SWS: More Filipino families rate themselves 'poor' at 55%, highest in Mindanao

Fifty-five percent of Filipino families rated themselves as “poor” in a survey conducted in September 2026, with the highest prevalence recorded in Mindanao, the Social Weather Stations (SWS) said Tuesday.

In a self-rated poverty (SRP) survey conducted from September 21 to 27, 2026, respondents evaluated their household's poverty status and specified the minimum monthly home budget required to avoid being considered poor.

The percentage of self-rated poor families represents a six-point increase from 49% in June 2026, which SWS estimates is equivalent to approximately 16.8 million families.

Self-rated poverty was highest in Mindanao (64%), followed by the Visayas (63%), Balance Luzon (51%), and Metro Manila (44%).

“The 6-point rise in the nationwide Self-Rated Poverty score between June 2026 and September 2026 was led by a 10-point increase in Balance Luzon, combined with smaller increases in Metro Manila, the Visayas, and Mindanao,” the survey firm explained.

Meanwhile, the percentage of families categorizing themselves as “borderline” dropped from 14 percent in June 2026 to 9 percent in September 2026.

The percentage hardly changed for “not poor” families at 36 percent, down just one point from 37 percent in June 2026.

Food poverty

Survey participants were also asked to evaluate their food poverty status based on the type of food their families consumed.

In September 2026, the survey found that Self-Rated Food Poverty (SRFP) rose by eight percentage points, from 36 percent in June 2026 to 44 percent.

This translates to an estimated 12.2 million self-rated food-poor families.

Meanwhile, families rating themselves as not food-poor fell from 49 percent to 47 percent, while those in the borderline category dropped from 15 percent to nine percent.

“The September 2026 SRFP rate of 44% was 3 points above the 41% annual average of 2025, and the highest since the 51% in December 2024,” SWS noted.

Poverty Threshold

The September 2026 survey also asked self-rated poor respondents for the minimum monthly income their households need to no longer be considered poor.

Based on the participants’ responses, the national median SRP threshold rose to P15,000, up from P14,000 in June 2026.

Additionally, the SRP Gap, or the self-reported shortfall in monthly household income, increased from P5,000 to P6,000.

The SWS survey was conducted through face-to-face interviews with 1,500 adults (18 years old and above) nationwide: 600 in Balance Luzon (or Luzon outside Metro Manila) and 300 each in Metro Manila, the Visayas, and Mindanao. The sampling error margins are ±3% for national percentages, ±4% for Balance Luzon, and ±6% each for Metro Manila, the Visayas, and Mindanao. —RF, GMA News