Jakarta – The discrepancy in poverty data between the Central Statistics Agency (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.
The World Bank reports that the number of poor people in Indonesia has reached 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 is still using the 2017 PPP as the basis for calculations. BPS Deputy for Social Statistics, Ateng Hartono, explained that the use of the 2017 PPP is part of an effort to maintain consistency in national planning.
“We’re adjusting the method, and we’re still using the PPP method, as it’s related to the 2025–2029 RPJMN, so we can evaluate it continuously,” Ateng said.
While both Statistics Indonesia (BPS) and the World Bank use data from the National Socioeconomic Survey (Susenas), the results differ because the poverty line used as a benchmark differs.
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 according to the 2017 PPP. According to Ateng, BPS makes calculations based on nationally established standards.
“In Indonesia and most countries, we calculate poverty based on national standards. However, the World Bank calculates poverty based on global comparisons,” he said.
The World Bank will begin implementing the 2021 PPP in June 2025, as announced in the June 2025 Update to the Poverty and Inequality Platform (PIP), which draws on the latest data from the International Comparison Program.
With a consistent and relevant approach to domestic conditions, BPS continues to play a critical role in providing accurate national poverty data and supporting the formulation of targeted development policies.