The number of Filipino workers living in extreme poverty increased in 2024, according to the latest estimates from the International Labour Organization (ILO). Around 1.9% of the working population in the Philippines earned less than $2.15 per day, up from 0.55% in 2023.
Meanwhile, 8% of workers were classified as moderately poor, earning between $2.15 and $3.65 per day, a decline from 22.4% in the previous year. The percentage of near-poor workers, or those earning $3.65 and above per day but still at risk of poverty, rose to 90.1%, up from 77.1% in 2023.
Compared to other Southeast Asian economies, Timor-Leste recorded the highest extreme working poverty rate at 16%, followed by Myanmar at 17.5%, Cambodia at 14.1%, and Laos at 14.3%. Indonesia reported 2.8%, while Vietnam had 1.0%. More developed economies, including South Korea, Hong Kong, and Taiwan, recorded near-zero extreme poverty rates.
The ILO defines working poverty as employed individuals living in households with earnings below the accepted poverty line of $2.15 per day. The thresholds of $3.65 and $6.85 per day represent national poverty lines for lower-middle-income and upper-middle-income countries, respectively.
