Kendari, SE Sulawesi (ANTARA News) - The Central Bureau of Statistics (BPS) of Southeast of Sulawesi said the number of people living below the poverty line grew in the province.

Around 14.05 percent or 342,260 of the provinces population of around 3 million people lived below the poverty line in March, 2014, head of the provincial BPS Adi Nugroho said here on Wednesday.

The number rose 11,420 people from 330,840 people or 13.73 percent of the population in the same months last year, Adi said.

In the period from September 2013 to March 2014, the number of people living below the poverty line grew 34,000 in rural areas and 11,080 in urban areas in the province, he said.

The percentage of the number of people living in poverty did not change much between rural and urban areas.

In September, 2013, most people living in poverty were recorded in rural areas reaching 293,670 making up 88.76 percent of the total number of people categorized as poor in the province.

Adi attributed the increase in the number of people categorized as poor to the increase in the official level of poverty line and economic growth.

People living below the poverty line are those whose per capita monthly spending falls below the line.
(Uu.H-ASG/F001)

Editor: Priyambodo RH
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