The findings highlight an important policy lesson for Blora: infrastructure development is not simply about building more facilities. The quality, distribution, accessibility, and productive use of infrastructure determine how strongly it contributes to regional economic activity.
Why Infrastructure Matters for Blora’s Economy
Infrastructure provides the foundation for economic activities. Roads connect producers with markets, electricity supports households and businesses, and clean water is essential for domestic needs as well as agricultural, commercial, industrial, and microbusiness activities.
The issue is particularly relevant to Blora because its economy has strong links to primary sectors, including agriculture, forestry, fisheries, and mining and quarrying. These sectors depend heavily on reliable transportation, energy, and basic services.
According to the data analyzed by Melinda and Taufiq, Blora’s Gross Regional Domestic Product (GRDP) at constant prices increased substantially over the long term. GRDP rose from Rp10,597.23 billion in 2011 to Rp20,834.42 billion in 2025.
The regional economy experienced a contraction of 4.56 percent in 2020, reflecting the economic disruption caused by the COVID-19 pandemic. Economic activity subsequently recovered, with GRDP growth reaching 5.34 percent in 2025.
At the same time, the development of basic infrastructure showed different patterns. Road length fluctuated, electricity capacity changed considerably over the observation period, while clean water distribution generally increased.
Researchers Analyze 15 Years of Blora Data
Melinda and Taufiq used a quantitative approach based on secondary time-series data covering 2011–2025. The data came primarily from the Central Statistics Agency (BPS) of Blora Regency, BPS of Central Java Province, and other relevant government institutions.
The researchers examined three infrastructure indicators:
- Road infrastructure, measured by total road length in kilometers.
- Electricity infrastructure, measured by installed electricity capacity.
- Clean water infrastructure, measured by the volume of clean water distributed in cubic meters.
- Economic growth, represented by GRDP at constant prices.
The researchers then used multiple linear regression to examine whether each infrastructure variable was associated with economic growth, both individually and collectively.
Statistical tests conducted before the main analysis indicated that the regression model met the reported normality, multicollinearity, heteroscedasticity, and autocorrelation requirements.
Clean Water Emerges as the Strongest Infrastructure Factor
The most prominent finding concerns clean water infrastructure. The analysis found a positive and statistically significant relationship between clean water infrastructure and economic growth, with a t-value of 11.070 and a significance level of 0.000.
Clean water distribution increased from 1,959,657 cubic meters in 2011 to 4,298,261 cubic meters in 2025.
The largest annual increase occurred in 2023, when distributed clean water rose approximately 17.37 percent, from 3,404,030 cubic meters in 2022 to 3,995,474 cubic meters in 2023.
For Melinda and Taufiq, the result illustrates that water infrastructure is more than a public service. Reliable access to clean water can support productivity across several economic activities while meeting essential community needs.
The researchers identified clean water infrastructure as the variable with the strongest partial statistical influence among the three infrastructure factors examined.
Better Roads Support Economic Connectivity
Road infrastructure also showed a positive and significant relationship with Blora’s economic growth. The regression result produced a t-value of 10.037 with a significance level of 0.000.
The study links better road infrastructure with improved mobility and distribution. For a region where agriculture, mining, forestry, and trade contribute significantly to economic activity, transportation connectivity can affect how efficiently products move from production areas to consumers and markets.
Blora’s recorded road length changed considerably during the observation period. It stood at 797.69 kilometers in 2011, increased to 1,222.84 kilometers in 2016, remained relatively stable for several years, and was recorded at 916.10 kilometers from 2023 to 2025.
The researchers noted that the later decline in recorded road length should not automatically be interpreted as the physical disappearance of roads. Changes in road status, administrative records, and authority classifications also affected the reported figures.
Electricity Capacity Shows a Different Pattern
Electricity infrastructure produced the study’s most unexpected result. Although electricity is normally considered an essential input for economic production, the analysis found a negative and significant relationship with economic growth in Blora.
The reported regression result was a t-value of -2.715 with a significance level of 0.020.
The researchers do not interpret this result as evidence that electricity is unimportant. Instead, they suggest that increasing electricity capacity does not automatically generate stronger economic growth when the additional capacity is not optimally utilized by productive sectors.
This distinction is particularly relevant to Blora’s economic structure. Expanding electricity infrastructure may need to be accompanied by stronger industrial, commercial, agricultural, and small-business activity so that additional energy capacity translates into higher productivity.
As Melinda and Taufiq of Universitas Pembangunan Nasional “Veteran” Jawa Timur explain in their analysis, the economic benefit of infrastructure depends not only on its availability but also on how effectively it is utilized within productive activities.
Three Infrastructure Factors Explain 97.8 Percent of Variation
When road, electricity, and clean water infrastructure were examined together, the model produced an Adjusted R Square of 0.978.
This means the three infrastructure variables statistically accounted for approximately 97.8 percent of the variation in Blora’s economic growth within the research model, while the remaining 2.2 percent was associated with factors outside the model.
The simultaneous test also showed a statistically significant relationship, with an F-value of 206.984 and significance of 0.000.
The result reinforces the idea that regional infrastructure should be developed as an integrated system. Roads, electricity, and clean water perform different functions but can complement one another in supporting economic activity.
Implications for Regional Policy
The findings provide several practical considerations for the Blora Regency Government.
First, expanding and improving clean water services should remain a priority because clean water showed the strongest partial relationship with economic growth in the model.
Second, road quality and equitable connectivity need continued attention to ensure that agricultural, mining, forestry, commercial, and other economic activities can reach markets efficiently.
Third, electricity policy should move beyond simply increasing installed capacity. Greater attention should be given to productive utilization, ensuring that electricity infrastructure supports businesses and economic sectors capable of generating additional value.
The researchers also encourage communities to participate in maintaining existing infrastructure so that public investment can deliver benefits over a longer period.
Future research could expand the observation period and incorporate additional factors such as investment, education, health, and telecommunications infrastructure.
Author Profile
Ngalisa Duwik Melinda is a researcher from Universitas Pembangunan Nasional “Veteran” Jawa Timur, with research interests related to regional economics, infrastructure, and economic growth.
M. Taufiq is also affiliated with Universitas Pembangunan Nasional “Veteran” Jawa Timur and contributes to research in economics and regional development.
The source article does not provide academic degrees for either author, so no degree designation is added here to avoid introducing information that is not stated in the publication.
Research Source
Article Title: The Effect of Road Infrastructure, Electricity Infrastructure, and Clean Water Infrastructure on Economic Growth in Blora Regency
Authors: Ngalisa Duwik Melinda and M. Taufiq
Journal: International Journal of Economic, Finance and Business Statistics (IJEFBS)
Publication: Volume 4, Number 4, 2026, pp. 423–440
DOI: 10.59890/ijefbs.v4i4.20
Official Journal Website: http://journalijefbs.my.id/index.php/ijefbs
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