Erfan Maruf, Jakarta – Poverty levels in Indonesia declined across nearly all provinces as of March 2025, with the exception of Papua and Maluku, according to the latest National Socioeconomic Survey released by the Central Statistics Agency (BPS) on Friday.

Out of the country's 38 provinces, only those in the eastern regions of Papua and Maluku saw an increase in poverty rates. These two regions continue to record the highest poverty levels in the country, with 18.90 percent of residents living below the poverty line.

Bali and Nusa Tenggara also remain above the national average, with 11.93 percent of their population – approximately 1.9 million people – classified as poor.

Mountainous Papua stands out as the province with the highest poverty rate in Indonesia, where 30.03 percent of residents live below the official poverty threshold.

BPS Deputy Chief Ateng Hartono said the most notable improvement occurred in Bali and Nusa Tenggara, which saw a 0.22 percentage point decrease compared to the previous period.

"From September 2024 to March 2025, nearly every major island saw a drop in both the number and percentage of poor residents – except Maluku and Papua, which recorded increases," Ateng said during a press briefing in Jakarta.

The latest figures indicate that most parts of Indonesia are seeing gradual improvements in their social and economic conditions.

Despite improvements elsewhere, Java continues to account for the largest number of poor residents nationwide, with 12.56 million people – equivalent to 52.66 percent of Indonesia's total poor population – living on the island.

Other regional figures for March 2025 include:

• Sumatra: 5.14 million poor (8.22%)
• Kalimantan: 890,000 poor (5.15%)
• Sulawesi: 1.85 million poor (8.96%)

Nationally, Indonesia's total number of poor people declined slightly from 24.06 million in September 2024 to 23.85 million in March 2025. That represents 8.47 percent of the population, down 0.1 percentage point from the previous reporting period.

According to BPS, this continues a positive trend in poverty reduction observed since March 2023.

However, BPS also highlighted the persistent disparity between urban and rural areas. The rural poverty rate stood at 11.03 percent in March 2025, significantly higher than the 6.73 percent rate in urban areas.

The poverty threshold was updated to reflect inflation and economic changes, with the new national poverty line set at Rp 609,160 (approximately $37) per person per month – an increase of 2.34 percent from September 2024.

Source: https://jakartaglobe.id/news/indonesias-poverty-rate-falls-nationwide-except-in-papua-and-maluk