Erosivity is the potential ability of rainfall to cause erosion. For the planning of erosion control and soil conservation this erosivity needs to be quantified. Various indices have been applied for this purpose. The use of these indices are compared for the Citarum River basin in West Java. It is concluded that different indices give different results because some are related to the direct erosive impact of the rainfall, while others to the effect of rainfall on plant development providing a protective soil layer.