MANILA – The latest Social Weather Survey conducted from June 28 to July 1, 2023, reveals that 45% of Filipino families still consider themselves “Mahirap” or Poor. However, this percentage shows a decline from the figure recorded in March 2023 when 51% of families rated themselves as Poor. The report indicates signs of recovery as the Self-Rated Poor figures have decreased across all areas, providing a glimmer of hope amidst the economic challenges brought on by the pandemic.
The survey further shows that 33% of families consider themselves “Borderline” by placing themselves on the horizontal line dividing Poor and Not Poor, while 22% rate themselves as “Hindi Mahirap” or Not Poor. Compared to the previous survey, Borderline families remain relatively steady, while the percentage of Not Poor families increased from 19% in March to 22% in June 2023.
In terms of the estimated numbers of Self-Rated Poor families, the June 2023 figure stands at 12.5 million, showing a decrease from the 14.0 million recorded in March 2023. The survey uses the Philippine Statistics Authority medium-population projections for 2023 to arrive at these estimates.
The improvement in Self-Rated Poverty is mirrored in Self-Rated Food Poverty as well. The survey reveals that 34% of families consider themselves “Food-Poor,” a decrease from the 39% recorded in March 2023. Additionally, 38% rate themselves as “Food Borderline,” and 29% consider themselves “Not Food-Poor.”
The decline in Self-Rated Food-Poor families is most noticeable in Mindanao, where the percentage dropped significantly from 52% in March to 40% in June 2023. The other areas, including Metro Manila, Balance Luzon, and the Visayas, saw steadier figures with relatively small changes in Self-Rated Food-Poor percentages.
The Social Weather Survey also delved into the experience of families transitioning between poor and non-poor status. Among the Self-Rated Poor families, 7.2% were considered “Newly Poor” as they had experienced non-poor status 1 to 4 years ago. On the other hand, among the Self-Rated Non-Poor families, 18.9% were classified as “Newly Non-Poor” as they had experienced being poor in the same period.
The Self-Rated Poverty Threshold, which refers to the minimum monthly budget that self-rated poor families say they need for home expenses to no longer consider themselves poor, remained at P15,000 in the past six quarters. However, the national median Self-Rated Poverty Gap increased from P6,000 in March 2023 to P7,000 in June 2023, indicating a potential strain on families’ budgets for home expenses.
Read more about the survey here.
