Poverty in the Philippines

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In 2021, official government statistics reported that the Philippines had a poverty rate of 18.1%,^[1] (or roughly 19.99 million Filipinos), significantly lower than the 49.2 percent recorded in 1985 through years of government poverty reduction efforts.^[2] From 2018 to 2021, an estimated 2.3 million Filipinos fell into poverty amid the economic recession caused by the COVID-19 pandemic.^[3]

In 2018, the rate of decline of poverty has been slower compared with other East Asian Countries,^[4] such as People's Republic of China (PRC), Thailand, Indonesia, or Vietnam. National Economic and Development Authority (NEDA) deputy director general Rosemarie Edillon attributed this to a generally low and stable inflation, improved incomes and higher employment rates during the period.^[5] In 2022, the poverty situation in the Philippines has seen a steady ease^[6]

Some of the many causes of poverty are bad governance, corruption, a political system dominated by political dynasties, vulnerability to environmental disasters, and the lack of available jobs.