BPS Clarifies Decile System to Yogyakarta Government: Not an Absolute Rich-Poor Label

The Yogyakarta Special Region (DIY) Government and the DIY Statistics Indonesia (BPS) held a meeting to discuss changes in the decile system in DIY. BPS provided an explanation.

The meeting was held after the DIY Government lodged a protest regarding the decile determination by BPS. This was because some residents of Jogja who are in the poor category were placed in a high decile, or in the prosperous category.

Acting Head of BPS DIY, Endang Tri Wahyuningsih, explained that DTSEN draws on data sources such as Regsosek, DTKS, and P3KE, which are enriched with data from PLN, BPJS Kesehatan, and others. This is then matched with population administration data.

The data is then classified according to relative welfare levels. Ranking is then carried out and divided into 10 groups called deciles.

“The determination of decile position considers as many as 41 input variables grouped into Family Identity information, Housing information (condition and quality of dwelling), Asset Ownership and Family Member information (education, employment, income, persons with disabilities, and chronic illnesses),” she explained in a written statement on Thursday (20/8/2026).

She emphasised that decile determination is not based on income levels and does not serve as an absolute label stating whether a person is rich or poor.

“Thus, deciles cannot be equated with income levels nor become a label that absolutely states a person is rich or poor,” Endang continued.

DTSEN data is also continuously updated and results are available every three months. Therefore, decile positions can also change following data updates and revisions.

“The most important thing is how we work together to maintain data quality so that it can complement each other,” said Endang.

Endang also mentioned that the public can carry out independent updates if they feel their economic condition does not match their decile position. For example, through the Cek Bansos application or the Cek DTSEN channel.

However, a submission does not immediately change the decile because the data must first go through a verification and validation process.

The DIY Government Has Its Own Poverty Criteria

DIY Regional Secretary, Ni Made Dwi Panti Indrayanti, stated that her party met with BPS because they needed to understand the criteria and basis for decile grouping so that the data used in poverty handling could be fully understood and aligned with the conditions of the community in the region.

“That data is data from the central government, not something we determine. The discussion is about the criteria, where it reaches. Now, how they load and classify it is what we also need to ask BPS,” Made explained in a written statement received by detikJogja on Thursday (20/8/2026) evening.

Made said that the DIY Government actually also has data developed through collaboration with district/city governments. This data is integrated into One Poverty Data and provides a detailed picture of community conditions.

“So actually, with that one data, we can finally monitor. It is already very, very detailed in the sense of what category the poverty is in, what assistance is received, what type it is. It is already visible there,” she said.

This meeting, said Made, was also in the context of aligning and not comparing data owned by the regional government with central government data.

“It is not that we want to, what is it, the term is comparing data. But aligning data,” Made stressed.

The DIY Government Protests Decile Data Changes

It was previously reported that the DIY Government questioned the welfare level grouping data or deciles issued by Statistics Indonesia (BPS). This was because much of the decile data had changed, prompting protests from the public.

DIY Regional Secretary, Ni Made Dwipanti Indrayanti, said that the protest emerging in the community was about the change in decile from low to high. This is what made the poverty figures appear to decrease.

“Many people protested about the deciles. Yesterday I also protested to Mrs Endang, how could that happen. Was it perhaps to reduce the burden, so everything was raised, so to speak,” said Made when met at the Kepatihan complex, Jogja City, on Wednesday (19/8).