Poverty Reduction Strategy in Brebes Regency

Abstract

The poverty rate in Brebes Regency reached 14.15%, significantly higher than the national poverty rate (8.25%) and the Central Java Provincial poverty rate (9.39%) in 2025. The number of people living in poverty in Brebes Regency in 2025 was 257,290. This study aims to formulate strategic recommendations for poverty alleviation in Brebes Regency using a SWOT (Strengths, Weaknesses, Opportunities, and Threats) analysis. The research identifies the causes of poverty, analyzes internal and external strategic factors, and formulates priority strategies for poverty alleviation. The results of the Internal–External (IE) Matrix indicate that Brebes Regency is positioned in the Hold and Maintain quadrant, which reflects a moderate level of internal strength and a moderately attractive external environment. This position suggests that the existing poverty alleviation programs have generally been implemented in the right direction. However, they should be maintained, strengthened, and continuously improved to ensure greater effectiveness, better targeting, and more optimal poverty reduction outcomes. The SWOT matrix analysis identified three priority strategies. The highest priority strategy is optimizing Village Funds, Corporate Social and Environmental Responsibility (TJSLP/CSR), and government programs to strengthen economic empowerment, improve access to financing, and enhance social protection for poor households (score: 6.255). The second priority strategy is developing investment based on regional competitive advantages to increase value added through downstream industrialization by strengthening collaboration among the government, the private sector, and local communities to create employment opportunities (score: 5,786). The third priority strategy is leveraging digitalization and the National Integrated Socio-Economic Data (DTSEN) to improve the quality and effectiveness of poverty alleviation services (score: 5.668).