Ethical and Political Dimensions of Data Manipulation in Government

Disparities Between Official Narratives and Field Reality in Indonesia

Abstract

This study examines the systemic divergence between official government data narratives and documented realities in Indonesian socioeconomic conditions, specifically poverty and unemployment trends during 2023–2025. While Badan Pusat Statistik reports declining poverty (from 9.03% in 2023 to 8.47% in March 2025) and decreasing unemployment (from 5.55% in 2023 to 4.85% in August 2025), independent research reveals substantially different ground realities. The Prakarsa Institute estimates that 42.9% of Indonesia's population remains economically vulnerable, while Celios identifies hidden unemployment at 7–8%, considerably exceeding official figures. Using hermeneutic phenomenological analysis, this study examines how methodological choices in poverty measurement, annual data adjustment practices, and normalization of such adjustments contribute to significant divergences between statistical representation and lived socioeconomic experience. Findings reveal that data manipulation operates not as technical failure but as a systematic feature of governance where political imperatives to demonstrate policy success override commitment to factual accuracy. This article contributes to understanding how institutional actors rationalize and normalize practices that distort information crucial to democratic accountability and effective policymaking.