Self-rated poverty at record low – SWS

Families who tagged themselves as “poor” decreased to its record-low at 42 percent or an estimated 9.8 million Filipino families, while numbers of “food-poor” families reached its new record-low 29 percent or at least 6.7 million families, the latest Social Weather Stations Survey (SWS) result showed.

On the first quarter 2018 survey, only 42 percent considered themselves as “mahirap” or “poor,” two points below the 44 percent (10 million families) in December 2017, and similar to the record-low 42 percent in September 2016.

SWS noted that the two-point decline in Self-Rated Poverty (SRP) on the March, 2018 survey was due to a sharp decrease in Mindanao which fell by 10 points from 52 percent in December, 2017 to 42 percent in March, 2018.

It was offset by slight increases in Metro Manila, from 28 percent last December to 30 percent in last March; and a one-point increase in the Visayas from 53 percent in December to 54 percent in March.

Meanwhile, the SRP was unchanged in Balance Luzon at 40 percent in both December 2017 and March 2018 surveys.

On the same survey, results also showed that at least 29 percent or 6.7 million of families rated their food as “poor,” or “food-poor,” three points below the 32 percent (7.3 million) in December 2017.

This was also the new record-low since the 30 percent in September 2016.

The SWS noted that this was also the first time for Self-Rated Food Poverty to be below 30 percent.

The three-point decline in the nationwide Self-Rated Food Poverty (SRFP) was due to decreases in Balance Luzon, Mindanao and Metro Manila, with a sharp increase in the Visayas.