A growing number of Filipino families are now seeing themselves as “not poor,” hitting a record high in April, according to a recent survey by the Social Weather Stations (SWS).
Based on the April 23 to 28 poll, 42 percent of respondents identified their families as “not poor,” a significant jump from just 32 percent earlier that month. This marks the highest recorded percentage of Filipinos who felt financially stable under this category.
Meanwhile, the number of families who rated themselves as poor slightly dropped to 50 percent from 55 percent recorded in the April 11 to 15 survey. This figure translates to roughly 14.1 million families considering themselves poor, down from 15.5 million.
Despite the improvement, the latest rate remains higher than the 48 percent average recorded in 2022 and 2023.
Notably, the percentage of families who placed themselves on the “borderline” between poor and not poor hit an all-time low of 8 percent—down from 12 percent earlier in April.
SWS noted that the steep decline in those identifying as borderline poor reflects a shift toward families seeing themselves as financially secure. Data from previous surveys showed a sharp drop from 30 percent in March 2024 to 12 percent by June of the same year.
In terms of geography, the Visayas recorded the highest self-rated poverty at 67 percent, unchanged from the earlier survey. It was followed by Mindanao at 61 percent (down from 70 percent), Balance Luzon at 43 percent (down from 44 percent), and Metro Manila at 33 percent (down from 45 percent).
Metro Manila also led the increase in families who felt “not poor,” surging to 60 percent from the previous 45 percent. It was followed by Balance Luzon (51 percent), Mindanao (29 percent), and Visayas (24 percent).
