The social protection system in Indonesia consists of non-contributory social assistance and contributory social security programs. The social assistance programs include in-kind assistance and cash transfer. Meanwhile, the social security program consists of the national health insurance and social insurance for employment. The impetus for major reforms of social protection in Indonesia took place in the early 2000s following the Asian financial crisis in 1997–1998. During the COVID-19 pandemic in 2020–2022, the social protection system in Indonesia faced difficulties in providing protection for the lower middle class as they are not included in the database for social protection targeting. Driven by the experience during the pandemic, in addition to the current programs and their improvements, the future social protection system in Indonesia is aimed to adopt the adaptive social protection concept, which integrates social protection with disaster risk reduction and climate change adaptation.

Suggested Citation:

Suryahadi, Asep, and Sri Kusumastuti Rahayu, 'Social Protection in Indonesia', in Anis Ben Brik (ed.), Social Protection Systems and Policy Reforms, in Anis Ben Brik (ed.), The Oxford Handbook of Social Welfare in the Global South, Oxford Handbooks (2026; online edn, Oxford Academic, 21 May 2026), https://doi.org/10.1093/oxfordhb/9780197761465.013.0003, accessed 20 June 2026.