13 M families felt poor in 2023 - SWS poll

Nearly half or 47 percent of Filipino families rated themselves poor during the last quarter of 2023, hardly moving from 48 percent in September last year in a similar survey conducted by the Social Weather Stations (SWS).

- JANVIC MATEO

This represents 13 million poor families, compared to 13.2 million in the previous survey.

Based on the survey conducted from Dec. 8 to 11, 2023, respondents who said they were "not poor" decreased to 20 percent from 25 percent, while those who identified as "borderline poor" increased to 33 percent from 27 percent.

The latest survey's result was higher than the 45 percent reported in 2019, before the pandemic.

Respondents who self-rated their families as "not poor" was 21 percent, which is similar to the 2022 average, but dropping below 24 percent in 2019.

The December 2023 survey showed a 10-point drop in self-rated poverty among respondents in Mindanao and a fourpoint increase in balance Luzon.