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View all search resultsPoverty rate falls but urban struggles persist
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Just want to have fun: Children hang out in a low-income area in Jakarta on Nov. 28, 2019. (AFP/Bay Ismoyo)
D
espite recent official data indicating a decline in the national poverty rate, the lived reality on the ground–particularly in urban centers like Jakarta–suggests a more sobering situation, as rising layoffs and the growing cost of living continue to erode household purchasing power.
Statistics Indonesia (BPS) reported last week that the national poverty rate declined to 8.47 percent in March 2025, down slightly from 8.57 percent recorded in the September 2024 survey.
The total number of people living in poverty stood at 23.85 million, marking a year-on-year decline of 1.37 million and a drop of 210,000 from the previous survey.
However, in the capital, the number of urban poor increased to 464,870 in March, up from 449,070 in September.
A person is classified as poor in the city if their monthly consumption of goods and services amounts to no more than Rp 852,768 (US$51.95). For an average Jakarta household of four to five members, this translates to a poverty threshold of roughly Rp 4.18 million per month.
Read also: Poverty rate hits another historic low as inequality narrows
Uncaptured poverty
