Manila: Nearly half of Filipinos, or 48 percent, are optimistic about the improvement of their quality of life over the next 12 months, according to a recent study by the Social Weather Survey (SWS).

According to Philippines News Agency, the survey conducted from June 20 to 29, 2026, also indicated that 31 percent of Filipinos expect their living conditions to remain the same, while 8 percent believe they will worsen, and 12 percent did not provide an answer. The resulting 'net personal optimism' score from the survey was +40, classified as excellent. This marks a 17-point increase from the high +23 recorded in March 2026 and slightly surpasses the 2025 average net personal optimism score of very high +39. The excellent +40 score is noted as the highest since June 2025, when it reached +41.

The SWS classifies net personal optimism scores as follows: +40 and above as excellent, +30 to +39 as very high, +20 to +29 as high, +10 to +19 as fair, +1 to +9 as mediocre, -9 and net zero as low, and -10 and below as very low. Since the survey's inception in 1984, net personal optimism has only turned negative 11 times, with a record low of -19 in May 2020 during the peak of the coronavirus pandemic. The optimism index has since rebounded to pre-pandemic levels, reaching +23 in March 2026 before climbing to +40 in June 2026.

The SWS noted an increase in optimism in both rural and urban areas, among both men and women, and across all age groups. Compared to March 2026, the net personal optimism soared from high to excellent in Balance Luzon, jumping by 27 points from +22 to +49. It increased from high to very high in Metro Manila, rising by 8 points from +28 to +36; climbed by six points in the Visayas from +27 to +33; and advanced by 11 points in Mindanao from +20 to +31.

The June 2026 survey also revealed that 33 percent of adult Filipinos believe their quality of life improved, 34 percent felt it stayed the same, while 33 percent said it worsened compared to 12 months ago.