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Social Weather Report | Self-rated Poverty (Srp) at 59% in September, Up From 58% in June 2024; Borderline at 13%, Not Poor at 28%


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Social Weather Report | Self-rated Poverty (Srp) at 59% in September, Up From 58% in June 2024; Borderline at 13%, Not Poor at 28%
by  Social Weather Stations 
  • Self-Rated Food Poverty (SRFP) at 46%, Food Borderline at 17%, Not Food-Poor at 37%

The national Social Weather Survey of September 14-23, 2024, found 59% of Filipino families rating themselves as Mahirap or Poor, 13% rating themselves as Borderline (by placing themselves on a line dividing Poor and Not Poor), and 28% rating themselves as Hindi Mahirap or Not Poor [Charts 1-2, Table 1].

Self-Rated Poverty at 59%

The September 2024 percentage of Self-Rated Poor families rose by 1 point from 58% in June 2024, following a significant 12-point rise from 46% in March 2024. This was the highest percentage of Self-Rated Poor families since June 2008.

The estimated numbers of Self-Rated Poor families were 16.3 million in September 2024 and 16.0 million in June 2024. The percentage of respondent households rating themselves as poor was applied to the Philippine Statistics Authority medium-population projections for 2024 to arrive at the estimated numbers of Self-Rated Poor families.

Self-Rated Poverty (SRP) has been measured 144 times since April 1983 through face-to-face (F2F) surveys. The SRP survey has been done quarterly since 1992, except in the first three quarters of 2020 when F2F was not possible due to the lack of public transportation during the pandemic. SWS resumed the quarterly SRP surveys in the fourth quarter of 2020, up to the present.

Self-Rated Poor was 55% when first surveyed in April 1983 by the Development Academy of the Philippines (DAP), and peaked at 74% in the July 1985 Bishops-Businessmen's Conference (BBC) survey. In the SWS surveys from May 1986 to the present, it reached as high as 72% in February 1992 and as low as 38% in March 2019.

Borderline at 13%, up from record low 12% in June 2024

The September 2024 survey found the percentage of Borderline families at 13%, up by 1 point from the record low 12% in June 2024 following an 18-point decline from 30% in March 2024. It was 13% when first recorded in July 1985 and reached its peak of 41% in October 1987.

Not Poor at 28%, two points down from record high 30% in June 2024

As of September 2024, the percentage of Not Poor families was at 28%, 2 points below the record high 30% in June 2024. It was 13% when first recorded in July 1985, and reached its record low of 8% in July 1991.

The Borderline and Not Poor figures for the 1983 survey were unpublished and cannot be located. The SRP survey was not conducted in 1984.

Self-Rated Poverty rises in Metro Manila, rises slightly in Balance Luzon, falls slightly in the Visayas and Mindanao

The 1-point rise in the nationwide Self-Rated Poverty between June 2024 and September 2024 was due to a sharp increase in Metro Manila, combined with a slight increase in Balance Luzon (or Luzon outside Metro Manila) and slight decreases in the Visayas and Mindanao [Charts 3-4, Table 2].

As of September 2024, Self-Rated Poverty was highest in Mindanao at 67%, followed by the Visayas at 62%, Balance Luzon at 55%, and Metro Manila at 52%.

Compared to June 2024, Self-Rated Poverty rose by 13 points in Metro Manila from 39%, and by 3 points in Balance Luzon from 52%. However, it fell slightly by 5 points in the Visayas from 67%, and 4 points in Mindanao from 71%.

On the other hand, the percentage of Borderline families had single-digit changes in all areas. It rose by 7 points in the Visayas from 15% to 22% and 1 point in Balance Luzon from 11% to 12%. However, it fell by 5 points in Metro Manila from 15% to 10% and 1 point in Mindanao from 11% to 10%.

At the same time, Not Poor rose by 6 points in Mindanao from 17% to 23%. However, it fell by 8 points in Metro Manila from 46% to 38%, 4 points in Balance Luzon from 37% to 33%, and 2 points in the Visayas from 18% to 16%.

Self-Rated Food Poverty (SRFP) at 46%, Food Borderline at 17%, Not Food-Poor at 37%

On Self-Rated Food Poverty, based on the type of food eaten by their families, the September 2024 survey found 46% of families rating themselves as Food-Poor, 17% rating themselves as Food Borderline (by placing themselves on the line dividing Food-Poor and Not Food-Poor), and 37% rating themselves Not Food-Poor [Charts 5-6, Table 3].

