Indonesia
Society
The economic disparity is most apparent in the eastern part of Indonesia, such as Sulawesi and Papua, where extractive industries, which are done by businesses led by wealthy people and driven by Jakarta-centered development, have exacerbated the wealth rift.
A boy sitsnon Aug. 5 at the Dago residential area in Bandung, West Java. The West Java office of Statistics Indonesia (BPS) recorded a decrease in the urban poor population from 2.83 million people in September 2025 to 2.7 million in March. (Antara/Novrian Arbi)
Inequality in Indonesia has multiplied over the past three decades, a situation mirrored across many resource-dependent Global South countries, with the solution being an inclusive economic growth rather than excessive state intervention, according to academics.More than 220 scholars from at least 20 countries gathered for the three-day 2026 Institute for Advanced Research (IFAR) Consortium Conference hosted by the Indonesian International Islamic University in Depok, West Java.
