December 31, 2025 - The Social Weather Stations (SWS) reported that 29 percent of Filipino adults said their quality of life improved over the past year, while 36 percent said it worsened, according to its November 2025 nationwide survey. Another 34 percent of respondents stated that their situation remained unchanged.

SWS explained that the survey produced a net gainers score of -7 (percentage of gainers minus percentage of losers), which it classifies as “fair.” This figure is lower than the -2 recorded in September 2025 and marks the lowest in four years, since the “mediocre” -16 net gainers score in December 2021. The polling firm noted that the decline reflects a more pessimistic outlook among Filipinos compared to earlier months.

In its official release, SWS said: “Twenty-nine percent of Filipino adults reported that their quality of life had improved (gainers) compared to 12 months ago. In contrast, 36% reported that theirs had worsened (losers). Thirty-four percent said their quality of life remained the same.” The survey was conducted from November 20 to 24, 2025, using face-to-face interviews with 1,500 adults nationwide.

News5 also highlighted the findings on its social media platform, posting: “Nasa 36% ng mga Pinoy ang nagsabing lumala ang kalidad ng kanilang pamumuhay sa nakalipas na taon, base sa November 2025 survey ng Social Weather Stations (SWS). Nasa 34% naman ang nagsabing walang naging pagbabago.”

The results suggest that while nearly one in three Filipinos felt their lives improved, a larger share experienced worsening conditions. Analysts point to economic challenges, inflationary pressures, and uneven recovery from the pandemic as possible factors influencing public sentiment. The survey did not directly attribute causes but emphasized the comparative trend against previous quarters.

SWS has historically used the net gainers score to gauge shifts in public perception of personal well-being. A score between -10 and +10 is considered “fair,” while higher positive scores indicate optimism. The November 2025 figure underscores a cautious outlook heading into the new year.

The survey findings are expected to inform policymakers and economists about the prevailing mood among citizens. With 36 percent reporting deterioration in their quality of life, the data highlights the need for sustained efforts to address economic and social concerns.

Smiles Can Only Carry a Nation So Far

Filipinos are often described as some of the happiest people in the world. We smile in floods. We joke in long lines. We laugh through hardship as if humor alone can soften reality. For years, that resilience became our identity.

But this survey suggests something is changing.

When more people say life is getting worse than better, the smiles begin to thin. Not disappear, but strain. Cheerfulness no longer masks exhaustion. Optimism no longer comes naturally. Reality has started to sink in.

Smiling through adversity works only when there is a sense that things will improve. When effort feels rewarded. When sacrifice feels temporary. What fades hope is not suffering itself, but the feeling that it leads nowhere.

Many Filipinos still cope with humor because they must. Bills do not wait. Floodwaters return. Prices rise. Life continues. But beneath the jokes is a growing awareness that survival has replaced progress.

This is not bitterness. It is honesty.

A nation cannot rely forever on laughter as a coping mechanism. Joy cannot be demanded when daily life offers little reason for it. If hope continues to fade, no amount of cultural optimism will replace what people truly need.

Filipinos will keep smiling. That is who we are. But smiles should not be mistaken for satisfaction. When reality settles in, even the happiest people begin to ask harder questions about the future.