Self-Rated Food Poverty remained unchanged from June 2024 to September 2024, reaching its highest point since 49% in June 2008.

On the other hand, compared to June 2024, Food Borderline families rose slightly by 3 points from 15%, while Not Food-Poor families fell slightly by 2 points from 39%.

The estimated number of Self-Rated Food-Poor families was 12.7 million in September 2024 and 12.8 million in June 2024.

Self-Rated Food Poverty up in Metro Manila, steady elsewhere

The stable nationwide Self-Rated Food Poverty from June 2024 to September 2024 was due to an increase in Metro Manila combined with a slight decrease in Balance Luzon and steady percentages in the Visayas and Mindanao [Charts 7-8, Table 4].

As of September 2024, Self-Rated Food Poverty stayed highest in Mindanao at 61%, followed by the Visayas at 49%, Balance Luzon at 39%, and Metro Manila at 39%.

Compared to June 2024, Self-Rated Food Poverty rose by 8 points in Metro Manila from 31%. However, it barely changed in Balance Luzon from 42%, and the Visayas from 50%, while it stayed at 61% in Mindanao.

On the other hand, Food Borderline rose by 13 points in the Visayas from 16% to 29%. However, it stayed at 14% in Metro Manila, while it hardly moved in Balance Luzon from 15% to 17%, and Mindanao from 14% to 11%.

At the same time, Not Food-Poor fell by 11 points in the Visayas from 34% to 23%, and by 9 points in Metro Manila from 56% to 47%. However, it hardly moved in Balance Luzon from 43% to 44%, and Mindanao from 26% to 28%.

Self-Rated Poverty Threshold down in Metro Manila and Mindanao, steady in the Visayas and Mindanao

The national median Self-Rated Poverty Threshold (SRP Threshold) fell to P12,000 in September 2024 after staying at P15,000 for ten quarters, from April 2022 to June 2024. On the other hand, the national median Self-Rated Poverty Gap (SRP Gap) fell from P6,000 to P5,000 [Chart 9, Table 5].

In Metro Manila, the median SRP Threshold fell from P20,000 in June 2024 to P18,000 in September 2024, while the median SRP Gap rose from P6,000 to P8,000 [Chart 10, Table 6].

In Balance Luzon, the median SRP Threshold stayed at P15,000, while the median SRP Gap fell from P6,000 to P5,000 [Chart 11, Table 7].

In the Visayas, the median SRP Threshold stayed at P10,000, while the median SRP Gap stayed at P5,000 [Chart 12, Table 8].

In Mindanao, the median SRP Threshold fell from P12,000 to P10,000, while the median SRP Gap fell from P6,000 to P5,000 [Chart 13, Table 9].

The SRP Threshold, or the minimum monthly budget self-rated poor families say they need for home expenses in order not to consider themselves poor, has remained sluggish for several years despite considerable inflation. This indicates that poor families have been lowering their living standards, i.e., belt-tightening.

In the past, the median SRP Gap has generally been half of the median SRP Threshold. This means that typical poor families lack about half of what they need to not consider themselves poor. An increase in the proportion of the median SRP Gap relative to the median SRP Threshold means a worsening in families’ budget for home expenses.

Self-Rated Food Poverty Threshold falls in Balance Luzon and the Visayas, rises in Mindanao

The national median Self-Rated Food Poverty Threshold (SRFP Threshold) fell from P8,000 in June 2024 to P7,000 in September 2024, while the national median Self-Rated Food Poverty Gap (SRFP Gap) stayed at P3,000 in the past 12 quarters [Chart 14, Table 10].

In Metro Manila, the median SRFP Threshold stayed at P10,000 from June 2024 to September 2024, while the median SRFP Gap fell from P5,000 to P3,000 [Chart 15, Table 11].

In Balance Luzon, the median SRFP Threshold fell from P8,000 to P7,500, while the median SRFP Gap stayed at P3,000 [Chart 16, Table 12].

In the Visayas, the median SRFP Threshold fell from P7,000 to P5,000, while the median SRFP Gap fell from P3,000 to P2,000 [Chart 17, Table 13].

In Mindanao, the median SRFP Threshold fell from P7,000 to P5,000, while the median SRFP Gap stayed at P3,000 [Chart 18, Table 14].

9.1% of families are “newly poor”

The September 2024 survey asked the Self-Rated Poor families if they had ever experienced being non-poor (either not poor or borderline) in the past. The total percentage of poor families consists of 9.1% who were non-poor 1-4 years ago (“Newly Poor”), 8.1% who were non-poor five or more years ago (“Usually Poor”), and 41.5% who never experienced being non-poor (“Always Poor”) [Chart 19, Table 15].

