Half of Filipinos say life worsened — SWS

The Social Weather Survey of 2026 found 50 percent of adult Filipinos experienced a decline in living conditions, with 26 percent reported no change, and 23 percent said their condition improved compared to a year ago.

The survey shows a Net Gainers score of -26, denoting that more Filipino lives deteriorated than improved, which SWS classifies as “low,” marking it the lowest in more than four years since the -44 in September 2021 and -8 in the annual average in 2025.

The first quarter of the Social Weather Survey 2026 was conducted from 24 to 31 March, through face-to-face interviews of 1,500 adults, aged 18 years old and above.

With 300 respondents each from Metro Manila, Visayas, and Mindanao, and 600 in Balance Luzon, or Luzon outside of Metro Manila, which was weighted by the Philippine Statistics Authority (PSA) medium-population projections for 2026.

The SWS survey questioned changes in personal quality of life from 2025 to 2026, a non-commissioned survey included on SWS’s initiative and released as a public service.

In terms of trend behavior, the Net Gainers score was normally negative until 2015, when it turned positive, before its sharp decline due to COVID-19.

The score improved but reported multiple fluctuations from June 2023 to 2025, before falling back to single digits in September and November 2025, and dropping further into negative double digits by March 2026.

SWS found score lowest in Mindanao and Metro Manila with a 31-point drop, with Visayas following at 25 points, and Luzon outside Metro Manila (Balance Luzon) at 23 points.

Compared to November 2025, it fell from “mediocre” to “very low,” as Balance Luzon fell by 19 points, Visayas by 11 points, including Mindanao which fell from “high” to “very low,” down by 33 points.

Net Gainers vary depending on age group, education level

Net Gainers are observed to decline with age. As of March 2026, it was highest among 18 to 24-year-olds at -4, “fair,” followed by 25 to 34-year-olds at -21 “low,” 35 to 44-year-olds at -31 “very low”, 45 to 54-year-olds at -38 “very low,” and those 55 years and older at -39 “very low.”

Relative to November 2025, all age groups recorded declines. Among 18 to 24-year-olds, the score dropped sharply from +31, including 25 to 34-year-olds from +2, 35 to 44-year-olds from -7, 45–54-year-olds from -12, and those 55 and above from -21.

Compared to November 2025, Net Gainers among non-elementary graduates and junior high school or vocational school graduates fell by 25 points from -4, and 26 points from -7, respectively.

On the other hand, elementary graduates fell from “mediocre” to “very low,” down by 17 points from -14, with senior high school and some academy attendees by 10 points from +1, and college graduates by 13 points from -6.