In March 2024, 3.56 million Indonesians lived in extreme poverty, so the number has more than halved in two years.
Poverty measured by Indonesia's own poverty line also fell, to 8.07 percent in March 2026, the lowest level in ten years.
The state has supported 26.8 million poor families, and 44,200 children from the poorest homes attend the Sekolah Rakyat school program.
From 2.8 to 1.7 million
The number of Indonesians living in extreme poverty has fallen from 2.8 million in September 2024 to 1.7 million in March 2026. That means 1.1 million people have moved out of extreme poverty. In March 2026, the share was 0.6 percent of the population.
The figures come from Statistics Indonesia (BPS). Abdul Muhaimin Iskandar, who coordinates the government's work against poverty, presented them when his ministry reported on what the government has done in its first two years.
A drop in every survey
BPS measures poverty twice a year, in March and September. In March 2024, 3.56 million Indonesians lived in extreme poverty, or 1.26 percent of the population. In September 2024, the number was 2.78 million, and in March 2025 it was 2.38 million, according to that survey. By September 2025, the number had fallen to 2.2 million.
From March 2024 to March 2026, the number of people in extreme poverty has thus more than halved.
BPS counts a person as extremely poor if their spending is less than $2.15 a day. The amount is adjusted for differences in price levels between countries, known as purchasing power parity, and is based on a line developed by the World Bank. In Indonesian currency, that was equal to about 10,900 rupiah per person per day in 2025.
The data comes from a large household survey. In the 2025 survey, 345,000 households took part in 514 regencies and cities across the country's 38 provinces.
Overall poverty is also falling
Poverty measured by Indonesia's own poverty line has also fallen. In March 2026, 8.07 percent of the population, or 22.93 million people, lived below the line. That was 920,000 fewer than a year earlier, when the share was 8.47 percent. In March 2026, the line was 669,235 rupiah per person per month.
According to Databoks, this is the lowest level in ten years, in both number and share.
Support, jobs and schools
The government works under a 2025 presidential instruction to speed up poverty reduction. A total of 46 ministries and agencies take part, with 156 targets for different programs. In all, 88 regencies and cities, along with 16,550 villages and urban wards, have been designated as priority areas.
The goal is that no Indonesian will live in extreme poverty by the end of 2026. We have previously written about how the Indian state of Kerala has eliminated extreme poverty.
Over the two years, 26.8 million poor families have received support from the state, according to the ministry. A total of 3.25 million small business owners have gained access to low-cost loans. The National Nutrition Agency, Badan Gizi Nasional, has given work to 1.3 million poor people, and 148,000 new businesses have started supplying it.
The ministry works on the principle that aid should be temporary, while self-reliance should be lasting. A shared database of household finances is used to direct support to the right people and connect them with programs for work and entrepreneurship.
Today, 44,200 children from the poorest families attend the school program Sekolah Rakyat (People's School). Their parents receive training so they can support themselves. Muhaimin Iskandar said the children's health and motivation have improved.
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