The number of poor Filipino families who experienced hunger rose significantly in March 2025, with 35.6% reporting instances of total hunger, up from 26.4% in February, according to the latest non-commissioned survey conducted by Stratbase-Social Weather Stations (SWS).
Total hunger refers to the combined percentage of families who experienced moderate to severe hunger — meaning they went hungry due to lack of food.
Data showed that among self-rated poor households, hunger has been rising steadily since January, when it was recorded at 22.3%. A slight increase was also seen among non-poor families, from 16.2% in February to 18.3% in March, continuing an upward trend from 10% in January.
Separately, a commissioned SWS survey also conducted in March revealed that 27.2% of Filipino families experienced involuntary hunger — or being hungry and having nothing to eat — at least once in the past three months. This marks a rise from 25.9% in December 2024.
The March 2025 Stratbase-SWS survey further showed that 52% of Filipino families now consider themselves poor, a 1-point increase from 51% in February.
The rising hunger levels reflect growing economic pressure on low-income families and highlight the need for urgent measures to address food insecurity and poverty in the country.
