Indonesia's poverty rate falls to 6.5% in West Java amid national decline

The Central Statistics Agency (BPS) of West Java reported that the share of people living in poverty fell to 6.54 % in March 2026, a reduction of 114,230 individuals, leaving 3.44 million poor in the province. The poverty line was set at 609,790 IDR per capita per month. While overall poverty depth and severity improved, the Gini ratio rose to 0.413, indicating widening income inequality. Rice and kretek filter cigarettes were the main commodities driving poverty, accounting for up to 26.8 % of the poverty line in rural areas.

Nationally, BPS recorded 22.93 million people living in poverty in March 2026, down 430,000 from September 2025. The decline was observed across almost all regions, with the largest drop on Java (0.21 percentage points). Java still hosts the majority of the poor (12.02 million, 52.4 % of the national total), while Kalimantan has the fewest (870,000, 3.8 %). The national poverty line was defined as households spending below 3.09 million IDR per month, based on a per‑capita threshold of 669,235 IDR. This line rose 4.33 % from September 2025.