At least 37% of adult Filipinos said their lives had improved while 38% felt that their quality of life remained the same over the past 12 months, according to the latest survey by the Social Weather Station (SWS).
Conducted between September 14 to September 23, the survey also found that 24% of adult Filipinos’ quality of life got worse.
The survey question on the respondents’ assessment of their change in quality of life in the past 12 months has been fielded 154 times since April 1983.
The Net Gainer score was generally negative until 2015 when it rose to positive numbers until the sharp decline beginning with the COVID-19 pandemic lockdowns. It has since trended back upwards but has not fully recovered to pre-pandemic levels.
The results resulted in a net gainer score (individuals who perceived their lives as improved) of +13, which SWS classified as ‘very high.’ The September 2024 net gainers score was 2 points lower than the high of +15 recorded in June 2024,” SWS stated in a media release.
The survey further revealed that “gainers,” or those who perceived their quality of life had improved, scored highest in Balance Luzon at an excellent +22, followed by Mindanao at a very high +13, Metro Manila at a high +6, and the Visayas at a fair -2.
“Compared to June 2024, net gainers fell from very high to high in Metro Manila, decreasing by 10 points from +16 to +6,” the SWS said.
The results highlighted that despite some economic recovery following the pandemic, food insecurity remains a significant issue for nearly a quarter of the population.
The survey was conducted through face-to-face interviews with 1,500 adults aged 18 and above across the country.
