More Filipino families experienced involuntary hunger—or being hungry and not having anything to eat—at least once in the third quarter this year, a survey conducted by Social Weather Stations (SWS) showed on Thursday, October 17.
Based on the results of the survey that SWS conducted from September 14 to 23 this year, 22.9 percent of Filipino families experienced involuntary hunger.
The latest figure increased by 5.3 percentage points from the 17.6 percent reported in June 2024 and represents the highest rate since the alarming 30.7 percent recorded during the COVID-19 lockdowns in September 2020.
The three-quarter average hunger rate for 2024 is 18.2 percent, which is 7.5 points higher than the 2023 average of 10.7 percent and just 2.9 points near the 2020 annual average of 21.1 percent.
Hunger levels are particularly acute in specific regions, with Mindanao reporting the highest rate at 30.7 percent of families experiencing hunger, followed closely by the Visayas at 26.0 percent.
Metro Manila recorded a hunger rate of 21.7 percent, while Balance Luzon (areas outside the National Capital Region) registered the lowest at 18.1 percent.
Notably, the rise in hunger from June to September 2024 was most pronounced in Mindanao, which saw an increase of 15.0 points from 15.7 percent to 30.7 percent.
The Visayas experienced a similar surge, with hunger levels jumping 12.3 points from 13.7 percent to 26.0 percent.
Meanwhile, Metro Manila experienced a slight increase of 1.7 points from 20.0 percent to 21.7 percent, and Balance Luzon witnessed a minor decline of 1.5 points from 19.6 percent to 18.1 percent.
Among the families reporting hunger, the survey categorized experiences into Moderate Hunger (16.8%) and Severe Hunger (6.1%). Moderate Hunger refers to those who experienced hunger “Only Once” or “A Few Times” in the last three months, while Severe Hunger denotes those who experienced it “Often” or “Always” during the same period. From June 2024 to September 2024, Moderate Hunger rose by 4.0 points, and Severe Hunger increased by 1.2 points.
In Metro Manila, Moderate Hunger remained stable at 13.3%, while Severe Hunger increased significantly from 6.7% to 8.3%. In contrast, Balance Luzon saw a decrease in Moderate Hunger from 14.5% to 13.0%, with Severe Hunger remaining unchanged.
Of the families surveyed, 59 percent rated themselves as “Mahirap” or Poor, while 46 percent classified themselves as Food-Poor based on the type of food consumed.
The incidence of hunger among the self-rated Poor rose sharply from 21.3 percent in June 2024 to 29.3 percent in September 2024. In comparison, the hunger rate among the Non-Poor saw a modest increase from 12.7 percent to 13.8 percent.
The rate of Total Hunger also surged among the Self-Rated Food-Poor, rising from 23.0 percent to 34.5 percent, while remaining relatively unchanged among the Non-Food-Poor.
The survey, which involved face-to-face interviews with 1,500 adults nationwide, was conducted by Social Weather Stations and has a sampling error margin of ±2.5 percent for national percentages and ±4.0 percent for regional data. (TCSP)
