A recent survey by the Social Weather Stations (SWS) found that 50 % of Filipino families described themselves as “poor” in late April 2025 — estimating about 14.1 million families in this category.
This figure marks a drop from earlier in the year, when 55 % of families said they were poor in April 2025’s earlier survey.
Breaking down the numbers by region, the Visayas recorded the highest rate of self-rated poverty at 67 %, while Metro Manila had the lowest at 33 %.
The survey also asked families how much monthly income they believe they would need to no longer feel “poor” — the national median figure remained at ₱10,000 for April 2025.
In short: while there’s a slight improvement, half of Filipino families still feel they are living in poverty according to their own perceptions.