MANILA, Philippines – About 44% of Filipinos believe their lives will improve in 2026, giving a net optimism score of +36, which pollster Social Weather Stations said was higher than a previous survey result.

The optimism rate remained very high, SWS said, after a +35 score in September. The survey, conducted from November 24 to 30, asked participants whether their quality of life over the next 12 months would improve, stay the same, or worsen.

The one-point increase was due to “slight increases” in the scores in Mindanao and Luzon, excluding Metro Manila, said SWS.

The lowest optimism was registered in Visayas which decreased to +29 or considered just “high,” compared to the very high scores in the rest of the country, the highest being an excellent +40 in Balance Luzon. Balance Luzon is the entire Luzon without Metro Manila.

In the history of this survey, SWS said “net personal optimism turned negative only 11 times, hitting a record low of -19 in May 2020 during the COVID-19 lockdowns. It has since recovered to pre-pandemic levels.”

Optimism was excellent among college graduates and even among senior high school students, said SWS, and was very high among both men and women.

“Net Optimism tends to decline with age: as of November 2025, it was highest among 18-24-year-olds at excellent +54, followed by 25-34-year-olds at excellent +41, 35-44-year-olds at very high +39, 45-54-year-olds at very high +34, and those 55 years and older at high +28,” said SWS.

When it comes to the country’s welfare, a recent Pulse Asia survey showed that inflation and corruption are among Filipinos’ top concerns.

– Rappler.com