Jakarta- The number of poor in Indonesia reached 26.36 million in September 2022, an increase of 0.20 million compared to March the same year, according to Statistics Indonesia (BPS).
The poverty rate in September 2022 was influenced by many factors, ranging from rising fuel prices to layoffs.
“Throughout September 2022 there were lay-offs in labor-intensive sectors such as textile, footwear, and technology companies. This is what we have gone through in September 2022,” BPS head Margo Yuwono informed at a press conference here on Monday.
Thus, the percentage of poor in Indonesia in September 2022 reached 9.57 percent, an increase of 0.03 percent compared to March the same year. However, the figure showed a decline of 0.14 million compared to September 2021, when it was recorded at 26.5 million.
The 26.36 million poor people were spread over urban and rural areas. The number of urban poor increased by 0.16 million from 11.82 million in March 2022 to 11.98 million in September the same year.
Concurrently, the number of rural poor increased by 0.04 million from 14.34 million people in March 2022 to 14.38 million in September.
“In September 2022, the number of poor people was still concentrated in Java and Sumatra Islands, but only Sumatra island showed a reduction in poverty of 0.02 percentage points. An increase in poverty rate happened in all islands, mostly Maluku and Papua,” Yuwono informed.
In September 2022, the poverty line was recorded at Rp535,547.00 per capita per month, with the Food Poverty Line at Rp397,125.00 (74.15 percent) and the Non-Food Poverty Line at Rp138,422.00 (25.85 percent).
Thus, on average, there were 4.34 household members in each poor family in Indonesia that month. Thus, the average poverty line was Rp2,324,274.00 per poor household per month.
Statistics Indonesia noted that the economy in the third quarter of 2022 grew by 5.72 percent year on year, or higher than in the first quarter, when the figure reached 5.01 percent.
The open unemployment rate also declined by 5.86 percent in August 2022 from 6.49 percent in August 2021.
“However, there is good news in terms of employment, that being the increase in the proportion of full-time workers, in which the trend for full employment has increased from 64.30 percent in August 2021 to 68.46 percent in August 2022,” he elaborated.
Source: Antara News