The number of poor people increased by 6,900.

The Central Statistics Agency (BPS) recorded a 6,900-person increase in the number of impoverished people between September 2016 and March 2017. However, the poverty rate in March 2017 actually decreased slightly by 0.06 percent to 10.64 percent, down from 10.7 percent in September 2016.

In detail, the poverty rate in urban areas decreased by 0.01 percent, while the decrease in rural areas was larger, at 0.03 percent. During the September 2016-March 2017 period, the number of impoverished people in urban areas increased by 188,190 to 10.67 million from 10.49 million. Meanwhile, in rural areas, it decreased by 181,290 to 17.10 million in March 2017 from 17.28 million in September 2016.

BPS Head Suhariyanto stated that the delayed distribution of the Prosperous Rice Program (Rastra) was one of the reasons for the slower decrease in the poverty rate compared to previous periods.