48% of Filipinos Believe Quality of Life Will Improve in a Year, Survey Says

In a recent survey conducted by the Social Weather Stations (SWS) from September 28 to October 1, 2023, it was revealed that 48% of Filipinos are optimistic about an improvement in their quality of life within a year.

In the same survey, 4% believed that their quality of life would remain unchanged, 6% anticipated a decline, and 7% did not provide an answer.

According to SWS, the net personal optimism score was +42, classified as “excellent.” This score reflects the difference between those who are optimistic and those who are pessimistic.

This marks an improvement from June 2023’s +41, attributed to positive trends in Balance Luzon and Mindanao, along with decreases in Metro Manila and the Visayas. However, it represents a 6-point drop compared to the score recorded in December 2022.

Regionally, optimism increased in Balance Luzon by 6 points (from +44 to +50) and in Mindanao by 7 points (from +36 to +43). Conversely, Metro Manila experienced a decrease of 11 points (from +41 to +30), and the Visayas dropped by 9 points (from +39 to +30).

Net personal optimism remained “excellent” for those with college or postgraduate education, although it decreased by 4 points (from +50 to +46). It also stayed “excellent” for individuals with various educational backgrounds, showing minimal change.

Meanwhile, net personal optimism was higher among households that considered themselves not poor (+46), followed by borderline families (+43) and those identifying as poor (+39).

The survey involved face-to-face interviews with 1,200 adults nationwide, with sampling error margins of ±2.8 percent for national percentages and ±5.7 percent for Metro Manila, Balance Luzon, the Visayas, and Mindanao. (ASC)