Composite image from INQUIRER/AFP files photos.
MANILA, Philippines — The Philippines has officially attained upper-middle-income status under the World Bank’s latest income classification, reflecting sustained growth in recent years. Economists, however, said the reclassification is an economic benchmark, not a measure of whether households have become more financially secure.
The World Bank announced on July 1 that the Philippines’ gross national income per capita reached $4,850 in 2025, surpassing the $4,636 threshold for upper-middle-income economies under its latest income classifications.
The reclassification ends the country’s nearly four-decade stay in the lower-middle-income category and places it alongside Jordan, Micronesia, Sri Lanka and Vietnam, which also moved up this year.
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