Bireuen, Aceh — Aceh continues to face structural pressures including rising unemployment, poverty, education gaps, and mental health challenges, compounded by floods and landslides in late 2025.
The Aceh Statistics Agency (BPS) said the unemployment rate rose to 5.88% in February 2026 from 5.50%, affecting about 156,230 people and remaining above the national average of 4.76%.
BPS attributed the increase partly to disruptions in agriculture, trade, and logistics following severe flooding and landslides that damaged farmland and reduced rural activity.
Provincial data recorded around 19,902 mental health cases, including over 13,000 severe cases. The Aceh Mental Hospital estimates around 21,000 cases requiring ongoing care.
Average years of schooling stood at 9.95 years, indicating incomplete secondary education for a significant share of the population, with persistent urban–rural disparities.
Aceh remains the highest-poverty province in Sumatra at 12.33% in March 2025, affecting around 704,690 people, above the national average of 8.47%.
Analysts cite weak industrialisation, limited investment, and reliance on public spending as key constraints on economic transformation.
Governance quality, including integrity and institutional effectiveness, is also viewed as a factor influencing development outcomes.
Chairman of the Volunteers Caring for the People Across Borders, Arizal Mahdi, said Aceh needs more targeted policies focusing on productive sectors.
He called for stronger investment in education, vocational training, SMEs, and rural economic development, alongside attention to mental health pressures linked to economic conditions.
He also stressed that stability and peace remain essential for development.
“Stability and peace are essential assets and must be preserved to avoid disruption to development and welfare,” he said.
Observers say Aceh remains at a critical stage in its long-term development path, particularly in strengthening human capital.
