Filipinos have become significantly more hopeful about their personal quality of life, with net optimism reaching an “excellent” level in the latest Social Weather Stations (SWS) survey.
The poll, conducted from June 20 to 29, found that 48% of Filipino adults expected their lives to improve over the next 12 months, while only 8% believed their situation would worsen.
Another 31% expected no change, while 12% did not provide an answer.
Based on the difference between optimists and pessimists, the country posted a Net Personal Optimism score of +40, which SWS classified as “excellent.”
The June reading was 17 points higher than the +23 recorded in March, when 38% anticipated improvement and 16% expected their lives to deteriorate.
SWS said the latest figure was the highest since the +41 posted in June 2025.
The improvement was recorded across all major areas of the country, according to the polling firm.
“Compared to March 2026, net personal optimism rose from high to excellent in Balance Luzon, up by 27 points from +22 to +49. It rose from high to very high in Metro Manila, up by eight points from +28 to +36, in the Visayas, up by six points from +27 to +33, and in Mindanao, up by 11 points from +20 to +31,” SWS said.
OPTIMISM RISES ACROSS DEMOGRAPHIC GROUPS
The survey showed that optimism increased by 17 points in both rural and urban communities. The rural score climbed from +24 in March to +41 in June, moving from “high” to “excellent,” while the urban score rose from +22 to +39, shifting from “high” to “very high.”
Women recorded a 23-point increase, bringing their net optimism score from +20 to +43 and moving the rating from “high” to “excellent.” Among men, the score rose 12 points from +26 to +38, or from “high” to “very high.”
Younger Filipinos posted the strongest outlook. Those aged 18 to 24 registered +58, followed by the 25-to-34 age group at +51, with both classified as “excellent.”
Respondents aged 35 to 44 scored +38, while those aged 45 to 54 registered +36, both rated “very high.” Those aged 55 and above posted +17, classified as “fair.”
The biggest increase from March came among Filipinos aged 25 to 34, whose score jumped 29 points from +22 to +51. The 45-to-54 group gained 20 points from +16 to +36, while the 18-to-24 group rose 19 points from +39 to +58.
Those aged 35 to 44 saw a 10-point improvement from +28 to +38, while respondents 55 and older recorded a seven-point increase from +10 to +17.
Optimism also strengthened across every educational attainment group.
“Compared to March 2026, Net Optimism rose from high to very high among non-elementary graduates, up by nine points from +22 to +31, and among junior high school graduates, up by 12 points from +22 to +34,” it said.
“It rose from fair to very high among elementary graduates, up by 19 points from +19 to +38. It rose from high to excellent among those with some senior high school, up by 17 points from +29 to +46, and among college graduates, up by 31 points from +26 to +57,” it added.
The Second Quarter 2026 Social Weather Survey involved face-to-face interviews with 1,200 Filipinos aged 18 and above nationwide. Each of Metro Manila, Balance Luzon, the Visayas, and Mindanao contributed 300 respondents.
The survey has a margin of error of ±3 percentage points for national figures and ±6 percentage points for each major island group.