Over half of Filipino households now consider themselves poor, with Mindanao leading
A September 2026 survey shows 55% of Filipino families rate themselves as poor, the highest share recorded in Mindanao.
In a self-rated poverty poll conducted in September 2026, the Social Weather Stations reported that 55% of Filipino families now classify themselves as poor, an increase of six percentage points from June. The rise was most pronounced in Mindanao, where 64% of respondents felt poor, with the Visayas at 63% and Balance Luzon at 51%. Metro Manila showed a lower rate of 44%.
The percentage of households describing their situation as borderline dropped from 14% to 9%, while the share of families not considered poor stayed near 36%. The survey also measured self-rated food poverty, which rose to 44%, and noted that the median monthly income needed to escape poverty rose to P15,000, with a shortfall gap of P6,000.
Why it matters
The surge in self-perceived poverty highlights growing economic strain for millions of Filipino families.
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