Indonesia's Poverty Rate, from Aceh to Papua

According to a report by the Central Bureau of Statistics (BPS), in March 2022 there were approximately 26.16 million poor people in Indonesia. This number represents 9.54% of the total national population.

The highest number of poor people was in East Java, at approximately 4.18 million people, representing 10.38% of its total population.

The lowest number of poor people was in North Kalimantan, at approximately 49,400 people, representing 6.77% of its total population.

"Good poverty data can be used to evaluate government policies on poverty, compare poverty across time and regions, and identify target groups of poor people with the aim of improving their conditions," said the BPS in its report.

Overall, the number of poor people in Indonesia in March 2022 had decreased compared to the previous year. However, the current number is still approximately 2 million more than before the pandemic.

Finance Minister Sri Mulyani stated that there is a risk of increasing poverty in the future, along with the projected growth of Indonesia's population to 350 million people in 2045.

"From now on, we must consider that, in economic terms, there are countries that are old but not yet rich, still poor. If a country's population is aging but not yet prosperous, then that country will face an increasingly complex situation," said Sri Mulyani at the Mofest 2022 event, as reported by Detik.com on Thursday (1/12/2022).

"350 million (people) means the number of houses must be increased, the number of toilets must be increased, the amount of food must be available, and the number of hospitals must be increased," she continued.