BPS records slight increase in Gini Ratio inequality to 0.368

The Central Statistics Agency (BPS) recorded a slight increase in the level of expenditure inequality among the Indonesian population, as measured by the Gini Ratio, which rose to 0.368 points in March 2026, up by 0.005 compared to the 0.363 recorded in September 2025. BPS Deputy for Balance Sheet and Statistical Analysis Edy Mahmud explained that the Gini Ratio has a value between 0 and 1, where a value closer to 0 indicates a more equal distribution of expenditure, while a value closer to 1 reflects a higher level of inequality. “The level of inequality is measured by the Gini Ratio. The Gini Ratio value ranges between 0 and 1. The higher the Gini Ratio value, the higher the inequality,” he said in Jakarta on Wednesday. Based on region, he explained, the level of expenditure inequality in urban areas remains higher than in rural areas. In March 2026, the Gini Ratio in urban areas was recorded at 0.387, while in rural areas it was 0.296. Compared to September 2025, the level of inequality in both urban and rural areas experienced an increase. Previously, BPS recorded that the number of poor people in Indonesia decreased by 430,000, or 0.43 million, to 22.93 million people in March 2026, compared to 23.36 million people in September 2025. According to Edy, the decline in the number of poor people is in line with the fall in the national poverty rate to 8.07 per cent in March 2026 from 8.25 per cent in September of the previous year. BPS also recorded that the national poverty line in March 2026 reached Rp669,235 per capita per month. This figure increased by 4.33 per cent compared to September 2025, which was Rp641,443 per capita per month.