The Philippine Statistics Authority reported a record low poverty rate of 9.7% in 2025, equating to 11.08 million poor Filipinos, down from 15.5% in 2023.
Despite this positive statistic, concerns arise regarding the methodology used to define poverty, as well as discrepancies with World Bank data suggesting higher poverty rates using international benchmarks.
The slow pace of poverty reduction in the Philippines compared to neighboring countries raises questions about the effectiveness of economic growth in alleviating poverty, and upcoming revisions to poverty measurement may reveal a more complex reality.
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Rather unceremoniously, on August 21, the Philippine Statistics Authority (PSA) announced in a press release that only 9.7% of Filipinos were poor in 2025, the lowest rate on record.
