Food commodities are indeed the largest contributor, as much as 74.05 percent, to the poverty line. So, the government needs to regulate price stability so that the poverty line does not rise quickly
Jakarta (ANTARA) - The availability of rice was still the biggest determinant of poverty as of September 2021, both in urban and rural areas, according to the Central Statistics Agency (BPS).



In urban areas, the availability of rice contributed 19.69 percent to the poverty line, while in rural areas its percentage was 23.79 percent.



"Food commodities are indeed the largest contributor, as much as 74.05 percent, to the poverty line. So, the government needs to regulate price stability so that the poverty line does not rise quickly," said head of the Statistics Agency Margo Yuwono, at the September 2021 Poverty Profile press conference here on Monday.



Other food commodities whose availability made the biggest contribution to the poverty line were filtered kretek cigarettes, broiler eggs, broiler chicken meat, instant noodles, coffee powder and instant coffee, granulated sugar, and cakes.




Meanwhile, non-food commodities whose availability contributed the most to the poverty line were housing, gasoline, electricity, education, toiletries, laundry soap, as well as skin, face, nail, and hair care products.



He said Indonesia's poverty line in September 2021 was Rp486,168 per capita per month. Hence, people with an average per capita spending per month below this figure can be categorized as poor, he added.

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"The poverty line figure rose 5.39 percent compared to September 2020 and there is a difference of 2.89 percent compared to March 2021," he said.



If measured per household, he said the poverty line in 2021 was Rp2.18 million per month, up 3.12 percent compared to Rp2.12 million per month in March 2021.

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This means that households in Indonesia with spending below Rp2.18 million per month are categorized as poor households, he explained.



Then, by region, the household poverty line in Jakarta is recorded at Rp3.42 million per month, and West Sulawesi at Rp1.89 million per month, he added.




Translator: Katriana
Editor: Fardah Assegaf
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