Nearly all Indonesian regions record decline in poverty: BPS

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Jakarta (ANTARA) – Statistics Indonesia (BPS) recorded a decline in poverty across nearly all Indonesian regions in March 2026, with the number of poor people dropping by 430,000 to 22.93 million, down from 23.36 million in September 2025.

“Compared to September 2025, poverty rates fell across all regions in Indonesia, with Java recording the sharpest decline at 0.21 percentage points,” BPS Deputy for Balance Sheet and Statistical Analysis Edy Mahmud said in Jakarta on Wednesday.

By region, Java continues to hold the largest concentration of the poor population, accounting for 12.02 million people or 52.42 percent of the national total.

Meanwhile, Kalimantan registered the lowest number of poor people at 870,000, representing roughly 3.79 percent of the country’s total poor population.

Nationally, the poverty rate dipped from 8.25 percent in September 2025 to 8.07 percent in March 2026.

BPS also recorded 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.

Furthermore, poverty rates in both rural and urban areas experienced a decline compared to September 2025.

However, the poverty rate in rural areas remains higher than in urban areas, standing at 10.67 percent versus 6.34 percent in March 2026.

In terms of the depth of poverty, the Poverty Gap Index (P1) dropped in urban areas, but increased in rural areas. Likewise, the Poverty Severity Index (P2) decreased in urban areas but rose in rural areas.

Under President Prabowo Subianto’s administration, the Indonesian government has made poverty alleviation a central priority, targeting a poverty rate of 6.0 to 6.5 percent by 2027.