Self-rated poverty in the Philippines dropped to 50% this April, according to the latest survey by Social Weather Stations (SWS). This is lower than the 55% recorded in the first half of the month. This equates to an estimated 14.1 million families considering themselves poor—down from the previous figure of 15.5 million.
More people now say they are ‘not poor’, reaching 42% from the previous 32%. This is the highest recorded percentage of Filipinos who do not consider themselves poor. Meanwhile, those who say they are only “borderline” have dropped to 8%—also the lowest in this category.
In Metro Manila, those who said they were not poor increased to 60% from 45%. In Balance Luzon, it rose to 51%; in Mindanao, 29% from 16%; and in Visayas, 24% from 21%. The highest self-rated poverty is in Visayas (67%) and Mindanao (61%).
The drop in the percentage of those who are "borderline" or unsure whether they are poor or not had a significant impact on the data. From 30% in March 2024, it fell to 12% in the next survey.
Overall, more and more Filipinos are hopeful that their lives are improving under the current administration—a positive sign for the country's economy.
