SWS: Self-rated poverty highest in 21 years

MANILA, Philippines — An estimated 17.4 million Filipino families deemed themselves poor in the last quarter of 2024, the highest in over two decades, a Social Weather Stations (SWS) survey found.

The survey, conducted from Dec. 12 to 18, found that 63 percent of the respondents rated their families as poor, up four points from the 59 percent or 16.3 million poor families in September 2024.

It was the highest since the 64 percent obtained in November 2003.

SWS has conducted quarterly surveys on self-rated poverty since 1992, except in the first three quarters of 2020 at the height of the COVID-19 pandemic. In November 2020, self-rated poverty was at 48 percent, even lower than pre-pandemic figure of 54 percent obtained in December 2019.

The latest survey results showed that the annual self-rated poverty average for 2024 reached 57 percent, nine points above the average of 48 percent in 2022 and 2023. It was the highest annual average since 2003, when the average reached 60 percent.

Meanwhile, those who rated their families as “not poor” in the latest poll decreased to 26 percent, from 28 percent in September 2024.

Those who were “borderline poor” decreased from 13 percent to 11 percent.

Across areas, Mindanao had the highest self-rated poverty at 76 percent (from 67 percent), followed by those in the Visayas at 74 percent (from 62 percent), balance Luzon at 55 percent (similar to September 2024) and Metro Manila at 51 percent (from 52 percent).

Those who rated their families as “not poor” were highest among those in Metro Manila at 40 percent (from 38 percent), followed by those in the rest of Luzon at 34 percent (from 33 percent), Mindanao at 15 percent (from 23 percent) and the Visayas at 11 percent (from 16 percent).

‘Food-poor’ highest since 2004

The latest survey also found more than half or 51 percent identified their families as “food poor” or poor based on the food they eat.

It was up five points from the 46 percent obtained in September 2024 and was the highest since the 51 percent obtained in March 2004.

SWS said the average self-rated “food poverty” last year was 44 percent, nine points higher than the 35 percent average in 2023. It was the highest since the average of 53 percent in 2003.

Those who rated their families as “not food-poor” decreased from 37 percent to 36 percent, while those who considered their families as “borderline food-poor” decreased from 17 percent to 13 percent.

Self-rated food poverty was highest among respondents in Mindanao at 68 percent (from 61 percent), followed by those in the Visayas at 61 percent (from 49 percent), balance Luzon at 42 percent (from 39 percent) and Metro Manila at 39 percent (similar to September 2024).

The SWS Fourth Quarter survey had 2,160 respondents and a margin of error of plus/minus two percent.