Human Development Index reaches the very high category

Like the Mahakam River, which flows tirelessly towards its estuary, human development in East Kalimantan continues on its journey.

Samarinda (ANTARA) – On the banks of the Mahakam River, flowing calmly as it carries the long story of civilisation, one figure now shines far more brightly than in previous years.

That figure is not merely a string of numbers in a statistical report, but a reflection of the quality of life in East Kalimantan: a measure of the smiles of children going to school, parents’ hopes for long and healthy lives, and evidence that prosperity is gradually, but surely, becoming more evenly shared across the province.

In 2026, East Kalimantan Province’s Human Development Index (HDI) officially reached 80.09. This was an increase of 0.70 points, or 0.88 per cent, from 79.39 the previous year.

The achievement marks an important milestone, raising East Kalimantan’s human development status from the ‘high’ category to the more prestigious ‘very high’ level.

Mas’ud Rifai, head of Statistics Indonesia’s East Kalimantan office, welcomed the achievement. He said the progress was not a matter of short-lived good fortune, but the result of steps taken consistently over many years.

‘From 2022 to 2026, East Kalimantan’s HDI rose by an average of 0.87 per cent a year. This figure indicates sustained progress in the fundamental aspects of human development in the region,’ Rifai said.

In 2022, East Kalimantan’s HDI stood at 77.36, already close to the threshold for the high category. It continued to rise gradually but steadily each year.

It reached 78.12 in 2023 and 78.79 in 2024, before climbing to 79.39 in 2025. Now, in 2026, for the first time, Bumi Etam has entered the very high HDI category, with a score of 80.09.

The trajectory shows that solid progress is built through consistent steps, rather than a hurried sprint that risks running out of breath along the way.

Of the three main dimensions that make up the HDI, education recorded the most marked acceleration this year. Awareness of the importance of knowledge appears to be taking increasingly deep root among the population.

Average years of schooling among residents aged 25 and over rose sharply, from 0.80 per cent in 2025 to 2.08 per cent in 2026.

The figure has now reached 10.31 years. Put simply, adults in East Kalimantan have, on average, studied up to the equivalent of the second year of senior secondary school.