Prabowo: Indonesia's Middle Class Has Declined and Poverty Has Increased Over the Last 7 Years

President Prabowo Subianto has presented evidence of mismanagement in Indonesia, pointing specifically to rising poverty rates despite claims of high economic growth.

“Over the last 7 years, our growth has been 5% annually. That means we have grown by 35%. Yet, after 35% growth, does the number of poor people increase? Yes, both the poor and those vulnerable to poverty,” stated Prabowo during a dialogue with senior journalists and experts at Padepokan Garuda Yaksa, Hambalang, West Java, on Sunday (6/9/2026).

He noted that the increase in poverty is driven by the decline of Indonesia’s middle class. “Why is the middle class declining? It means there is something wrong with our system. This is sourced from World Bank data. Therefore, we must examine this. If there is a disease, should we remain silent? We must find the source and fix it,” he explained.

According to Prabund, every action carries risks that must be undertaken as part of his duty as a President elected through a long democratic process. “This is not a matter of being brave or not; it is an obligation. I have been sworn to uphold the Constitution,” he asserted.

One of the major steps taken by Prabowo involves closing the loopholes that allow Indonesia’s wealth to be plundered, specifically by eradicating under-invoicing practices.

“This data emerged after I became President, and it is from the UN. Domestically, there can be various forms of deception. False shipping declarations, perhaps Customs being bribed, or other institutions being bribed, and so on. However, in the receiving countries, we cannot control that,” he explained.

“For instance, we repeatedly report sending 50,000 tonnes of coal, but the receiving country says, ‘Oh no, we received 100,000.’ The records and data are all here. So, this is not about being brave; I must do this. I have no choice,” he added.

He believes that if these issues are not resolved, Indonesia’s condition will continue to deteriorate. “I have gathered all my assistants and told them: ‘Hey, if we allow this to continue, our country will never be in a healthy or prosperous condition. The poor will only become poorer,’” he concluded.