The national Social Weather Survey (SWS) found that 11.8% of Filipino families, or an estimated 3.0 million, experienced involuntary hunger – being hungry and not having anything to eat – at least once in the past three months.
The December 2022 Hunger figure is slightly above the 11.3% (estimated 2.89 million families) in October 2022 and 11.6% (estimated 2.95 million families) in June 2022. However, it is slightly below the 12.2% (estimated 3.1 million families) in April 2022.
Hunger rises in the Visayas and Balance Luzon but falls in Metro Manila and Mindanao
The experience of hunger is highest in Mindanao at 12.7% of families, followed by the Visayas at 12.0%, Metro Manila at 11.7%, and Balance Luzon (or Luzon outside Metro Manila) at 11.3%. It has been highest in Mindanao in 38 out of 100 surveys since July 1998.
The 0.5-point increase in Overall Hunger between October 2022 and December 2022 was due to increases in the Visayas and Balance Luzon, combined with decreases in Metro Manila and Mindanao.
Compared to October 2022, the incidence of hunger rose by 5.0 points in the Visayas, from 7.0% (est. 336,000 families) to 12.0% (est. 576,000 families).
It rose by 1.7 points in Balance Luzon, from 9.6% (est. 1.1 million families) to 11.3% (est. 1.3 million families).
However, it fell by 4.6 points in Metro Manila, from 16.3% (est. 558,000 families) to 11.7% (est. 399,000 families).
It fell by 2.6 points in Mindanao, from 15.3% (est. 893,000 families) to 12.7% (est. 738,000 families).
SWS: Hunger increase from 11.3% to 11.8%
Moderate Hunger 9.5%, Severe Hunger 2.3%
The 11.8% Hunger rate in December 2022 is the sum of 9.5% (est. 2.4 million families) who experienced Moderate Hunger and 2.3% (est. 599,000 families) who experienced Severe Hunger.
Moderate Hunger refers to those who experienced hunger “Only Once” or “A Few Times” in the last three months. Meanwhile, Severe Hunger refers to those who experienced it “Often” or “Always” in the previous three months.
In October 2022, Moderate Hunger was 9.1% (est. 2.3 million families), and Severe Hunger was 2.2% (est. 573,000 families).
In Metro Manila, Moderate Hunger fell by 1.4 points from 10.7% in October 2022 to 9.3% in December 2022, while Severe Hunger fell by 3.4 points from 5.7% to 2.3%.
In Balance Luzon, Moderate Hunger rose by 1.2 points from 8.1% in October 2022 to 9.3% in December 2022, while Severe Hunger rose by 0.5 points from 1.5% to 2.0%.
In the Visayas, Moderate Hunger rose by 3.7 points from 6.3% in October 2022 to 10.0% in December 2022, while Severe Hunger rose by 1.3 points from 0.7% to 2.0%.
In Mindanao, Moderate Hunger fell by 3.0 points from 12.3% in October 2022 to 9.3% in December 2022. However, Severe Hunger rose slightly by 0.3 points from 3.0% to 3.3%.
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