Jakarta. Chief Cultural Affairs, Muhadjir Effendy, announced a decrease in the extreme poverty rate to 0.83 percent as of March, 24, down from 1.12 percent recorded in the previous survey on March 2023.

"In March 2024, both general and extreme poverty in Indonesia saw a decline, with the poverty rate at 9.03 percent and extreme poverty at 0.83 percent," Effendy said on Tuesday.

The Central Statistics Agency (BPS) reported that the number of people living in poverty in March 2024 fell to 25.22 million, a decrease of 680,000 (0.33 percent) compared to March 2023 and 1.14 million (0.54 percent) compared to September 2022.

Effendy noted that the reduction in poverty is progressing slowly, with the government aiming to reduce the poverty rate to 8 percent by the end of 2024.

"This decline in poverty is very slow. Last year's poverty rate was 9.93 percent, and we hope to reach 8 percent by the end of 2024, although this is still far from the actual target of 7.5 percent," he said

Muhadjir expressed hope that the poverty rate would continue to decline through ongoing support and equitable distribution of social assistance to impoverished communities across Indonesia.

According to the BPS, the poverty rate has reached its lowest point in the past decade, with a reduction of approximately 3.06 million people or about 2.22 percent over the last 10 years.

The poverty line in March 2024 was recorded at Rp 582,932 ($35.66) per capita per month, with the food poverty line at Rp 433,906 and the non-food poverty line at Rp 149,026.

According to the World Bank, those in extreme poverty are individuals whose daily ability to meet basic living needs does not exceed $1.9 PPP (purchasing power parity), equivalent to Rp 10,739 per day or Rp 322,170 per month.

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