Jakarta (ANTARA) – Statistics Indonesia (BPS) recorded a decline of 430,000 in the number of poor people in March 2026, bringing the total down to 22.93 million from 23.36 million in September 2025.
BPS Deputy for Balance Sheets and Statistical Analysis Edy Mahmud stated that the decline was reflected in the national poverty rate, which fell to 8.07 percent in March 2026 from 8.25 percent in September 2025.
“Based on trends shown in the graph from March 2023 to March 2026, both the number of poor people and the poverty rate have consistently declined,” he said during an official statistics release event in Jakarta on Wednesday.
BPS also reported that Indonesia’s poverty line stood at Rp669,235 (approximately US$37) per capita per month in March 2026, a 4.33 percent increase from Rp641,443 per capita per month in September 2025.
However, BPS emphasized that the poverty line should be interpreted at the household level, as many living expenses—such as housing rent, electricity, and food—are shared among household members.
In March 2026, the average poor household in Indonesia consisted of 4.62 members. According to BPS, the poverty line varies across provinces, reflecting differences in regional price levels, consumption patterns, and the average size of poor households.
Furthermore, the poverty rate in rural areas remained higher than in urban areas, standing at 10.67 percent compared with 6.34 percent in March 2026. Nevertheless, poverty rates in both areas declined compared with September 2025.
In terms of the depth of poverty, the Poverty Gap Index (P1) declined in urban areas but increased in rural areas, indicating that average spending among the poor moved closer to the poverty line in urban areas while moving further below it in rural areas.
Meanwhile, the Poverty Severity Index (P2) also declined in urban areas but increased in rural areas.
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Translator: Ahmad Muzdaffar, Raka Adji
Editor: M Razi Rahman
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