Poverty is most widespread in Maluku and Papua.

According to the Central Bureau of Statistics (BPS), in 2018, the highest concentration of impoverished people by island was in Maluku and Papua, accounting for 20.9% of the total population. Areas with the next highest poverty percentages were West Nusa Tenggara and East Nusa Tenggara (17.9%), Sulawesi (10.4%), and Sumatra (10.2%). Java and Bali had a poverty rate of 8.7%, while Kalimantan had 5.4% of its total population living in poverty.

Core Indonesia economist Hendri Saparini stated that Java also experienced inequality, with the highest number of impoverished people in 2019 reaching 13.19 million. Kadin Chairman Rosan Roeslani said that improving connectivity can reduce inequality in various regions. One way to achieve this is by developing infrastructure to ensure more equitable economic development, thereby improving the quality of life and increasing the Human Development Index (HDI).

(Read Databoks: [Indonesia's Poverty Rate Hits 9.66%, Lowest in History](https://databoks.katadata.co.id/datapublish/2019/01/15/angka-kemiskinan-indonesia-sentuh-966-terendah-sepanjang-sejarah))