Filipino Families Self-Rated Poor Declines in Latest Survey
A recent survey shows a significant change in how Filipino families view their economic status. According to a trusted source, 50 percent of Filipino families, an estimated 14.1 million households, rated themselves as poor in the April 23 to 28 survey. This marks a five-point drop from the previous survey conducted between April 11 and 15, where 55 percent of families, or about 15.5 million, identified as poor.
The four-word keyphrase “Filipino families self-rated poor” appears early in this report, highlighting an important shift in public perception.
Interestingly, the survey also revealed that 42 percent of families now consider themselves not poor, a record high. Meanwhile, 8 percent categorized themselves as borderline, a figure that represents the smallest since this classification began in 1985.
Regional Trends in Poverty Perception
The drop in self-rated poverty was especially noticeable in Metro Manila and Mindanao. Metro Manila experienced a sharp 12-point decline, with only 33 percent of families seeing themselves as poor, down from 45 percent. Mindanao followed with a 9-point decrease, dropping from 70 to 61 percent.
In contrast, poverty ratings in Balance Luzon remained steady at 43 percent, while the Visayas held the highest poverty rate at 67 percent, unchanged from the previous survey.
All regions saw an increase in families who rated themselves as not poor. Metro Manila led with a 15-point increase to 60 percent, Balance Luzon rose 7 points to 51 percent, the Visayas went up 3 points to 24 percent, and Mindanao increased by 13 points to 29 percent. Borderline ratings fell across all areas.
Understanding the Newly Poor and Non-Poor Families
The survey also shed light on the dynamics within the self-rated poor population. Approximately 7.7 percent of families who self-identified as poor had been non-poor within the past one to four years, classified as “newly poor.” Another 8.3 percent were “usually poor,” having been non-poor five or more years ago. The largest group, 34 percent, reported always being poor.
This means that among the 14.1 million self-rated poor families, around 2.2 million are newly poor, 2.3 million usually poor, and 9.5 million always poor.
Conversely, among the 14 million families who rated themselves as non-poor (including borderline), 12.8 percent were “newly non-poor,” 20.4 percent “usually non-poor,” and 16.6 percent “always non-poor.” This translates to roughly 3.6 million newly non-poor families, 5.7 million usually non-poor, and 4.6 million always non-poor.
Survey Details and Methodology
The First Quarter 2025 Social Weather Survey was conducted through face-to-face interviews with 1,500 adults aged 18 and above. The sampling error margins are ±3 percent nationally, ±4 percent in Balance Luzon, and ±6 percent each for Metro Manila, the Visayas, and Mindanao.
These findings offer a nuanced picture of poverty perception among Filipino families, showing gradual improvements in some regions but persistent challenges in others.
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