According to data from the Central Statistics Agency (BPS), the percentage of the poor population in Jakarta post-COVID-19 pandemic remains higher than before the pandemic.
Before the pandemic, in March 2015, 3.93% of Jakarta's population was classified as poor. This figure gradually decreased to 3.47% by March 2019.
However, when the pandemic broke out in March 2020, Jakarta's poverty rate immediately rose to 4.53%.
"Since March 2020, when COVID-19 began to spread, the number of poor people increased rapidly in many regions," stated the BPS in its report.
After the pandemic subsided, Jakarta's poverty rate began to decline again, although it remained historically high at 4.3% in March 2024.
Nevertheless, nationally, Jakarta has the third-lowest poverty rate. Two provinces with lower poverty percentages than Jakarta are South Kalimantan and Bali.
Jakarta's poverty rate in March 2024 was also significantly below the national poverty rate of 9.03%.