A NEW survey conducted by Stratbase and the Social Weather Stations (SWS) reveals a concerning trend in the Philippines: 55% of Filipino families, or more than half, consider themselves poor.
This represents a three-point increase from March 2025 and a steady rise over the past four months.
The first-quarter 2025 survey, conducted from April 11-15, interviewed 1,800 registered voters nationwide using face-to-face interviews.
The results show a significant disparity across regions. Mindanao reported the highest percentage of self-rated poor families at 70%, followed by the Visayas at 67%, Metro Manila at 45%, and Balance Luzon (Luzon outside Metro Manila) at 44%.
Compared to March 2025 figures, the increase in self-rated poverty is most pronounced in Mindanao (up 10 points), followed by the Visayas (up 5 points) and Metro Manila (up 4 points). Balance Luzon saw a slight decrease of 2 percentage points.
The survey also categorized families as “borderline” (those on the cusp of poverty) and “not poor.” While the percentage of borderline families remained relatively stable across regions, the percentage of families considering themselves “not poor” decreased significantly in Mindanao (down 11 points) and the Visayas (down 4 points), with a smaller decrease in Metro Manila (down 3 points). Balance Luzon saw minimal change in this category.
The December 2024 survey showed a higher percentage of self-rated poor families (63%), suggesting a slight improvement in the early months of 2025, followed by a recent uptick.
This fluctuation highlights the ongoing economic challenges faced by many Filipino families. The sampling error margins are ±2.31% for national percentages, ±3.27% for Balance Luzon, and ±5.66% for Metro Manila, the Visayas, and Mindanao.
The data underscores the need for targeted interventions to address poverty and economic inequality across the country.
metrosundaily
