Poverty Rate Drops to 24.06 Million People

JAKARTA, investortrust.id — Statistics Indonesia, or BPS, reported that as of September 2024, the number of people living in poverty in Indonesia stood at 24.06 million, dropping by 1.16 million compared to March 2024, or by 1.84 million from March 2023.

"The poverty rate in September 2024 was recorded at 8.57%, showing a decline of 0.46 percentage points from March 2024 and 0.79 percentage points from March 2023. The poverty line in September 2024 was set at Rp 595,242 per capita per month," Amalia Adininggar Widyasanti, BPS interim head, said during a press conference at BPS headquarters in Jakarta on Wednesday January 15, 2025.

Amalia further highlighted that income inequality, measured using the Gini ratio, was 0.381 in September 2024. This figure represented an increase of 0.002 points compared to March 2024.

The percentage of the urban poor in September 2024 decreased to 6.66%, down from 7.09% in March 2024. Similarly, the rural poverty rate fell to 11.34% in September 2024, compared to 11.79% in March 2024.

In terms of absolute numbers, the urban poor population decreased by 590,000 during this period, dropping from 11.64 million in March 2024 to 11.05 million in September 2024. Rural areas also saw a decline, with 570,000 fewer poor residents—down from 13.58 million in March 2024 to 13.01 million in September 2024.

"The poverty line in September 2024 was Rp 595,242 per capita per month, comprising Rp 443,433 (74.50%) for food expenses and Rp 151,809 (25.50%) for non-food needs. On average, a poor household in Indonesia consisted of 4.71 members, resulting in a household poverty line of Rp 2,803,590 per month," Amalia added.

This data underscores the continued effort to reduce poverty nationwide, although rising inequality as reflected in the Gini ratio highlights the need for more inclusive policies to address income distribution.