Conditional Cash Transfer and Food Insecurity: Evidence from Low-Income Households With Children in Indonesia

This study examines the link between conditional cash transfers (CCTs) and food insecurity among low-income households with children in Indonesia, using data from the 2022 National Socioeconomic Survey (SUSENAS). The insecurity is assessed using calorie intake and the Food Insecurity Experience Scale (FIES), while the link is examined using binary and ordinal logistic regression models. The results indicate that insecurity is substantially higher than estimates: 82.37% based on calorie intake and 32.61% based on the FIES. These percentages highlight the disproportionate burden of food insecurity faced by vulnerable groups, with the prevalence being the highest in eastern Indonesia, particularly in Maluku, Papua, and Nusa Tenggara. The results also show that CCT is associated with a lower likelihood of both calorie- and FIES-based food insecurity.