The number of Filipino families who went hungry at least once in the past three months climbed to 20%, according to the latest Social Weather Stations (SWS) survey conducted in late April 2025.
This figure is up slightly from the 19.1% recorded earlier that month, though still lower than the 27.2% peak seen in March. The survey, released June 28, reflects responses from 1,500 adults nationwide through face-to-face interviews.
Mindanao posted the highest hunger rate at 26.3%, a steep 9-point jump from 17.3% in early April. The Visayas followed with 19.7%, also marking a 5.4-point increase. Meanwhile, Metro Manila and Balance Luzon saw notable improvements, with hunger rates falling to 20.3% and 17%, respectively.
The SWS classifies hunger into two categories: moderate (those who experienced hunger “only once” or “a few times”) and severe (those who went hungry “often” or “always”). Of the total 20%, 16.4% fell under moderate hunger while 3.6% experienced severe hunger.
The latest results also highlight the deeper impact of hunger on poorer households. Families who identified themselves as “poor” reported a hunger rate of 25.9%, compared to 14.1% among those who considered themselves “not poor.” A similar pattern was seen among families who considered themselves “food-poor”—with hunger rates highest in this group despite a slight drop compared to late 2024.
The survey has a ±3% margin of error for national results.
