A Social Weather Stations (SWS) survey conducted in the first quarter of 2026 found that half of adult Filipinos reported their quality of life had worsened compared to a year ago.
The survey, conducted from March 24 to 31 and released Thursday, April 23, showed that 23 percent said their lives improved, while 26 percent said they remained the same.
SWS classifies respondents as “losers” if their quality of life worsened, “gainers” if it improved, and “unchanged” if it stayed the same.
This translates to a net gainers score of -26 (gainers minus losers), which SWS categorized as “low.”
The figure is 19 points lower than the -7 recorded in November 2025 and marks the lowest score in more than four years, since -44 in September 2021.
Net gainers declined across all demographics and regions, with the lowest scores in Metro Manila and Mindanao (-31 each).
Scores also fell sharply by age group, with the steepest drop among younger respondents aged 18 to 24, from +31 in November 2025 to -4 in March 2026.
The survey was based on face-to-face interviews with 1,500 adults nationwide, with a margin of error of ±3 percent for national estimates. (Ellalyn De Vera-Ruiz)
