Enhancing Human Capital in Indonesia: Does Economic Policy Work?

Abstract

Since 2015, sustainable development has become the leading goal of all development at the global level. Human development is a crucial aspect of sustainable development planning and strategies. This study analyzes the impact of public policies on the Human Development Index (HDI) in 34 Indonesian provinces from 2015-2020. The study examines budget allocations for education, health, general allocation funds, population, and employment factors. This study employs panel data regression models for different province groups, including all provinces, non-expansion provinces, and expansion provinces. The results indicate that the education budget and population have a positive effect on HDI, while the health budget does not affect HDI in any of the models. However, the general allocation of funds and labor force participation rate have different effects in different models. Therefore, it is suggested that education policies have had more impact than health policies on improving human capital in Indonesia.