Jakarta, Indonesia Sentinel — Eastern Indonesia remains the region with the highest levels of poverty, with Papua leading the nation. According to data from Indonesia’s Central Statistics Agency (BPS), as of the end of 2023, five provinces have the highest poverty rates.
Papua, including Southern Papua, Central Papua, and Papua Highlands, has the largest percentage of its population living in poverty, with 26.03%. The poverty threshold in the region is Rp 686,469 (approximately $43) per month, affecting 915,150 people.
West Papua follows, with 20.49% of its population classified as poor. This amounts to 214,980 people, and the poverty line is Rp 728,619 ($46) per month.
Next is Nusa Tenggara Timur (NTT), with 19.96% of its population living in poverty, making it the province with the largest number of poor residents—1.14 million people. NTT’s poverty threshold is Rp 507,203 ($32) per month.
Maluku ranks fourth, with 16.42% of its population, or 301,610 people, living below the poverty line, which is set at Rp 684,020 ($43) per month.
Gorontalo ranks fifth, with 15.15% of its population, or 183,710 people, considered poor. The province’s poverty threshold is Rp 442,194 ($28) per month, the lowest of the five.
Indonesia’s poverty rate has fluctuated over the past five years. In 2019, the national poverty rate stood at 9.41%. However, in 2020, during the onset of the COVID-19 pandemic, it jumped to 10.14%.
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Since 2021, the country has seen a steady decline in poverty. The rate fell to 9.54% in 2022 and further to 9.36% by 2023. According to BPS, poverty rates rose during the first two years of the pandemic but began to decline in the third year as the economy started to recover.
(Becky)
