No Significant Change in Poverty Perception, SWS Finds

The latest Social Weather Stations (SWS) survey conducted from September 24 to 30, found that 50% of respondents or an estimated total of 14.2 million families classified themselves as poor or "mahirap" Meanwhile, 38% reported that they were not poor or "hindi mahirap", while 12% described themselves as “borderline”, meaning families fall in between the two categories. The September results show a 1-point increase from 49 percent from April to June 2025, roughly equivalent to 13.7 million families. Those who rated themselves as not poor dropped by 3 points, from 41% in June, while those in the borderline group increased by 2 points. Regional data show that Mindanao recorded the highest self-rated poverty at 69%, unchanged from June. It was followed by the Visayas at 54% (down six points), Metro Manila at 43% (up seven points), and Balance Luzon at 42% (up four points). The percentage of families considering themselves “not poor” fell across most regions from 57% to 51% in Metro Manila, 28 percent to 23 percent in the Visayas, and 52 percent to 49 percent in Luzon outside Metro Manila. In Mindanao, the number barely changed, slipping slightly from 21% to 20%. 41% of Filipino families said they are “food-poor”, a figure unchanged since April. Meanwhile, 47% said they were “not food-poor” slightly lower than 49 percent in June, and 11% considered themselves “food borderline.” Mindanao recorded the highest food poverty at 61% followed by the Visayas with 40%, Metro Manila by 35%, and the rest of Luzon total 33% The survey was conducted through face-to-face interviews with 1,500 adults nationwide and had a ± 3% margin of error for national results, and ±4-±6% for regional figures. via Princess Chin, Insight PH