Indonesia says its poverty rate lowest in two decades

The number of Indonesians living under the poverty line has hit a record low for the past two decades, the country's statistics bureau said yesterday.

According to the Central Statistics Agency, there were roughly 23.85 million Indonesians living in poverty as of March this year -- representing 8.47 percent of the country's total population of 280 million.

BPS categorises people living off Rp 609,160 a month, about $37, as poor.

"The poverty line figure for 2025 is the lowest for the past two decades," the agency's official, Ateng Hartono, said.

However, the agency noted the significant gap between big cities and rural areas, with villages still seeing a higher poverty rate.