Only 89% of adult Filipinos are entering the new year with hope, according to the latest Social Weather Stations (SWS) survey conducted from Nov. 24 to 30, 2025.

The figure marks a one-point decline from 90% in 2024 and a seven-point drop from 96% in 2023, registering the lowest level of New Year optimism since 2009.

Meanwhile, 11% of respondents said they will enter 2026 with fear, up from 10% last year and matching the highest level recorded since 2009. The figure follows a seven-point increase recorded in 2023.

SWS first measured New Year optimism at the end of 2000, when 87% of Filipinos expressed hope for the coming year. Results were in the 80% range in 2000, 2001, 2004, 2005, 2009, and 2025, while surveys conducted in 2002, 2003, 2006 to 2008, and from 2010 to 2024 consistently recorded optimism levels in the 90s.

Comparison with Christmas outlook

The survey also asked respondents about their expectations for Christmas. Sixty-eight percent said they anticipated a happy Christmas, while 7% expected a sad one and 25% said it would be neither happy nor sad.

Those who expected a happy Christmas were more likely to enter the New Year with optimism at 92%, compared with 83% among those who anticipated neither a happy nor a sad Christmas, and 79% among those who expected a sad Christmas.

By age and sex

By age group, 11% of respondents were aged 18 to 24, 20% were 25 to 34, another 20% were 35 to 44, 16% were 45 to 54, and 33% were aged 55 and above.

Half of the respondents were male and half were female.

By location

Balance Luzon registered the highest level of optimism at 92%, followed by Metro Manila at 90%, the Visayas at 85%, and Mindanao at 84%.

Of the respondents, 13% were from Metro Manila, 45% from Balance Luzon, 19% from the Visayas, and 23% from Mindanao. Fifty percent lived in urban areas, while the remaining half were from rural communities.

By educational attainment

Optimism was generally higher among respondents with more education. Those with some senior high school education recorded the highest optimism at 93%, followed by college graduates at 91% and junior high school graduates at 90%.

In comparison, optimism was lower among elementary graduates at 86% and non-elementary graduates at 81%.

The survey showed that 10% of respondents had not completed elementary school, 27% had completed elementary or some high school, 30% had completed junior high school or vocational school, 22% had attended or completed senior high school or some college, and 11% were college graduates or had completed postgraduate studies.