Poverty and living standards in South Papua, Indonesia: official figures
19.26% of people in South Papua lived below the poverty line in September 2025, 4th highest of 38 provinces; the national poverty rate was 8.25%.
How many people live in poverty in South Papua?
About 104 thousand people in South Papua were poor in September 2025, 6th lowest of 38 provinces for the number of poor people (Indonesia: 23.36 million).
Source: Ministry of Health (Kemenkes), Secretariat General · saved copyWhat is the poverty line in South Papua?
The poverty line in South Papua was Rp 587,264 per person per month in September 2025, 11th lowest of 38 provinces; the national line was Rp 641,443.
Source: Ministry of Health (Kemenkes), Secretariat General · saved copyIs poverty higher in rural or urban areas of South Papua?
Poverty in South Papua was 4.93% in cities and towns and 27.79% in rural areas in September 2025 (national: 6.60% urban, 10.72% rural).
Source: Ministry of Health (Kemenkes), Secretariat General · saved copyHow many poor people live in rural South Papua?
Of the 104 thousand poor people in South Papua in September 2025, 10 thousand lived in urban areas and 94 thousand in rural areas.
Source: Ministry of Health (Kemenkes), Secretariat General · saved copyHow deep is poverty in South Papua?
The poverty depth index in South Papua was 4.07 and the poverty severity index 1.12 in September 2025 (national: 1.29 and 0.30); the depth index is 3rd highest of 38 provinces, and a higher value means the poor live further below the poverty line.
Source: Ministry of Health (Kemenkes), Secretariat General · saved copyHow unequal is South Papua?
The Gini index of spending inequality in South Papua was 0.426 in 2025 (0 is perfect equality, 1 is total inequality), the most unequal of 38 provinces; the national index was 0.363.
Source: Ministry of Health (Kemenkes), Secretariat General · saved copyIs inequality rising in South Papua?
Inequality in South Papua rose from 0.424 in 2024 to 0.426 in 2025; nationally the Gini index fell from 0.390 to 0.363.
Source: Ministry of Health (Kemenkes), Secretariat General · saved copyHow South Papua compares with other special autonomy provinces
Share of people below the poverty line (September 2025)
South Papua ranks 4 of 38, highest first.
| Rank | Region | Share of people below the poverty line |
|---|---|---|
| 1 | Central Papua | 29.45% |
| 2 | Highland Papua | 27.21% |
| 3 | West Papua | 19.58% |
| 4 | South Papua | 19.26% |
| 5 | Papua | 17.82% |
| 6 | East Nusa Tenggara | 17.50% |
| 7 | Southwest Papua | 17.50% |
Gini index of spending inequality (2025)
South Papua ranks 1 of 38, highest first. 0 is perfect equality, 1 is total inequality
| Rank | Region | Gini index of spending inequality |
|---|---|---|
| 1 | South Papua | 0.426 |
| 2 | DKI Jakarta | 0.423 |
| 3 | Special Region of Yogyakarta | 0.414 |
| 4 | West Java | 0.397 |
| 5 | Papua | 0.397 |
| 6 | Riau Islands | 0.385 |
| 7 | Gorontalo | 0.383 |
Poverty depth index (P1) (September 2025)
South Papua ranks 3 of 38, highest first. How far the average poor person falls below the poverty line
| Rank | Region | Poverty depth index (P1) |
|---|---|---|
| 1 | Central Papua | 7.94 |
| 2 | Highland Papua | 5.99 |
| 3 | South Papua | 4.07 |
| 4 | Papua | 3.61 |
| 5 | Southwest Papua | 3.21 |
| 6 | Maluku | 3.14 |
| 7 | East Nusa Tenggara | 2.89 |
More on South Papua: overview · economy and jobs · health · education and schools · government budget · Indonesia
Sources
- Ministry of Health (Kemenkes), Secretariat General: Profil Kesehatan Indonesia 2025, Lampiran 1.8: Gini index by province, 2021-2025 (Susenas, Statistics Indonesia), read 23 October 2026 · saved copy (SHA-256 d90b802535dc…)
Each saved copy is the file exactly as downloaded, kept so the figures can be checked even if the source changes. Report an error.