Good News! Jakarta has Finally Become Less Poor Since the COVID-19 Outbreak

For the first time since the COVID-19 pandemic, Jakarta’s poverty rate has finally fallen. In Jakarta, the percentage of poor people dropped by 0.05 to 4.67 percent between March and September 2021. The number of poor people in September 2021 was 498.29 thousand, a reduction of 3.63 thousand people out from the previous period.  This poverty reduction is a positive sign of improvement in a several macroeconomic indicators. During this period, the economy expanded 2.43 percent, cumulative inflation was 0.22 percent and unemployment fell by 133 thousand people.  In the foodstuffs category, there was even a deflation of -1.28 percent. This greatly eases the burden of consumption expenditure, especially for the poor. On the other hand, the provision of various forms of social assistance by the Central and Provincial governments ultimately assists in maintaining the level of consumption, especially for the poor.