok)
• Rizal Nurdin (1948–2005), 14th and 15th Governor of North Sumatra (Bukittinggi)
• Rizal Ramli (born 1953), economist, former Coordinating Minister for Economics Affairs and Minister of Finance (Padang)
• Rasuna Said (1910–1965), nationalist political leader, and the first female minister of Indonesia (Agam Regency)
• Chairul Saleh (1916–1967), government minister and 3rd vice prime minister of Indonesia (Sawahlunto)
• Agus Salim (1884-1954), diplomat, foreign minister between 1947 and 1949 (Bukittinggi)
• Tifatul Sembiring (born 1961), chairman of the conservative and Islamic Prosperous Justice Party and Minister of Communication and Information (Bukittinggi)
• Sutan Sjahrir (1909—1966), 1st prime minister of Indonesia (Padang Panjang)
• Tarmizi Taher (born 1936), former Minister of Religious Affairs (Padang)
• Jusuf Wanandi (born 1937), vice general secretary of Golongan Karya party (Sawahlunto)
• Muhammad Yamin (1903–1962), former Information Minister, Minister of Education and Culture and Minister of Justice (Sawahlunto)