East Java's poor population falls by 92,100 to 3.71 million: BPS

Statistics Indonesia (BPS) has stated that the number of poor people in East Java as of March 2026 stood at 3.71 million, a reduction of 92,100 compared to the 3.8 million recorded in September 2025. “Compared to September 2025, the number of poor people decreased by 92,100. The percentage of poor people in March 2026 was recorded at 9.06 per cent,” said Acting Head of BPS East Java Herum Fajarwati during a press conference in Surabaya on Wednesday. Based on area of residence, between September 2025 and March 2026, the number of urban poor fell by 53,000, while in rural areas it decreased by 39,100. The urban poverty rate dropped from 6.93 per cent to 6.66 per cent, while the rural rate fell from 12.55 per cent to 12.38 per cent. The Poverty Line in March 2026 rose by 4.22 per cent compared to September 2025, with food commodities playing a much larger role than non-food commodities. Rice provided the largest contribution, accounting for 23.12 per cent in urban areas and 24.65 per cent in rural areas. Herum noted that several factors influenced the poverty level during the September 2025–March 2026 period, including inflation of 4.88 per cent year-on-year in February 2026 and East Java’s economy growing by 5.96 per cent in the first quarter of 2026. “The Farmer Exchange Rate in February 2026 was 119.92, an increase of 4.23 per cent compared to September 2025, which also contributed to the decline in poverty in East Java,” Herum said.