The National Population and Family Planning Agency (BKKBN) in Indonesia discussed three population issues and efforts to address them at the 56th Session of the UN Commission on Population and Development (CPD56) in New York. The first issue is the country’s high population growth rate, which has decreased from 2.3% in 1971 to 1.1% in 2022. The government aims to further reduce this to 1% per year and maintain the total fertility rate of 2.1 births per woman. The BKKBN has established the Quality Family Village (Kampung KB) program, with over 22,000 villages participating, to achieve this.
The second issue concerns improving the quality of education in Indonesia to increase socioeconomic welfare. The government intends to allocate 20% of the state budget to education and improve teachers’ capacity in remote and rural areas. Education completion rates have risen during the pandemic, mainly in elementary schools. The third issue focuses on improving the health and welfare of students to achieve optimal education results. The BKKBN aims to reduce the prevalence of stunting, which affects almost 30% of Indonesian children under the age of five. The government has initiated various programs to tackle stunting, including increasing access to nutritious food.
Reducing the high population growth rate in Indonesia can improve citizens’ living standards. The government’s commitment to quality education can benefit socioeconomic welfare by producing quality human resources. Moreover, tackling stunting can ensure that each child gets optimal education results. The BKKBN’s efforts to address these issues will not only benefit Indonesia but will also contribute to global targets, such as the Sustainable Development Goals. The CPD56 marks a significant platform for understanding the link between population issues and sustainable development, with Indonesia providing an example of the efforts made at the national level.
