A Social Weather Stations (SWS) survey revealed that 89% of adult Filipinos are looking forward to the New Year 2026 with hope instead of fear, the lowest optimism level since 2009.
The figure reflects a 1-point drop from 90% in 2024 and a 7-point decline from 96% in 2023, marking the lowest in 16 years since the 89% recorded in 2009.
Conversely, 11% said they will begin 2026 with fear, up from 10% in 2024 and 3% in 2023—the highest since 2009.
According to SWS, optimism for the New Year was first surveyed in 2000 at 87%, with results fluctuating between the 80s and 90s in subsequent years.
The survey asked: “Ang darating na taon ba ay inyong sasalubungin nang may pag-asa o may pangamba?”
Respondents answered either: “Sasalubungin ang darating na taon nang may pag-asa” or “Sasalubungin ang darating na taon nang may pangamba.”
The November 2025 survey underscores a cautious start to the year, with optimism still dominant but at its lowest in over a decade.