The number of Filipino families identifying as poor has surged to its highest level in 16 years, according to a recent Social Weather Stations (SWS) survey.
Self Rated Filipino Poor Increased
Conducted from June 23 to July 1, the survey revealed that 58% of respondents rated their families as poor, a 12-point increase from 46% in March 2024.
This marks the highest rate since the 59% recorded in June 2008 during the Arroyo administration.
The latest figures translate to approximately 16 million poor Filipinos in June 2024, up from 12.9 million in March 2024.
In contrast, the percentage of families considering themselves “not poor” rose to 30%, matching the record high first seen in December 2014, up from 23% in March 2024. The proportion of those who described their families as “borderline poor” fell to a record-low 12% from 30%.
Regionally, self-rated poverty was highest in Mindanao at 71%, followed by the Visayas at 67%, Luzon at 52%, and Metro Manila at 39%.
Those rating their families as “not poor” were most prevalent in Metro Manila at 46%, followed by Luzon at 37%, the Visayas at 18%, and Mindanao at 17%.
“Food Poverty”
The survey also highlighted a rise in self-rated “food poverty,” which reflects the quality of food families can afford.
This rate climbed from 33% in March 2024 to 46% in June 2024, the highest since June 2008’s 49%.
The percentage of families considering themselves “not food-poor” increased from 31% to 39%, while those seeing themselves as “borderline food-poor” dropped from 36% to 15%.
Food poverty was highest in Mindanao at 61%, followed by the Visayas at 50%, Luzon at 42%, and Metro Manila at 31%.
The survey polled 1,500 respondents and has a margin of error of ±2.5% for national percentages.
SWS has been conducting quarterly surveys on self-rated poverty since 1992, with a hiatus during the first three quarters of 2020 due to the COVID-19 pandemic.