Half of Filipinos reported a decline in their quality of life over the past year, according to the latest survey released Friday by the Social Weather Stations.
The survey, conducted from March 24 to 31 among 1,500 adult respondents, found that 50 percent classified themselves as “Losers,” or those who said their lives worsened. Meanwhile, 26 percent said their situation was “Unchanged,” and 23 percent identified as “Gainers,” or those who experienced improvement.
This resulted in a Net Gainers score of -26, calculated by subtracting the percentage of “Losers” from “Gainers.” The figure marks a 19-point drop from the -7 recorded in November 2025, and is the lowest level in over four years, or since September 2021.
By region, the lowest net scores were recorded in Mindanao and Metro Manila, both at -31, categorized as “very low.” The Visayas followed with a “low” -25, while the rest of Luzon posted a “low” -23.
The findings come amid economic pressures linked to global tensions, including the conflict triggered by the United States and Israel’s attacks on Iran earlier this year, which contributed to rising fuel and food costs.
Data from the Philippine Statistics Authority showed inflation accelerated to 4.1 percent in March, driven largely by increases in energy and commodity prices.
