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Tuesday, February 18, 2025

Survey: Half of families living in poverty

Nearly half of Filipino households (approximately 13.2 million) consider themselves poor consider themselves poor, according to the latest Tugon ng Masa (TNM) nationwide survey by OCTA Research.

This represents a significant 7% increase compared to the previous quarter, with an additional 1.8 million families falling below their perceived poverty line.

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The survey, conducted from November 10 to 16, 2024, through face-to-face interviews with 1,200 respondents aged 18 and above, also revealed regional disparities in self-rated poverty. 

Mindanao recorded the highest rate at 69%, a nine-percentage-point jump from 60% in the previous quarter. This was followed by Visayas at 59%, while Balance Luzon saw a sharp increase from 30% to 43%. 

The National Capital Region (NCR) had the lowest self-rated poverty rate at 30%, a slight improvement from 35% last quarter.

The results also reflect public sentiment about the broader state of poverty in the country. About 32% of respondents said poverty has worsened, while 47% believe it has remained unchanged. 

The survey also highlighted growing concerns about hunger and food poverty. Self-rated hunger rose to 16%—equivalent to 4.2 million families experiencing involuntary hunger—up from 11% or 2.9 million families in August 2024.

The report defines involuntary hunger as “not having anything to eat at least once in the last three months before the survey period.” Approximately 86% reported going hungry either once or only a few times, while 15% said they experienced hunger frequently or consistently.

Food poverty saw a similar increase, with 49% of households (around 12.9 million families) identifying as food-poor, compared to 42% (11.1 million families) in the previous quarter. This means that Filipinos who “struggle to obtain a sufficient and healthful diet” increased. 

With that said, the report noted that about 32% of adult Filipinos believe that the state of hunger in the country has worsened, with 47% believing it has not changed. 

“Among those who consider their families poor, the median amount they need for home expenses to no longer be considered poor is P25,000 per month,” the report stated. 

“Additionally, families reported requiring a median of P8,000 more each month to escape poverty,” it added. 

The TNM survey’s fieldwork was conducted with a ±3% margin of error at a 95% confidence level. 

Editor’s Note: This is an updated article. Originally posted with the headline “5 in 10 Filipinos rate themselves poor—survey.”

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