Calorie Consumption and Indonesia’s Household Expenditure: Is There a Paradox?

During 2011-2014, anecdotal evidence suggested a paradox in Indonesia concerning calorie intake that had fallen, despite increased per capita expenditure and household size. This study will rigorously analyze calorie intake by applying several analytical methods, mainly repeated cross-section methods using an instrumental variable. The study used national scale data from the National Socio-Economic Survey (Susenas) in March 2011-2014. This study finds a meaningful relationship between calorie intake and per capita expenditure and household size in Indonesia in the 2011-2014 period. Besides, calorie needs and the "Subsidized Rice for the Poor" or the Raskin program are positively correlated with calorie intake. The research also suggests that the government needs to maintain household food assistance programs, ensure the stability of staple food prices, and apply economies of scale in calculating the poverty line.JEL Classification: C31, C36, D12, D90Rustam., Ikhsan, M., Hartono, D., & Sumarto, S.. (2021). Calorie Consumption and Indonesia’s Household Expenditure: Is There A Paradox?. Signifikan: Jurnal Ilmu Ekonomi, 10 (1), 1-12. http://doi.org/10.15408/sjie.v9i2.15310.