Of the estimated 16.3 million Self-Rated Poor families in September 2024, 2.5 million were Newly Poor, 2.3 million were Usually Poor, and 11.5 million were Always Poor.

Conversely, the survey asked those who were Self-Rated Non-Poor (either Borderline or Not Poor) if they had ever experienced being poor in the past. The total percentage of non-poor families consists of 14.4% who were poor 1-4 years ago (“Newly Non-Poor”), 12.3% who were poor five or more years ago (“Usually Non-Poor”), and 14.5% who never experienced being poor (“Always Non-Poor”).

Of the estimated 11.5 million Self-Rated Non-Poor families in September 2024, 4.0 million were Newly Non-Poor, 3.4 million were Usually Non-Poor, and 4.0 million were Always Non-Poor.

Family’s monthly cost of earning

The September 2024 survey found the median monthly family expenses for House rent at P3,000, Transportation to work and school at P2,000, Internet at P1,000, and Mobile phone load at P400 [Table 16].

Compared to June 2024, the median monthly family expense remained unchanged for House rent at P3,000 and Transportation to work and school at P2,000. However, it rose for Internet from P900 and Mobile phone load from P360.

The September 2024 median monthly family expense for House rent was highest in Metro Manila at P3,500, followed by Balance Luzon at P3,000, the Visayas at P2,250, and Mindanao at P1,500. Compared to June 2024, it rose in Metro Manila from P3,000 and the Visayas from P2,000. However, it fell in Mindanao from P3,250 and stayed unchanged in Balance Luzon [Table 17].

For Transportation to work and school, the September 2024 median monthly family expense was highest in Metro Manila at P2,500, followed by Balance Luzon at P2,000, the Visayas at P2,000, and Mindanao at P1,500. Compared to June 2024, it rose in Metro Manila from P2,000 and the Visayas from P1,600. However, it fell in Mindanao from P2,000 and stayed unchanged in Balance Luzon.

As of September 2024, the median monthly family expense for Internet was P1,000 in all areas. Compared to June 2024, it rose in Mindanao from P500 and the Visayas from P800. It stayed unchanged in Metro Manila and Balance Luzon [Table 18].

For Mobile phone load, the September 2024 median monthly family expense was P400 in Metro Manila, Balance Luzon, and Mindanao, and P300 in the Visayas. Compared to June 2024, it rose in Mindanao from P200, while it fell in Metro Manila from P500. It stayed unchanged in Balance Luzon and the Visayas.

Survey background

The Third Quarter 2024 Social Weather Survey was conducted from September 14-23, 2024, using face-to-face interviews of 1,500 adults (18 years old and above) nationwide: 600 in Balance Luzon (or Luzon outside Metro Manila), and 300 each in Metro Manila, the Visayas, and Mindanao. Face-to-face is the standard interviewing method for Social Weather Stations; the only exceptions were early in the pandemic when movement restrictions made face-to-face impossible and mobile phone interviews were conducted. Normal face-to-face field operations resumed in November 2020. The sampling error margins are ±2.5% for national percentages, ±4.0% for Balance Luzon, and ±5.7% each for Metro Manila, the Visayas, and Mindanao.

The area estimates were weighted by the Philippine Statistics Authority medium-population projections for 2024 to obtain the national estimates.

The SWS survey questions about Self-Rated Poverty and Self-Rated Food Poverty are directed to household heads. These items are non-commissioned and are included on SWS’s initiative and released as a public service.

In 2020, the Self-Rated Poverty and Self-Rated Food Poverty items were fielded only once because only in November 2020 was SWS able to resume face-to-face interviewing since the Covid-19 pandemic struck. Face-to-face interviewing is necessary for these questions since they require showing the respondents a card with the words MAHIRAP and HINDI MAHIRAP, separated by a LINE, written on it [Figure 1]. The three SWS Mobile Phone Surveys earlier that year implemented purely oral survey questions.

The exact phrasing of the survey questions (the source language is Filipino; English translation included) was:

For Self-Rated Poverty“Saan po ninyo ilalagay ang inyong pamilya sa kard na ito? [Where would you place your family in this card?]”

Half of the respondents are shown a card with the choices HINDI MAHIRAP (Not poor) and MAHIRAP (Poor), separated by a line (recorded as ‘Borderline), while the other half are shown a card containing the reverse order (negative showcard), to lessen response bias.

