Indonesia has recorded a historically low poverty rate, according to the latest survey conducted by Statistics Indonesia (BPS), but inequality worsened slightly and remains particularly high in Jakarta.
ndonesia has recorded a historically low poverty rate, according to the latest survey conducted by Statistics Indonesia (BPS), but inequality has worsened slightly and remains particularly high in Jakarta.
BPS interim head Amalia Adininggar Widyasanti announced at a press conference on Wednesday that the poverty rate for September was at 8.57 percent, the first time the indicator has ever dropped below 9 percent.
“This is the lowest [the figure has ever been] in Indonesia since the poverty rate was first announced by BPS in 1960,” said Amalia.
Despite the improvement, the poverty rate still missed the target by quite a margin. The 2024 state budget had stipulated a goal of pushing the rate below 7.5 percent.
The survey is conducted twice a year, which means the figure for September is the latest available data.
The BPS report notes that 24.06 million people were living below the poverty line in September, down from 25.22 million in March when the rate was at 9.03 percent.
The poverty rate has been on a declining trend since September 2020, with the exception of September 2022 when it worsened marginally.
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