SWS: 30% of Pinoys report better quality of life, 32% worse in September 2025

Around 30% of Filipino adults said their quality of life was better last year while 32% said it got worse, according to a Social Weather Stations (SWS) third quarter survey released on Monday.

In its report, the SWS added that 38% said their quality of life was the same.

The Net Gainers score — the difference between the percentages of “Gainers” and “Losers” — was at -2. The SWS classified this as “fair” (0 to -9).

“This is 14 points below the high +12 in June 2025, and the lowest since the fair -2 in September 2023,” the SWS said.

Geographical areas

According to the SWS, the Net Gainers went down in all areas. The Net Gainers score was highest in Mindanao at high +3, followed by the Visayas at high +1, Balance Luzon (the rest of Luzon outside Metro Manila) at fair -4, and Metro Manila at fair -8.

“Compared to June 2025, Net Gainers dropped from very high to fair in Mindanao, down by 13 points from +16. It dropped from excellent to fair in the Visayas, down by 21 points from +22,” the SWS said.

“It decreased from very high to fair in Metro Manila, down by 18 points from +10. It slipped from high to fair in Balance Luzon, down by 10 points from +6,” it added.

Net Gainers also declined in both urban and rural areas.

Gender, age groups, educational levels

Among both women and men, net gainers likewise fell.

"Net Gainers fell from very high to fair among women, down by 16 points from +15 in June 2025 to -1 in September 2025. It fell from high to fair among men, down by 12 points from +9 to -3," the SWS said.

Net gainers declined as well among all age groups, especially among those 55 years old and above; and all educational levels, especially among elementary graduates.

Self-rated poverty

The SWS noted that higher Net Gainers were reported among “Not Poor” families than “Borderline” and “Self-Rated Poor” families.

Based on the recent survey, 50% of Filipino families rated themselves as Poor, 12% rated themselves as Borderline, and 38% rated themselves as Not Poor.

“The Net Gainers score has historically been lower among the Poor than the Borderline and Not Poor. This means the Poor have more Losers and fewer Gainers than the Borderline and Not Poor,” the SWS said.

“Net Gainers was high +9 among the Not Poor and very high +10 among the Borderline, compared to mediocre -13 among the Poor,” it added.

According to SWS, compared to September 2025 record, the Net Gainers score fell by 10 points from very high +19 among the Not Poor. It fell sharply by 21 points from high +8 among the Poor.

But the Net Gainers score rose by 6 points from high +4 among the Borderline.

Survey details

The Third Quarter 2025 Social Weather Survey was conducted from September 24 to 30, 2025.

Researchers used face-to-face interviews of 1,500 adults (18 years old and above) nationwide: 300 in Metro Manila, 600 in Balance Luzon (or Luzon outside Metro Manila), and 300 each in the Visayas and Mindanao. 

The sampling error margins are ±3% for national percentages, ±4% for Balance Luzon, and ±6% each for Metro Manila, the Visayas, and Mindanao, according to the SWS. —KG, GMA Integrated News