Indonesia's Poor Population Shrinks to 22.93 Million

Jakarta - The Central Statistics Agency (BPS) has recorded that the number of people living in poverty in Indonesia now stands at 22.93 million. Based on the latest data for March 2026, this figure represents a decline of 430,000 people compared to the record in September 2025, which was 23.36 million. Meanwhile, when compared to records for every March over the past three years, the figure has also consistently fallen, from 25.90 million people in March 2023, to 24.06 million people in March 2024, then to 23.85 million people in March 2025, and finally to 22.93 million people in March 2026. “In the trend from March 2023 to March 2026, the number and rate of poverty have experienced a decline,” said BPS Deputy for Balance Sheet and Statistical Analysis M. Edy Mahmud during a press conference at the BPS head office in Jakarta, Wednesday (5/8/2026). Along with the shrinking number of poor people, the poverty rate in March 2026 also fell further to just 8.07 per cent, from the September 2023 record of 8.25 per cent. This poverty rate has also continued to decline from the March 2023 record of 9.36 per cent, to 9.03 per cent in March 2024, to 8.47 per cent in March 2025, and finally to 8.07 per cent in March 2026. “So the number of poor people is 22.93 million with a March poverty rate percentage of 8.07 per cent,” Edy stated.