An Analysis of the Determinant Factors of Poverty and Inequality in Indonesia and Their Implications for Village Development Planning
Abstract
This study aims to analyze the key determinant factors influencing poverty and inequality, as well as to examine their implications for village development planning. The research adopts a mixed-method approach by integrating robust regression-based quantitative analysis with qualitative literature studies derived from secondary sources. The findings identify five factors that significantly affect inequality: economic growth, the open unemployment rate, the human development index (HDI), the proportion of informal agricultural workers, and fiscal transfers from the central government to regional administrations. Furthermore, six determinant factors are found to influence poverty: economic growth, inequality, the open unemployment rate, the human development index, the proportion of informal agricultural workers, and fiscal transfers from the central government to local governments. As a key implication, the study emphasizes the need to prioritize the allocation of village funds toward programs that directly address the root causes of poverty and inequality. This strategic focus is essential to ensure that rural development planning contributes effectively to social equity and sustainable economic growth at the village level.
References
Akib, F. H. Y., Novriansyah, M. A., & Wolok, E. (2025). Dinamika Kemiskinan di Provinsi Gorontalo: Tren, Tantangan, dan Strategi Penanggulangan 2012–2022. JAMBURA: Jurnal Ilmiah Manajemen dan Bisnis, 7(3), 1203-1215. https://doi.org/10.37479/jimb.v7i3.29932
Asra, A. (2000). Poverty and inequality in Indonesia: estimates, decomposition and key issues. Journal of the Asia Pacific Economy, 5(1-2), 91-111. https://doi.org/10.1080/13547860008540785
Azim, A. N., Sutjipto, H., & Ginanjar, R. A. F. (2022). Determinan ketimpangan pembangunan ekonomi antarprovinsi di indonesia. Jurnal Riset Ilmu Ekonomi, 2(1), 1-16. https://doi.org/10.23969/jrie.v2i1.23
Booth, A. (2000). Poverty and inequality in the Soeharto era: An assessment. Bulletin of Indonesian Economic Studies, 36(1), 73-104. https://doi.org/10.1080/00074910012331337793
Deneulin, S., & Shahani, L. (Eds.). (2009). An introduction to the human development and capability approach: Freedom and agency. Canada: Earthscan.
Ebirim, G. U., Ndubuisi, N. L., Unigwe, I. F., Asuzu, O. F., Adelekan, O. A., Awonuga, K. F., ... & Awonuga, K. F. (2024). Financial literacy and community empowerment: A review of volunteer accounting initiatives in low-income areas. International Journal of Science and Research Archive, 11(1), 975-985. https://doi.org/10.30574/ijsra.2024.11.1.0135
Fan, C. C. (1997). Uneven development and beyond: regional development theory in post‐Mao China. International Journal of Urban and Regional Research, 21(4), 620-639. https://doi.org/10.1111/1468-2427.00105
Fan, F., Li, M., Tao, R., & Yang, D. (2020). Transfer-based decentralisation, economic growth and spatial inequality: Evidence from China’s 2002–2003 tax sharing reform. Urban Studies, 57(4), 806-826. https://doi.org/10.1177/0042098019856780
Fitriani, F. (2025). Assessing the Role of Government Spending in Reducing Economic Disparities Across Urban and Rural Areas. The Journal of Academic Science, 2(6), 1688-1696. https://doi.org/10.59613/h2bkp418
Flew, T. (2010). Toward a cultural economic geography of creative industries and urban development: introduction to the special issue on creative industries and urban development. The information society, 26(2), 85-91. https://doi.org/10.1080/01972240903562704
Galasso, E., & Ravallion, M. (2005). Decentralized targeting of an antipoverty program. Journal of Public economics, 89(4), 705-727. https://doi.org/10.1016/j.jpubeco.2003.01.002
Giangregorio, L. (2024). Welfare type and income inequality: an income source decomposition including in-kind benefits and cash-transfers entitlement. International Tax and Public Finance, 31(2), 367-403. https://doi.org/10.1007/s10797-022-09772-8
Guillaud, E., Olckers, M., & Zemmour, M. (2020). Four levers of redistribution: The impact of tax and transfer systems on inequality reduction. Review of Income and Wealth, 66(2), 444-466. https://doi.org/10.1111/roiw.12408
Handoyo, F., Hidayatina, A., & Purwanto, P. (2021). The effect of rural development on poverty gap, poverty severity and local economic growth in Indonesia. Jurnal Bina Praja, 13(3), 369-381. https://doi.org/10.21787/jbp.13.2021.369-381
Harahap, Z. R. A. (2024). Beyond the Neoclassical Approach Addressing Income Inequality in Indonesia Through Institutional Economics. Journal of Sustainable Economics, 2(2), 104-110. https://doi.org/10.32734/jse.v2i2.18923
