A Social Weather Stations (SWS) survey conducted from Sept. 14 to 23 found that 38 percent of Filipinos reported their quality of life as the same as it was 12 months ago, while 37 percent felt it was better and 24 percent said it worsened.
The results of the nationwide survey were released on Saturday, Oct. 26.
These figures translate into a net gainers score of +13 (the percentage of “gainers” minus the percentage of “losers”), classified by SWS as “very high.” This score is two points down from +15 in June.
SWS defines “gainers” as those who believe their quality of life has improved, “losers” as those who think it has worsened, and “unchanged” as those who say it has stayed the same.
“The net gainer score was generally negative until 2015 when it rose to positive numbers until the sharp decline beginning with the Covid-19 pandemic lockdowns. It has since trended back upwards but has not fully recovered to pre-pandemic levels,” it said.
SWS classifies net gainers scores as follows: “excellent” for +20 and above; “very high” for +10 and +19; “high” for +1 and +9; “fair” for -9 and zero; “mediocre” for –19 and –10; “low” for –29 and –20; “very low” for –39 and –30; “extremely low” for –49 to –40; and “catastrophic” for –50 and below.
‘Excellent’ in Balance Luzon, among junior HS grads
SWS explained that the two-point decline in the nationwide net gainer score between June and September was attributed to decreases in Metro Manila, Balance Luzon, and the Visayas, offset by an increase in Mindanao.
However, the net gainer score was highest in Balance Luzon at “excellent” +22.
Mindanao followed at +13 (very high), Metro Manila at +6 (high), and the Visayas at-2 (fair).
Among educational attainment groups, the net gainers score fell from excellent to very high among college graduates, decreasing from +21 to +11.
Meanwhile, it remained very high among elementary graduates, although it dropped from +14 to +10.
For non-elementary graduates, the score was from net zero to -4 (fair).
However, it rose from very high to excellent among junior high school graduates, increasing from +19 to +20.
The Third Quarter 2024 SWS survey was conducted through face-to-face interviews with 1,500 adults aged 18 and above, nationwide.