The number of Filipinos who experienced involuntary hunger, or hunger despite not wanting to, rose to 20% in April 2025, according to a new survey by Social Weather Stations (SWS) released on June 28. This is up slightly from 19.1% recorded on April 11–15, after declining from 27.2% in March.
Mindanao had the highest hunger rate reaching 26.3%, followed by Metro Manila (20.3%), Visayas (19.7%), and Balance Luzon (17%). Hunger decreased in Metro Manila and Balance Luzon, but increased in Visayas and Mindanao. In Mindanao, severe hunger rose from 3.7% to 5%.
Of the total 20% hunger rate, 16.4% experienced moderate hunger or infrequent food shortages, while 3.6% experienced severe hunger or extreme hunger.
Families considered poor are more affected. In April, 50% said they were poor, 8% borderline, and 42% not poor. Hunger among the poor increased from 24.4% to 25.9%, while among the non-poor it slightly increased from 13.4% to 14.1%.
The survey was conducted through face-to-face interviews with 1,500 adults nationwide. The results have a ±3% margin of error for national percentages.