Hartojo, N., Ikhsan, M., Dartanto, T., & Sumarto, S. (2022). A growing light in the lagging region in Indonesia: The impact of village fund on rural economic growth. Economies, 10(9), 217. https://doi.org/10.3390/economies10090217
Huda, M., & Supriyadi, A. P. (2025). Productive Waqf Law Reform: A Solution to Support Indonesian Local Economy amid Contemporary Global Recession. MILRev: Metro Islamic Law Review, 4(1), 319-359. https://doi.org/10.32332/milrev.v4i2.10210
Imantria, B. (2024). Determinants of Poverty in Indonesia: Does Per Capita Income Matter?. Efficient: Indonesian Journal of Development Economics, 7(3), 244-256. https://doi.org/10.15294/xp97vg80
Indraningsih, K. S., Nahraeni, W., Agustian, A., & Gunawan, E. (2021). The Impact of the Use of Village Funds on Sustainable Agricultural Development. In E3S Web of Conferences (Vol. 232, p. 01018). EDP Sciences. https://doi.org/10.1051/e3sconf/202123201018
Irfan, M., & Suryani, A. (2017). Local wisdom based tourist village organization in Lombok tourist area. International Journal of English Literature and Social Sciences, 2(5), 239220. https://dx.doi.org/10.24001/ijels.2.5.10
Johansson, Å. (2016). Public finance, economic growth and inequality: A survey of the evidence. OECD Economic Department Working Papers, (1346), 1. http://dx.doi.org/10.1787/18151973
Joseph, M. L., Chaskin, R. J., & Webber, H. S. (2007). The theoretical basis for addressing poverty through mixed-income development. Urban affairs review, 42(3), 369-409. https://doi.org/10.1177/1078087406294043
Kim, E., & Samudro, Y. N. (2017). The impact of intergovernmental transfer funds on interregional income disparity in Indonesia. International Journal of Urban Sciences, 21(1), 22-40. https://doi.org/10.1080/12265934.2016.1240626
Maharani, C., Ningrum, D. A., Fatmawati, A. E., & Fadilla, A. (2024). Dampak kemiskinan terhadap kualitas pendidikan anak di Indonesia: Rekomendasi kebijakan yang efektif. Journal of Macroeconomics and Social Development, 1(3), 1-10. https://doi.org/10.47134/jmsd.v1i3.199
Mendoza, R. U. (2011). Crises and inequality: Lessons from the global food, fuel, financial and economic crises of 2008–10. Global Policy, 2(3), 259-271. https://doi.org/10.1111/j.1758-5899.2011.00090.x
Michael Tjahjadi, A., & Sulistyaningrum, E. (2022). Income Inequality in Indonesia: Which Aspects Cause the Most?. Journal of Indonesian Economy and Business, 37(3), 229-253.
Mookodi, L. (2021). Decomposition analysis of the Gini coefficient of consumer expenditures in Botswana. Development Southern Africa, 38(4), 622-642. https://doi.org/10.1080/0376835X.2021.1912587
Muthmainna, A., & Siroj, R. A. (2025). Mastering the art of qualitative data analysis and interpretation: Key steps and procedures. FiHeSu International Journal of Education and Development Research (FIJEES), 2(1).
Neilson, J., & Wright, J. (2017). The state and food security discourses of Indonesia: Feeding the bangsa. Geographical Research, 55(2), 131-143. https://doi.org/10.1111/1745-5871.12210
Nugroho, H. Y. S. H., Indrawati, D. R., Wahyuningrum, N., Adi, R. N., Supangat, A. B., Indrajaya, Y., ... & Hani, A. (2022). Toward water, energy, and food security in rural Indonesia: A review. Water, 14(10), 1645. https://doi.org/10.3390/w14101645
Oluoko-Odingo, A. A. (2011). Vulnerability and adaptation to food insecurity and poverty in Kenya. Annals of the Association of American Geographers, 101(1), 1-20. https://doi.org/10.1080/00045608.2010.532739
Osabuohien, E., Odularu, G., Ufua, D., Augustine, D., & Osabohien, R. (2022). Socioeconomic shocks, inequality and food systems in the Global South: an introduction. Contemporary Social Science, 17(2), 77-83. https://doi.org/10.1080/21582041.2022.2059549
Park, A., & Wang, S. (2010). Community-based development and poverty alleviation: An evaluation of China's poor village investment program. Journal of Public Economics, 94(9-10), 790-799. https://doi.org/10.1016/j.jpubeco.2010.06.005
Purwono, R., Wardana, W. W., Haryanto, T., & Mubin, M. K. (2021). Poverty dynamics in Indonesia: empirical evidence from three main approaches. World Development Perspectives, 23, 100346. https://doi.org/10.1016/j.wdp.2021.100346
Putra, H. S. (2017). The linkage of intergovernmental transfer and poverty in Indonesia. Jurnal Bina Praja, 9(1), 29-40. https://doi.org/10.21787/jbp.09.2017.29-40
Rachmad, Y. E., Rahman, A., Judijanto, L., Pudjiarti, E. S., Runtunuwu, P. C. H., Lestari, N. E., ... & Mintarsih, M. (2024). Integrasi metode kuantitatif dan kualitatif: Panduan praktis penelitian campuran. Yogyakarta: PT. Green Pustaka Indonesia.
