Journal of Socioeconomics and Development. 2021. 4(1): 21-32 Journal of Socioeconomics and Development https://publishing-widyagama.ac.id/ejournal-v2/index.php/jsed The reduction of human development gap in origin and new regency in Eastern Indonesia Jihad Lukis Panjawa 1 * and Bhimo Rizky Samudro 2 1 Universitas Tidar, Magelang, Indonesia 2 Universitas Sebelas Maret, Surakarta, Indonesia *Correspondence email: jipanjawa@untidar.ac.id INTRODUCTION Many measurement alternatives are applied to achieve better development. One of them is the human development index, which has been studied in depth by the United Nations Development Program since 1990 and is published regularly. Human development index is able to demonstrate the increasing quality of better human resources in human development. Increased human development index shows the indication of increased prosperity. Increased human development index represents the increasing number of population who can access development in obtaining basic needs, including income, health, education and so on evenly (Arisman, 2018; Fretes, 2017; Grubaugh, 2015; Panjawa, Samudro, & Soesilo, 2018; Sulistyowati, Sinaga, & Novindra, 2017; Vikash, 2019; Yuliani & Saragih, 2014). Equity, especially the issue of inequality, is still one of the priorities in development. Uneven development will cause disparities. The gap of social and economy affects the ability of humans and is undesirable from the standpoint of welfare (Ghosh, 2019). ABSTRACT Inequality still becomes a popular issue in the establishment of developing countries. Aside from income inequality, human development inequality is considered as an interesting topic for further study, in terms of resuming the solution. The purpose of this study is to identify the human development gap between origin and new regencies in Eastern Indonesia as well as the determinant. This study uses a positivist perspective with a deductive approach. Secondary data with cross-section types are used in this study, covering regencies and cities in Eastern Indonesia. This study uses the econometrics methodology and regression analysis with a dummy variable. The results showed that there were differences in human development index between origin and new regencies in Eastern Indonesia. The human development index in the new regency is lower than in the origin regency. The results support the Myrdal’s Theory, which explains the gap in human development disparities among regions due to the significant backwash effects. Fiscal decentralization has a role in reducing the gap in human development in origin and new regencies, yet insignificant for the economic growth. Poverty lowers the impact on increasing human development in the origin regencies but does not occur in the new regencies. ARTICLE INFO ►Research Article Article History Received 30 November 2020 Accepted 5 January 2021 Published 1 April 2021 Keywords economic growth; decentralization; human development; poverty; regional status JEL Classification H30; I32; O15 To cite this article: Panjawa, J. L. & Samudro, B. R. (2021). The reduction of human development gap in origin and new regency in Eastern Indonesia. Journal of Socioeconomics and Development, 4(1), 21-32. https://doi.org/10.31328/jsed.v4i1.1769 ISSN 2615-6075 online; ISSN 2615-6946 print ©UWG Press, 2021