Involuntary hunger among Filipino families surged to its highest level in a year during the first quarter of 2026, according to the latest Social Weather Stations (SWS) survey released on Tuesday.
The poll, conducted from March 24 to 31, revealed that 23.2% of families experienced involuntary hunger—defined as being hungry and having nothing to eat at least once in the past three months. This figure marks a significant jump from the 20.1% recorded in November 2025 and surpasses the 2025 annual average of 20.2%.
The Visayas region saw the most dramatic spike, reaching a hunger incidence of 28%, followed by Balance Luzon at 22.4% and Metro Manila at 22%. Mindanao was the sole outlier, recording a 5% decline in hunger.
The SWS noted that the upward trend was driven by increases in both “moderate” and “severe” hunger categories.
“Total hunger is usually higher among the poor, and hunger is highest among the food-poor.”
The report highlighted a widening gap in food security, noting that hunger rose more sharply among those who do not consider themselves poor, jumping to 18.5% from 13%. However, the burden remains heaviest on self-rated food-poor families, where hunger incidence climbed to 32.6%.
The survey, which utilized face-to-face interviews with 1,500 adults, comes at a time when 52% of Filipino families identify as “poor” and 42% classify themselves specifically as “food-poor.”