Ratnadila, N. S. (2018). Perencanaan Skenario untuk Pembangunan Desa Tertinggal: Sebuah Telaah Kritis. Jurnal Penyuluhan Perikanan dan Kelautan, 12(2), 111-128. https://doi.org/10.33378/jppik.v12i2.104
Sacchi, A., & Salotti, S. (2014). The effects of fiscal decentralization on household income inequality: some empirical evidence. Spatial Economic Analysis, 9(2), 202-222. https://doi.org/10.1080/17421772.2013.833343b
Sarifuddin, S., Madani, M., & Fatmawati, F. (2022). Optimizing the utilization of village funds for sustainable village development in Majene, Indonesia. Journal of Contemporary Governance and Public Policy, 3(1), 59-70. https://doi.org/10.46507/jcgpp.v3i1.50
Satterthwaite, D., & Tacoli, C. (2014). Seeking an understanding of poverty that recognizes rural–urban differences and rural–urban linkages. In Urban livelihoods (pp. 52-70). Routledge.
Sewell, S. J., Desai, S. A., Mutsaa, E., & Lottering, R. T. (2019). A comparative study of community perceptions regarding the role of roads as a poverty alleviation strategy in rural areas. Journal of rural studies, 71, 73-84. https://doi.org/10.1016/j.jrurstud.2019.09.001
Shen, C., Jin, J., & Zou, H. F. (2012). Fiscal decentralization in China: history, impact, challenges and next steps. Annals of Economics & Finance, 13(1).
Singh, P. K., & Chudasama, H. (2020). Evaluating poverty alleviation strategies in a developing country. PloS one, 15(1), e0227176. https://doi.org/10.1371/journal.pone.0227176
Solissa, A. A., Sadewi, M. P., Aswalida, D., & Candra, M. (2025). Ekonomi Politik Pengentasan Kemiskinan: Peran Kebijakan Sosial dalam Meningkatkan Kesejahteraan Masyarakat. Hikamatzu| Journal of Multidisciplinary, 2(1).
Sugiastuti, R. H., & Pratama, M. R. (2022). Dampak Buruk Pembangunan Tanpa Pemerataan: Kesenjangan Ekonomi Antar Wilayah Di Indonesia. Profit: Jurnal Adminsitrasi Bisnis, 16(1), 79-90. https://doi.org/10.21776/ub.profit.2022.-16.01.8
Suheryadi, B., Shomad, A., & Djatmiati, T. S. (2020). Optimization of the Role of Village Facilitators in Improving the Professionality of Village Apparatus in Managing Village Funds in Indonesia. Journal of Studies in Social Sciences, 19.
Tarique, M., & Malik, Z. (2025). Asymmetric Impact of Digital Finance on Poverty and Income Inequality Using NARDL Approach: Evidence from Indonesia. Journal of the Knowledge Economy, 1-26. https://doi.org/10.1007/s13132-024-02454-2
Tiwari, A. K., Shahbaz, M., & Islam, F. (2013). Does financial development increase rural‐urban income inequality? Cointegration analysis in the case of Indian economy. International Journal of Social Economics, 40(2), 151-168. https://doi.org/10.1108/03068291311283616
Wirandana, P. A., & Khoirunurrofik, K. (2024). Educational inequality in Indonesia: are intergovernmental fiscal transfers effective in reducing the gap?. Educational Studies, 50(6), 1424-1443. https://doi.org/10.1080/03055698.2022.2103647
Copyright (c) 2025 Journal La Sociale

This work is licensed under a Creative Commons Attribution-ShareAlike 4.0 International License.



