MANILA, Philippines — There was a slight improvement in how Filipino families viewed their economic situation in June, but the latest Social Weather Stations (SWS) survey shows that poverty remains a reality for nearly half of the country.
SWS reported that 49% of Filipino families considered themselves poor in June 2026, down from 52% in March. The decline represents an estimated reduction from 14.5 million self-rated poor families to 13.6 million.
The survey was conducted from June 20 to 29, 2026, involving 1,200 adults nationwide.
The improvement was also reflected in the number of families who considered themselves “not poor,” which rose to 37% from 35% in March. Another 14% placed themselves in the borderline category between poor and not poor, compared with 13% previously.
Food poverty also declines
One of the more significant movements came from families struggling to put enough food on the table.
SWS found that 36% of Filipino families considered themselves food-poor in June, a six-point drop from 42% in March.
The estimated number of food-poor families consequently declined from around 11.7 million to 10.2 million during the same period.
At the same time, the share of families saying they were not food-poor increased from 46% to 49%, while those describing themselves as borderline food-poor rose from 12% to 15%.
Mindanao still records the highest self-rated poverty
Despite the nationwide improvement, the situation remains particularly difficult in parts of the country.
Mindanao recorded the highest self-rated poverty rate at 61%, although this was slightly lower than its 63% rating in March.
The Visayas followed at 59%, down sharply from 66%. Balance Luzon recorded 41%, while Metro Manila posted the lowest rate at 40%.
The Visayas registered the biggest improvement, dropping seven percentage points from its March level.
Food poverty also declined across all four major areas. The Visayas and Mindanao, however, remained tied for the highest self-rated food-poverty rate at 45%.
Families say they need less—but that may not mean they are better off
Another important finding of the survey involves the amount families believe they need to escape poverty.
The median self-rated poverty threshold fell to ₱14,000 per month in June from ₱15,000 in March. Meanwhile, the median amount that self-rated poor families said they lacked to reach their perceived threshold remained at ₱5,000.
For food poverty, the median amount families said they needed to no longer consider themselves food-poor dropped from ₱8,000 to ₱6,000, while the median food-poverty gap declined from ₱3,000 to ₱2,000.
That decline should not automatically be interpreted as a sign that Filipino households suddenly became financially comfortable.
SWS has previously pointed out that a sluggish or declining self-rated poverty threshold amid inflation can indicate that poor families are tightening their budgets and adjusting their living standards rather than experiencing a major improvement in purchasing power.
That interpretation is particularly relevant against the country’s price environment.
The Philippine Statistics Authority reported that headline inflation eased to 6.4% in June 2026 from 6.8% in May, while inflation for the country’s bottom 30% income households stood at 8.0%, down from 8.4% in May.
Nearly 8.3 million families remain “always poor”
The latest SWS figures also reveal that the decline in the overall percentage does not mean poverty has disappeared for millions of households.
Of the estimated 13.6 million self-rated poor families, about 8.3 million were classified as “always poor,” 2.7 million as “usually poor,” and 2.4 million as “newly poor.”
In other words, while fewer families described themselves as poor compared with March, a large portion of those still in the category have experienced persistent economic hardship.
SWS poverty numbers are different from official government poverty statistics
It is also important to distinguish the latest SWS findings from the government’s official poverty statistics.
Self-rated poverty measures how families perceive their own economic condition. The Philippine Statistics Authority’s official poverty measure, meanwhile, is based on whether a family’s income is sufficient to meet established basic food and non-food requirements.
The latest official full-year PSA data available put the country’s 2023 poverty incidence at 15.5% of the population, equivalent to about 17.54 million Filipinos. Poverty incidence among families was 10.9%, or roughly 3 million families.
The two figures therefore should not be directly compared as if they measure the same thing. The SWS survey captures how Filipinos perceive their economic circumstances, while the PSA measure uses an income-based statistical threshold.
A small improvement with a bigger question
The drop from 52% to 49% is encouraging on the surface. It means fewer Filipino families said they were poor in June than three months earlier.
But the larger picture remains complicated.
Nearly one in two Filipino families still identified themselves as poor, while millions continue to struggle with food and household expenses. At the same time, the June survey was conducted against a backdrop of elevated inflation, particularly among lower-income households.
The latest figures therefore point to a mixed economic picture: self-rated poverty improved, food poverty declined and more families considered themselves not poor—but the number of households still reporting poverty remains enormous.
For millions of Filipino families, the real test will not simply be whether the poverty percentage falls on the next survey.
It will be whether incomes and purchasing power improve enough for families to actually feel that life is becoming more affordable.
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