Regarding Differences in Poverty Data, Statistics Indonesia: We Use National Standards
Jakarta – The discrepancy in poverty data between Statistics Indonesia (BPS) and the World Bank is due to differences in methodology used by the two institutions. BPS emphasized that the discrepancy does not mean the data is incorrect, but rather because each uses a different poverty line reference.
The World Bank recorded the number of poor people in Indonesia at 194.6 million. This significant increase occurred after the international institution updated the global poverty line from the 2017 Purchasing Power Parities (PPP) to the 2021 PPP.
On the other hand, BPS still uses the 2017 PPP as the basis for calculations. BPS Deputy for Social Statistics, Ateng Hartono, explained that using the 2017 PPP is part of an effort to maintain consistency in national planning.
“We adjusted the method; our PPP remains the same, because this is related to the 2025–2029 National Medium-Term Development Plan (RPJMN), so that we can continuously evaluate it,” said Ateng.
The Statistics Indonesia (BPS) and the World Bank both use data from the National Socioeconomic Survey (Susenas). However, the differing results arise because the poverty line used as a benchmark is not the same.
The World Bank uses an extreme poverty line of US$3 per capita per day based on the 2021 PPP. Meanwhile, BPS refers to the poverty line of US$2.15 per capita per day based on the 2017 PPP. According to Ateng, BPS calculates based on nationally established standards.
“In Indonesia and most countries, we calculate poverty based on national standards. The World Bank calculates poverty based on global comparisons,” he said.
The World Bank will implement the 2021 PPP starting in June 2025, as announced in the June 2025 Update to the Poverty and Inequality Platform (PIP), which refers to the latest data from the International Comparison Program.
With a consistent and relevant approach to domestic conditions, BPS continues to play a crucial role in providing accurate national poverty data and supporting the formulation of targeted development policies. **
