Data from the Central Statistics Agency (BPS) show the poverty rate stood at 9.66 percent in September 2018 and fell to 9.41 percent in April 2019.
According to Social Affairs Minister Agus Gumiwang Kartasasmita, the 9.41 percent in April 2019 is relatively high as it is equivalent to 25 million people and it would be reducing at the end of 2019.
In line with the decline in poverty rate, the inequality rate, or Gini ratio, plunged to 0.381 in April 2019, from 0.384 in September 2018.
The amount of social assistance fund has steadily increased since the early days of the President Joko Widodo administration.
Budget appropriated for social assistance jumped to 55 trillion Rp from 19 trillion Rp in 2017, and reached 59 trillion Rp in 2019.
