REPUBLIKA.CO.ID, JAKARTA -- The Central Statistics Bureau (BPS) recorded that the percentage of poor population in Indonesia, as of September 2018, had declined to 9.66 percent. The figure was as compared to March 2018 when the rate had reached 9.82 percent.

"Hence, there is a decline of 0.16 percentage points in the rate of poverty in September 2018, compared to March 2018 and 0.46 percentage points compared to September 2017," Head of BPS Suhariyanto noted at a press conference at the BPS Central Office in Jakarta, Tuesday.

In total, the poor population in September 2018 reached 25.67 million people, a decrease of 0.28 million as compared to March 2018 and a reduction of 0.91 million than September 2017. The percentage of poor people in urban areas in March 2018 was recorded at 7.02 percent, and it had gone down to 6.89 percent in September 2018, while the poverty rate in rural areas in March 2018 had reached 13.20 percent and went down to 13.10 percent in September 2018.

Compared to March 2018, the number of poor people in September 2018 in urban areas dropped by 13.1 thousand, from 10.14 million people in March 2018 to 10.13 million in September 2018. Meanwhile, the number of poor people in rural areas went down by 262.1 thousand, from 15.81 million in March 2018 to 15.54 million in September 2018.

"Despite a decline in poverty, we still have works to do. In villages, the percentage of poverty is much higher as compared to how it is in the city. This is a challenge, as the percentage of poverty in rural areas is almost double to what it is in the city," he pointed out.

Several factors that influenced the level of poverty during the period from March to September 2018 include the nominal increase in the average wage of farm workers per day in September 2018 by 2.07 percent as compared to March 2018, from Rp51,598 to Rp52,665. In real terms, the daily wages of farm workers in September 2018 increased by 1.6 percent compared to March 2018, from Rp37,602 to Rp38,205.

In addition, the farmer's terms of trade in September 2018 rose by 1.21 percent to 103.17, from 101.94 in March 2018. During the period from March 2018 to September 2018, the rate of general inflation was considerably low, at 0.94 percent.

"The real wages of farm laborers have increased in nominal terms. Inflation in the period from March to September 2018 was also relatively stable, at only 0.94 percent. The real wages of farm workers have increased, which means that the farmers' purchasing power is also increasing," Suhariyanto added.

Ikuti Whatsapp Channel Republika