North Sumatra's Poverty Rate Highest Outside of Java

February 26, 2026 | 09:28 pm

TEMPO.CO, Jakarta - The poverty rate in North Sumatra is currently recorded at 7.24 percent, equivalent to 1,280,000 people out of a total population of 15,785,000. This figure positions the province's poverty rate as the fourth highest in Indonesia, trailing only East Java, Central Java, and West Java.

Among the province's 33 regencies and cities, Medan City holds the largest concentration of poor residents, with a rate of 7.25 percent or 171,600 individuals.

Ika Hardina Lubis, Head of the Statistics Division at the North Sumatra Department of Communication and Informatics, stated that this percentage remains lower than the national average of 8.25 percent. These poverty figures are based on data released by the North Sumatra Central Statistics Agency (BPS) in September 2025. BPS typically releases such data biannually, every March and September.

"We are ranked 17th lowest, not among the top ten nationally; hopefully, in the upcoming March release, there will be a more significant decrease," Ika said during a press conference at the governor’s office on Thursday, February 26, 2026.

She emphasized that while poverty statistics do not fully depict the community's social conditions, the data serve as a vital foundation for formulating policies and poverty alleviation programs.

The North Sumatra provincial government continues to strive toward reducing these figures through its regional agencies. Various poverty alleviation methods are being implemented, including the Social Service Agency’s productive community program, known as Mapro.

Through this initiative, the community is expected to shift perceptions and increase income both individually and collectively. Throughout 2025, a total of 1,360 individuals received assistance for productive businesses, targeting communities in the first through fourth deciles. The assistance provided includes equipment for cake making, hairdressing, and sewing.

"The second program is the joint business group, or Kube, which shares the same targets and assistance models; recipients are proposed by regencies and cities with the requirement of being registered in the DTSEN," said Fachrizal Nasution, Secretary of the Social Service Agency.

He further mentioned that both programs will continue this year. There are plans to expand the assistance to include agricultural tools, building construction, vehicle washing (doorsmeer), motorcycle repair, and salons.

Coordinating Minister for Community Empowerment Affairs, Muhaimin Iskandar, stated that collaboration is the key to addressing extreme poverty. He mentioned that poverty must decrease by 0.86 percent annually to achieve the target of a 5 percent reduction by 2029.

"The number of poor people in 2025 is recorded at 23.85 million, while the number of extremely poor people in Indonesia has reached 2.38 million," he said.

The government combats poverty by reducing the basic financial burdens of the community through targeted social assistance and insurance. This includes increasing income by expanding access and capacity for migrant workers, empowering the workforce, and creating business opportunities.

The final strategy involves reducing pockets of poverty by improving inadequate housing, fulfilling basic infrastructure needs, and implementing area-based empowerment. "Almost all provinces have experienced a reduction in the extreme poverty rate," Muhaimin remarked.

Read: Prabowo Aims to Eradicate Extreme Poverty in Indonesia by 2029

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