Netizens Buzz Over 'Decile 10' Status, Shocked to Be Grouped with the '9 Dragons'

Jakarta - Discussion about deciles is currently trending among netizens, particularly on platform X (formerly Twitter). Many are questioning their decile status, with a significant number stating they fall into the decile 10 category, equivalent to the wealthy class. For context, a decile is a grouping of society based on welfare levels, ranging from the poorest to the most prosperous. Societal deciles in the National Single Socio-Economic Data (DTSEN) are dynamic and periodically updated by BPS through various sources, including ground checks by the Ministry of Social Affairs, updates by local governments, and other sources. The Ministry of Social Affairs uses the latest decile data to determine targets eligible for social assistance based on proposals from local governments and the public. The issue here is that many netizens feel they do not belong to this group, yet upon checking, they find themselves in the decile 10 category. Netizens are also questioning the calculation method for decile classification and have been sharing the results of their independent decile checks. ‘Have you checked your economic data yet? What decile are you in? I want to flex, because I’m in decile 10, aka VERY RICH. Oh well… Let’s just say amin, guys… amin… There’s a neighbour who does odd jobs but is in decile 9. dtsen-form.bps.go.id,’ wrote one netizen. ‘I just checked, how am I in the same decile as the nine dragons???’ said another. ‘This decile division is really weird, I think deciles should go up to 20, how can I be equivalent to the nine dragons, when my economy doesn’t even come close,’ wrote another. ‘I’m decile 10, super rich. Has anyone ever updated their data?’ said another. In its official X account, Statistics Indonesia (BPS) explained the matter through a thread titled ‘Myths and Facts About Deciles’. ‘Is it true that a salary of 3 million rupiah puts you in decile 5? Deciles are not determined by a person’s salary amount in a certain socio-economic category. Instead, the grouping is based on dozens of variables related to family socio-economics,’ wrote BPS.