48% of Filipinos expect better quality of life in next 12 months — SWS

Abi Sarabia M., Philippine Canadian Inquirer
September 11, 2026

Photo courtesy: Reuters

MANILA, Philippines — Nearly half of adult Filipinos expect their quality of life to improve over the next 12 months, according to the latest Social Weather Stations survey.

The June 20 to 29 poll found that 48% of respondents expect their lives to get better, up 10 points from 38% in March.

Only 8% expect their lives to worsen, down from 16%, while 31% believe their quality of life will stay the same. Another 12% did not give an answer.

The results pushed the country’s Net Personal Optimism score to +40, up sharply from +23 in March.

SWS computes the score by subtracting the percentage of pessimists from optimists. A score of +40 or higher is classified as “excellent.” The June result is the highest since the +41 recorded in June 2025.

Optimism also improved across all major areas of the country.

Balance Luzon posted the highest score at +49, up from +22 in March. Metro Manila improved to +36 from +28, the Visayas to +33 from +27, and Mindanao to +31 from +20.

The survey also found gains in optimism across urban and rural communities, among men and women, and across all age and educational groups.

Among age groups, optimism was highest among Filipinos aged 18 to 24 at +58, followed by those aged 25 to 34 at +51. College graduates posted the highest score by educational attainment at +57.

The survey asked respondents whether they expect their personal quality of life to improve, remain the same or worsen over the next year. It does not directly measure the state of the economy or household income.

SWS interviewed 1,200 adults nationwide through face-to-face interviews. The survey has a sampling error margin of ±3 percentage points for national results and ±6 points for each major geographic area.