Half of Filipino families, or 50%, rated themselves as poor, while 12% considered themselves “borderline” (neither poor nor not poor), and 38% said they were not poor, according to the latest survey by the Social Weather Stations (SWS) conducted from September 24 to 30.
The results, released on Thursday, October 30, were based on face-to-face interviews with 1,500 adult respondents nationwide.
The 50% self-rated poverty level represents a one-point increase from 49% in June, translating to an estimated 14.2 million poor families — up from 13.7 million the previous quarter.
Meanwhile, families who described themselves as “borderline” increased from 10% to 12%, while those who considered themselves “not poor” decreased from 41% to 38%.
SWS observed that self-rated poverty rose in Metro Manila (from 36% to 43%) and Balance Luzon (from 38% to 42%), dropped in the Visayas (from 60% to 54%), and remained steady in Mindanao at 69%.
Among those who considered themselves poor, 5.7% identified as “newly poor” (families who were not poor one to four years ago), 8.7% as “usually poor” (families who became poor five or more years ago), and 36% as “always poor” (families who have never experienced being not poor). These correspond to roughly 1.6 million, 2.4 million, and 9.9 million families, respectively.
Compared to June, the share of “newly poor” slightly increased from 5.5%, while the proportions of “usually poor” and “always poor” remained unchanged at 8.5% and 36%, respectively.
In terms of food poverty, 41% of families rated themselves as “food-poor,” equivalent to about 11.5 million households. The term refers to families that perceive their food intake as insufficient in quality or quantity for their needs.
Meanwhile, 11% of respondents rated themselves as “food borderline,” and 47% as “not food-poor.”
SWS reported that the number of food-poor families increased in Metro Manila (from 31% to 35%), decreased in the Visayas (from 44% to 40%), and remained nearly unchanged in Balance Luzon (from 34% to 33%) and Mindanao (steady at 60%).