The announcement was made by BPS Deputy for Social Statistics, Ateng Hartono, during a press briefing in Jakarta on Friday.
Compared to the previous figure of 8.57 percent, or 24.06 million people in September 2024, the latest data reflects a continued decline in poverty.
BPS also noted that the poverty line in March 2025 was set at Rp609,160 per capita per month (approximately US$37), representing a 2.34 percent increase from September 2024.
Hartono explained that the decline was driven largely by improvements in rural areas, where the poverty rate fell by 0.31 percentage points to 11.03 percent.
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One of the contributing factors was the Farmer’s Exchange Rate (NTP), which reached 123.45 in February 2025. This indicated that the prices received by farmers were higher than the prices they paid, suggesting improved purchasing power for rural producers.
"This means that the farmers’ exchange rate has increased," he said.
He added that rural communities often have better access to food and local production sources, helping them meet basic consumption needs.
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The agricultural sector also saw the largest increase in workforce participation, growing from 40.72 million in February 2024 to 41.6 million in February 2025.
Additionally, BPS reported that the number of Indonesians living in extreme poverty fell to 2.38 million in March 2025, a reduction of 1.18 million compared to March 2024.
The data was compiled from the National Socioeconomic Survey on Consumption and Expenditure, conducted in February 2025, with a sample of 345,000 households nationwide.
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Translator: Uyu Septiyati, Raka Adji
Editor: M Razi Rahman
Copyright © ANTARA 2025
