Academia
Indonesia needs not only better welfare data, but also greater public understanding and trust in how that data is produced.
Children defy the heat as they play on the rail tracks on July 15, 2022, in a low-income area in Pejompongan, Central Jakarta. (Antara/Hafidz Mubarak Ahmad)
Indonesia is trying to solve a difficult question: how can limited social protection resources reach the people who need them most? The question has become increasingly visible as Indonesians pay closer attention to their welfare decile — a ranking that describes the relative socioeconomic position of households. Some people worry that being placed in a higher decile could reduce their chances of receiving social assistance. In some places, this concern has even made people reluctant to participate in data collection.
The concern is understandable. But it points to a deeper challenge, Indonesia needs not only better welfare data, but also greater public understanding and trust in how that data is produced.
