SWS: 48% of Filipino families consider themselves poor

The percentage of Filipino families who considered themselves poor has increased from 43 in April to 48 in June, the latest survey of the Social Weather Stations has shown.

According to the SWS, the estimated numbers of self-rated poor families are 10.9 million in April 2022 and 12.2 million in June 2022.

The national survey conducted from June 26 to 29, 2022 found 48% of Filipino families rating themselves as “mahirap or poor,” 31% ranking themselves as “borderline poor,” and 21% placing themselves as “hindi mahirap or not poor.”

The survey was conducted using face-to-face interviews of 1,500 respondents nationwide with 300 each in Metro Manila, the Visayas and Mindanao, and 600 in Balance Luzon.

The sampling error margins are ±2.5% for national percentages, ±5.7% each for Metro Manila, the Visayas, and Mindanao, and ±4.0% for Balance Luzon.  The survey was non-commissioned.

SWS said the percentage of poor families rose from 43% while borderline families fell from 34%, and not poor families declined from 23% compared to the findings in April 2022.

8.8% of families are 'newly poor'

SWS also asked the self-rated poor if they ever experienced being non-poor—either not poor or borderline—in the past.

The total percentage of poor families consists of 8.8% who were non-poor one to four years ago (“newly poor”), 6.1% who were non-poor five or more years ago (“usually poor”), and 33.0% who never experienced being non-poor (“always poor”).

According to SWS, 2.2 million were newly poor, 1.6 million were usually poor, and 8.4 million were always poor of the estimated 12.2 million self-rated poor families in June 2022.

Those who were self-rated non-poor—either not poor or borderline—were also asked if they ever experienced being poor in the past.

“The total percentage of non-poor families consists of 20.7% who were poor 1 to 4 years ago (“newly non-poor”), 11.6% who were poor five or more years ago (“usually non-poor”), and 19.8% who never experienced being poor (“always non-poor”),” the SWS said.

“Of the estimated 13.3 million self-rated non-poor families in June 2022, 5.3 million were newly non-poor, 3.0 million were usually non-poor, and 5.0 million were always non-poor,” it added.

Self-related poor rose in all areas

Meanwhile, SWS said that the 5-point rise in the nationwide self-rated poor between April 2022 and June 2022 was due to increases in the Visayas and Metro Manila, combined with slight increases in Mindanao and Balance Luzon.

Compared to April 2022, those who self-related themselves as poor rose in the Visayas from 48% to 64% and in Metro Manila from 32% to 41%.

It rose slightly in Mindanao from 60% to 62%, while it hardly moved in Balance Luzon from 35% to 36%.

“On the other hand, borderline poor fell in the Visayas from 46% to 26%, and in Metro Manila from 42% to 22%. It fell slightly in Mindanao from 33% to 31%, while it rose in Balance Luzon from 28% to 36%,” the pollster said.

“At the same time, not poor rose in Metro Manila from 26% to 37%, and in the Visayas from 6% to 10%. It stayed at 7% in Mindanao, while it fell in Balance Luzon from 37% to 28%,” it added.

Food-poor and non-food poor

During the same survey period, 34% of families considered themselves as “food-poor”, 40% rating themselves as “borderline food-poor, and 26% as “not food-poor.”

SWS said the percentage of food-poor families rose from 31%, borderline food-poor families fell from 45%, and not food-poor families rose slightly from 24% compared to the findings in April 2022.

The estimated numbers of self-rated food poor families are 8.7 million in June 2022 and 7.9 million in April 2022, it said.

Food-poor rose in all areas except in Mindanao

Further, SWS said the 3-point increase in self-rated food-poor from April 2022 to June 2022 was due to increases in Metro Manila, Balance Luzon, and the Visayas.

The pollster, however, said there was a slight decrease in Mindanao from 49% to 45% compared to the findings in April 2022.

Self-rated food-poor rose in Metro Manila from 25% to 31%, in Balance Luzon from 24% to 28%, and in the Visayas from 31% to 37%.

“On the other hand, borderline food-poor fell in Metro Manila from 46% to 28%, and in the Visayas from 62% to 44%. It fell slightly in Balance Luzon from 40% to 38%, while it rose in Mindanao from 39% to 46%,” it said.

At the same time, not food-poor rose in Metro Manila from 28% to 41%, and in the Visayas from 7% to 19%. It fell slightly in Balance Luzon from 37% to 34%, and in Mindanao from 12% to 9%,” it added. -NB/RSJ, GMA News