Lampung's Poverty Rate Increased During the COVID-19 Pandemic

Poverty rates in Lampung Province increased during the Covid-19 pandemic. Data from the Central Statistics Agency (BPS) recorded the number of poor people in Lampung before the pandemic in September 2019 at 1,041,480 people, or 12.3% of the total population. However, in March 2020, this figure increased to 1,049,320 people (12.34%).

The number of impoverished people in this southernmost province of Sumatra continued to rise to 1,091,140 (12.76%) by [date unspecified, likely September 2020]. By March 2021, the figure decreased to 1,083,930 (12.62%).

Working-age individuals affected by Covid-19 in September 2020 reached 655,900 (10.25%). This contributed to the rise in Lampung's poverty rate, with 52,000 becoming unemployed and 549,700 experiencing reduced working hours.

However, by March 2021, the number of working-age individuals affected by Covid-19 decreased to 340,300 (5.28%). The disbursement of Direct Cash Assistance (BLT) funds and the improvement in farmers' exchange rates led to a decrease in the number of poor people in Lampung in the first quarter of this year.