14.1M Pinoy families rate themselves poor

Even before inflation dropped to its lowest level in more than five years in May, half of Filipino families considered themselves poor, according to the latest Social Weather Stations (SWS) survey.

The 23–28 April survey released over the weekend found 50 percent of respondents rated themselves as poor, 8 percent said they were on the borderline, and 42 percent said they were not poor.

The figure marked a five-point improvement from the 55 percent recorded in mid-April, reversing three months of steady increases.

The dip in self-rated poverty came amid positive economic indicators, which could positively impact future self-rated poverty surveys.

The Philippine Statistics Authority reported a 1.3 percent inflation rate in May, down from 1.4 percent in April and the lowest since November 2019. Inflation averaged 1.9 percent from January to May 2025.

SWS estimated that 14.1 million families considered themselves poor in late April, down from 15.5 million earlier that month.

“The percentage of respondent households rating themselves as poor was applied to the PSA’s medium population projections for 2025 to arrive at the estimated numbers of self-rated poor families,” the survey noted.

Meanwhile, the share of those who considered themselves not poor rose from 32 percent to 42 percent — a new record high, surpassing the previous best of 36 percent in March.

The improvement was driven largely by significant drops in Metro Manila and Mindanao. In the capital region, self-rated poverty plunged by 12 points to 33 percent. Mindanao saw a 9-point drop to 61 percent.

In contrast, Balance Luzon (areas outside Metro Manila) stayed nearly flat at 43 percent, and the Visayas remained unchanged at a high 67 percent.

The number of Filipinos placing themselves on the poverty borderline also fell in all areas — from 10 percent to 6 percent in Metro Manila; from 12 percent to 6 percent in Balance Luzon; from 12 percent to 9 percent in the Visayas; and from 14 percent to 10 percent in Mindanao.

Perception of being “not poor” climbed across the board. It jumped 15 points in Metro Manila to 60 percent, rose 7 points to 51 percent in Balance Luzon, 3 points to 24 percent in the Visayas, and 13 points to 29 percent in Mindanao.

On food, 41 percent of families considered themselves food-poor, while 7 percent rated themselves as borderline and 51 percent as not food-poor.

The national median self-rated poverty threshold — how much a family thinks it needs to stay out of poverty — held steady at P10,000 from December 2024 to April 2025, after falling from P15,000 in June 2024 and P12,000 in September.

The median poverty gap — the shortfall from what they feel they need — remained at P5,000 nationally.

In Metro Manila, however, the poverty threshold stayed at P20,000, and the gap widened from P7,000 to P10,000.

SWS also asked how long poor families had felt that way. Of the 14.1 million families who rated themselves poor in late April, 2.2 million said they had been non-poor just one to four years ago — classified as “newly poor.” Another 2.3 million had been non-poor more than five years ago (“usually poor”), while 9.5 million said they had never experienced not being poor, describing themselves as “always poor.”

Despite the improving economic data, the survey highlights a persistent feeling of deprivation among many Filipino families. The numbers suggest that while inflation is cooling, the recovery has yet to be felt at the dinner table.