As 2026 begins, hope is strong among many Filipinos. The latest Social Weather Stations (SWS) survey, conducted from November 24 to 30, 2025, found that 4 in 10 adults expect their quality of life to improve this year. Only 8% think it will worsen, while about 38% expect no change.
This translates to a net personal optimism score of +36, which SWS classifies as “very high.” While slightly below June’s +41, it shows that optimism remains strong as Filipinos look forward to the new year.
Regional Outlook: Mixed But Mostly Positive
Optimism isn’t uniform across the country. Mindanao saw the biggest rise, up 4 points to +35, while Luzon outside Metro Manila went up slightly to +40. Meanwhile, Metro Manila dipped to +36, and the Visayas fell to +29.
SWS measures optimism as the difference between those who expect life to improve and those who expect it to worsen. Scores above +30 are considered “very high,” highlighting a broadly hopeful outlook despite recent challenges.
Reflecting on 2025: Challenges Remain
While many are optimistic about 2026, the past year was tougher for some. Only 29% reported an improvement in their quality of life over the last 12 months, while 36% felt it got worse, resulting in a net gainers score of -7, the lowest in four years.
Regionally, Mindanao led with a “high” +2, Luzon outside Metro Manila had a “fair” -7, and both Metro Manila and the Visayas fell into the “mediocre” range at -12 and -14, respectively.
Survey Details
The SWS survey was conducted nationwide with 1,200 adults through face-to-face interviews. Its margin of error is ±3% for national figures and ±6% for each region.
