Almost one in two Filipino families continue to view themselves as poor, according to the latest survey by the Social Weather Stations (SWS) conducted from June 25 to 29.
The poll found that 49% of respondents rated their families as poor — virtually unchanged from 50% in April. This translates to about 13.7 million families, a slight drop from 14.1 million recorded in the previous quarter.
Meanwhile, 41% said they were “not poor,” similar to April’s 42%, while 10% placed themselves on the borderline — up from 8%.
By region, self-rated poverty was highest in Mindanao at 69% (from 61%), followed by the Visayas at 60% (from 67%), Balance Luzon at 38% (from 43%), and Metro Manila at 36% (from 33%).
The survey also revealed that 41% of families considered themselves “food poor,” or unable to afford sufficient quality food. This figure was steady compared to April’s results. The proportion of “not food poor” households slipped to 49% from 51%, while those on the borderline rose to 10% from 7%.
Self-rated food poverty was most severe in Mindanao at 60% (from 55%), followed by the Visayas at 44% (from 51%), with levels in other regions broadly unchanged.
The nationwide survey interviewed 1,200 adults and had a margin of error of ±3 percentage points.