MANILA, Philippines — The share of Filipino families experiencing involuntary hunger fell to 20.3% in June 2026, offering some relief after a sharp increase recorded earlier in the year. But behind the nationwide improvement is a worrying regional trend: hunger increased in Mindanao, according to the latest Social Weather Stations (SWS) survey.
The Second Quarter 2026 Social Weather Survey found that 20.3% of Filipino families experienced involuntary hunger at least once during the three months preceding the survey. SWS defines involuntary hunger as being hungry and having nothing to eat.
The June figure represents a 2.9-percentage-point decline from the 23.2% recorded in March 2026, when hunger reached its highest level since March 2025.
Still, the latest figure remains slightly above the 20.2% average recorded for 2025, while staying below the record-high 21.1% annual average recorded in 2020 during the COVID-19 pandemic.
Mindanao bucks the national trend
While the national hunger rate improved, the situation was not uniform across the country.
Mindanao recorded the highest hunger rate in June at 24.0%, followed by the Visayas at 22.3%, Metro Manila at 21.0%, and Balance Luzon at 17.3%, according to SWS.
Mindanao was also the only major area where hunger increased compared with March. Its rate climbed 2.3 percentage points, from 21.7% to 24.0%.
In contrast, hunger dropped sharply in the Visayas, falling from 28.0% in March to 22.3% in June. Balance Luzon also recorded a significant decline, from 22.4% to 17.3%, while Metro Manila eased from 22.0% to 21.0%.
The regional figures show why the national improvement should be interpreted cautiously: millions of Filipino families may be experiencing different food-security realities depending on where they live.
Moderate hunger still accounts for most cases
The 20.3% national hunger rate consisted of 15.8% experiencing moderate hunger and 4.5% experiencing severe hunger.
SWS classifies moderate hunger as experiencing hunger only once or a few times during the previous three months. Severe hunger refers to experiencing hunger often or always during that period.
Both categories declined from March. Moderate hunger fell from 17.7% to 15.8%, while severe hunger decreased from 5.5% to 4.5%.
However, Metro Manila presents a notable complication. While its moderate hunger rate declined, its severe hunger rate increased from 6.7% in March to 8.3% in June.
Hunger also eased among families who consider themselves poor
The SWS survey found that 49% of Filipino families considered themselves poor in June, while 14% placed themselves in the borderline category and 37% said they were not poor.
Self-rated food poverty also declined, with 36% of families describing themselves as food-poor, compared with 49% who considered themselves food-not-poor.
Among families who considered themselves poor, total hunger declined from 27.5% in March to 24.5% in June.
Among those classified as not poor or borderline, hunger also fell, from 18.5% to 16.2%.
The pattern was similar among families who considered themselves food-poor: their hunger rate dropped from 32.6% to 29.9%.
Survey covered 1,200 adults nationwide
The Second Quarter 2026 SWS survey was conducted June 20 to 29, using face-to-face interviews with 1,200 adults aged 18 and above nationwide.
The sample included 300 respondents each from Metro Manila, Balance Luzon, the Visayas and Mindanao. SWS reported a sampling error margin of ±3 percentage points for national figures and ±6 points for each major area.
The latest results follow a difficult first quarter for Filipino families. In March, SWS reported that involuntary hunger had climbed to 23.2%, up from 20.1% in November 2025.
The June decline therefore marks a meaningful improvement—but the continuing high rate and the increase recorded in Mindanao suggest that food insecurity remains a significant concern.
For many Filipino families, the latest numbers may signal relief. But with one major region moving in the opposite direction, the country’s hunger problem is far from over.
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