Hunger rate at its highest since pandemic — SWS

January 15, 2025 | 11:07am

MANILA, Philippines — The number of Filipino households experiencing involuntary hunger has jumped to 25.9%, the highest since the COVID-19 pandemic. 

For December 2024, 25.9% of Filipino families have experienced being hungry and without food at least once in the previous three months, according to the Social Weather Stations (SWS) survey released on Tuesday night. 

“The December 2024 hunger figure was 3.0 points above the 22.9% in September 2024, and the highest since the record high 30.7% during the COVID-19 lockdowns in September 2020,” the SWS said.

With the December 2024 hunger rate, the resulting annual hunger average is almost twice the annual hunger average from 2023. The 2023 hunger average was 10.7%; the 2024 hunger average is 22.9%. 

The 2024 annual hunger rate is a mere 0.9% higher than the record high 2020 annual hunger average of 21.1%, where COVID-19 forced countless Filipinos out of work. 

Among the areas, Mindanao had the highest hunger rate at 30.3%. This is followed by Balance Luzon (areas outside of Metro Manila) at 25.3%, Visayas at 24.4%, and Metro Manila at 22.2%.

The SWS listed the increase and decrease per area as follows: 

• Metro Manila: 22.2% in December 2024 (from 21.7% in September 2024) 
• Balance Luzon: 25.3% in December 2024 (from 18.1% in September 2024) 
• Visayas:  24.4% in December 2024 (from 26.0% in September 2024) 
• Mindanao: 30.3% in December 2024 (from 30.7% in September 2024) 

Among those hungry, most experienced “moderate hunger” (18.7% out of 25.9%) and the rest experienced “severe hunger” (7.2% out of 25.9%).

The SWS defined moderate hunger as those experiencing hunger “only once” or “a few times” within the last three months, while severe hunger refers to those who experience it “often” or “always”. 

Both moderate hunger and severe hunger rates rose when compared to September 2024. Across the country, moderate hunger rose from 13.3% in September 2024 to 17.8% in December, while severe hunger rose from 6.1% to 7.2%. 

The SWS said that those hungry were often poor. 

“Hunger occurs at different rates among the Poor and the Non-Poor. At any single point in time, hunger is usually higher among the Poor. From quarter to quarter, however, the hunger rates among the poor and the non-poor may change, either upward or downward. Hunger is highest among the food-poor,” the SWS said. 

The SWS survey was conducted from December 12-18, 2024 with face-to-face interviews. A total of 2,160 adults were surveyed across the country, with 1,080 of respondents from Balance Luzon and 360 each from Metro Manila, Visayas and Mindanao.