According to a recent survey conducted by the Social Weather Stations (SWS), approximately 58 percent of Filipino families categorized themselves as poor in June. This marks a significant increase from 46 percent in March 2024 and is the highest percentage recorded since June 2008, when 59 percent of families rated themselves as poor.
The survey estimates that 16 million Filipino families considered themselves poor in June, up from 12.9 million in March 2024. Additionally, 12 percent of families described themselves as borderline poor, while 30 percent stated they were not poor.
Self-rated poverty levels were particularly high in Mindanao, where 71 percent of families identified as poor. In the Visayas, this figure stood at 67 percent, followed by 52 percent in Balance Luzon, and 39 percent in Metro Manila.
Historically, self-rated poverty reached its peak at 74 percent in the July 1985 Bishops-Businessmen’s Conference (BBC) survey. Since SWS began its surveys in May 1986, the highest recorded rate was 72 percent in February 1992, while the lowest was 38 percent in March 2019.
The survey revealed that families who rated themselves as poor needed a minimum monthly budget of P15,000 to avoid considering themselves poor. This threshold has remained unchanged for the past ten quarters. Median monthly expenses reported included P3,000 for house rent, P2,000 for transportation to work and school, P900 for internet, and P360 for mobile phone load.
The latest SWS survey was conducted through face-to-face interviews with 1,500 adults from June 23 to July 1.