More Filipino families experienced hunger in the third quarter of 2025, according to the latest Social Weather Stations (SWS) survey released on Wednesday, November 5.
The survey found that 22% of Filipino households suffered from involuntary hunger—or hunger due to lack of food—at least once in the past three months. This marks a 5.9-point increase from 16.1% in June 2025, ending the earlier downward trend observed during the year’s first half.
Hunger rose across all major regions, with Metro Manila posting the highest rate at 25.7%, followed by Balance Luzon (23.8%), Mindanao (19.7%), and Visayas (17.7%).
On average, the hunger rate for the first three quarters of 2025 stood at 20.2%, nearly the same as 2024’s average and slightly below the 21.1% peak recorded in 2020 during the height of the COVID-19 pandemic.
The Third Quarter 2025 Social Weather Survey was conducted from September 24 to 30 through face-to-face interviews with 1,500 adults nationwide.