Spending discrepancy in Jakarta: Land of the rich, home of the poor

The number of people living in poverty in Jakarta reached 494,930 in September 2022, up by 4.61 per cent from September 2017, according to Statistics Indonesia. - AFP

JAKARTA: Newly released data from Statistics Indonesia (BPS) reveal a deep discrepancy between the haves and the have-nots in Jakarta, given that the townspeople’s spending average sits far above national per-capita expenditure.

The BPS living cost survey 2022, published on Dec 12, unveiled that Jakarta households spent an average Rp 14.89 million (US$959) per month in 2022, far above the national average figure of Rp 8.36 million.