Figure 1. Self-Rated Poverty Showcard

For Self-Rated Food Poverty“Tungkol naman sa klase ng pagkain ng pamilya ninyo, saan po ninyo ilalagay ang inyong pamilya sa kard na ito? [Based on the type of food eaten by your family, where would you place your family on this card?]” Respondents are shown a similar showcard used in Self-Rated Poverty, with the choices HINDI MAHIRAP (recorded as Not Food-Poor) and MAHIRAP (recorded as Food-Poor), separated by a horizontal line (recorded as Food Borderline). The same split-sample approach using positive and negative showcards is implemented to lessen response bias.

To arrive at the estimated numbers of Self-Rated Poor and Self-Rated Food Poor families, the percentage of respondent households rating themselves as poor was applied to the Philippine Statistics Authority medium-population projections for 2024.

For Self-Rated Poverty Threshold (SRP Threshold)“KUNG MAHIRAP: Upang hindi na masabing mahirap kayo, magkano sa palagay ninyo ang pinakamababang panggastos sa bahay sa isang buwan na kailangan ng inyong pamilya? Hindi po kasama ang mga gastusin na may kinalaman sa trabaho tulad ng pamasahe. [IF POOR: In your opinion, how much money would your family need for home expenses each month in order not to be called poor anymore? This excludes work-related expenses like transportation.]”

For Self-Rated Poverty Gap (SRP Gap)“KUNG MAHIRAP: Sinabi po ninyo na P(MENTION ANSWER) ang pinakamababang panggastos sa bahay sa isang buwan na kailangan ng inyong pamilya upang hindi na masabing mahirap kayo. Magkano pa po ba ang kulang ninyo sa ngayon? [IF POOR: You said that P(MENTION ANSWER) is the amount of money that your family would need for home expenses each month in order not to be called poor anymore. How much DO YOU LACK now?]”

The SRP Threshold is the minimum monthly budget self-rated poor families say they need for home expenses in order not to consider themselves as poor. The SRP Gap is how much self-rated poor families they lack in their minimum monthly budgets relative to their SRP Threshold.

The SRP Threshold and SRP Gap are presented in this report in terms of their medians which is the amount that addresses only the requirements of the poorer half of the poor. An increase in the proportion of the median Gap relative to the median Threshold means a worsening in families’ budget for home expenses.

For Self-Rated Food Poverty Threshold (SRFP Threshold): “KUNG MAHIRAP: Upang hindi na masabing mahirap kayo, batay sa pagkain, magkano sa palagay ninyo ang pinakamababang panggastos sa pagkain sa isang buwan na kailangan ng inyong pamilya? [IF POOR: In your opinion, how much money would your family need for food expenses each month in order not to be called poor anymore in terms of food?]”

For Self-Rated Food Poverty Gap (SRFP Gap): “KUNG MAHIRAP: Sinabi po ninyo na P(MENTION ANSWER) ang pinakamababang panggastos sa pagkain sa isang buwan na kailangan ng inyong pamilya upang hindi na masabing mahirap kayo batay sa pagkain. Magkano pa po ba ang kulang ninyo sa ngayon? [IF POOR: You said that P(MENTION ANSWER) is the amount of money that your family would need for food expenses each month in order not to be called poor anymore in terms of food. How much DO YOU LACK now?]”

The SRFP Threshold is the minimum monthly food budget the food-poor families say they need in order not to consider their type of food as poor. The SRFP Gap is how much food-poor families lack relative to their stated SRFP threshold.

The SRFP Threshold and SRFP Gap are presented in this report in terms of their medians which is the amount that addresses only the requirements of the poorer half of the food-poor. An increase in the proportion of the median Gap relative to the median Threshold means a worsening in families’ food budgets.

Finally, for Monthly Family Expenses. “Pag-usapan po natin ang ilang mga pangkaraniwang gastos ng inyong pamilya. Magkano po ang pangkaraniwang gastos sa isang buwan ng inyong pamilya para sa mga sumusunod? (TRANSPORTASYON SA TRABAHO AT SA PAARALAN; INTERNET; LOAD SA MOBILE PHONE; RENTA O UPA SA BAHAY) [Let us talk about some of the usual expenses of your family. How much is the usual monthly expenses of your family for the following? (Transportation to work and to school; Internet; Load for mobile phones; House rent)]”

SWS employs its own staff for questionnaire design, sampling, fieldwork, data processing, and analysis and does not outsource any of its survey operations. This report was prepared by Leo S. Laroza. 


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