DIGIVESTASI - The Majority of Indonesia's Poor Population Resides in Java, The majority of Indonesia's impoverished population resides on the island of Java, with data showing that 12.62 million people, or about 52.45% of the total poor population in Indonesia, live there.

According to the latest data released by Statistics Indonesia (BPS), the national poverty rate in September 2024 was recorded at 24.06 million people, or 8.57% of the total population. This marks a decline from March 2024, when the number was 25.22 million people, equating to 9.03% of the population.

“Regionally, the majority of the poor population is on the island of Java, totaling 12.62 million people or 52.45% of Indonesia’s overall poor population,” said Acting Head of BPS, Amalia Adininggar Widyasanti, during a press conference at the BPS Headquarters, Jakarta, on Wednesday (January 15, 2025).

Sumatra ranks second, with 5.25 million impoverished residents or 21.82% of the total, followed by Bali and Nusa Tenggara with 1.94 million people (8.06%), Sulawesi at 1.88 million (7.82%), Maluku and Papua at 1.46 million (6.07%), and Kalimantan with the smallest number of poor residents at 910,000 people (3.78%).

Amalia explained that the high poverty rate in Java aligns with the island’s larger population compared to other regions. As of 2024, Java accounted for approximately 55.93% of Indonesia’s total population of 282.47 million, while Sumatra contributed 21.81%.

“Since the majority of Indonesia’s population is concentrated in Java, the number of poor people in this region is higher in absolute terms. However, this is based on absolute figures, not percentages,” Amalia emphasized.

Provincial Statistics
Among provinces, East Java recorded the highest number of poor residents, with 3.89 million people, followed by West Java at 3.66 million and Central Java at 3.39 million. Outside Java, East Nusa Tenggara had 1.10 million impoverished residents.

Conversely, North Kalimantan had the lowest number of poor residents at 41,110, followed by the Bangka Belitung Islands with 78,580, North Maluku with 79,690, and Southwest Papua with 96,810 people.

Poverty Line and Calculation
BPS determines poverty status based on the poverty line value. As of September 2024, the poverty line was set at IDR 595,242 per capita per month, a 2.11% increase from March 2024’s figure of IDR 582,932 per capita per month.

The poverty line is calculated based on the minimum expenditure needed for food and non-food necessities. Individuals whose average expenditure falls below this threshold are categorized as poor.

The poverty line components include the food poverty line (GKM) and the non-food poverty line (GKBM). In September 2024, GKM was recorded at IDR 443,433, while GKBM was IDR 151,809, both rising from March 2024 values of IDR 433,906 for GKM and IDR 149,026 for GKBM.

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