SWS: No change in most Pinoys’ lives

Despite low inflation, ongoing economic challenges, and major natural calamities such as widespread flooding, the latest Social Weather Stations (SWS) survey found that most Filipinos feel their quality of life is unchanged.

In the Second Quarter 2025 Social Weather Survey, conducted from 25 to 29 June, 42 percent of the surveyed individuals said their quality of life remained unchanged since a year ago.

On the other hand, 35 percent of Filipinos (gainers) said their quality of life was better than it was 12 months before, while 23 percent (losers) said their lives had worsened.

The survey of 1,200 respondents had a margin of error of ±3 percentage points nationwide and ±6 points for Metro Manila, Balance Luzon, the Visayas and Mindanao.

Earlier, the Department of Finance underscored that the 0.9-percent inflation rate for July 2025 — the lowest in six years — provided the biggest relief to the poorest families, attributed to the sustained drop in food prices, especially of rice.

The year-to-date inflation rate averaged 1.7 percent, below the government’s target range of 2.0 percent to 4.0 percent for the year, reflecting sustained price stability across major commodity groups.