Filipinos continue to remain happy at surface level, but studies show worries underneath.
Filipinos reported high levels of happiness in 2024 and hope for better situation in 2025, based on a nationwide study conducted by Philippine Survey and Research Center (PSRC) alongside Gallup International Association (GIA) in November 2024. Filipinos showcase high level of happiness last year, ranking 9th among countries worldwide who participated in the annual GIA End of Year Survey.
Net happiness score (% happy Filipinos minus unhappy) is at 60%. This is above global average of 46%. GIA says, “regionally Southeast Asians are the happiest (73%) while those in South Asia [India] are the unhappiest (36%) with China (86%) and Indonesia (85%) the happiest.”
Similarly, net optimism (% of hopeful Filipinos minus pessimistic) is at 40%. The Philippines is among the Asian nations that remain most optimistic for 2025. Global average for net hope is at 17%. Those from the West express more doubts. “As they edge ever closer to The Kingdom’s 2030 vision, it is Saudi Arabians who are most optimistic with 82% are hopeful for 2025. Austrians are the most concerned, with 50% expecting a downturn in 2025 and only 15% keeping their positivity,” according to GIA.
The Philippines still performs above global average on happiness and hope. A lot of this positive sentiment is driven by younger and upper/middle income segments. This is in spite of economic difficulties and multiple typhoons in 2024. Uncertainty though, is slowly creeping into many Filipino segments. There are more and more middle-grounders, hedging their dispositions and getting into wait-and-see mode. There is still strong positive disposition, but there are also increasing levels of people reporting neither positive nor negative sentiments. This is a growing trend for the past three years across all Filipino segments (by age and by income class). More cautiousness is observed.
This is a big challenge for aspiring leaders, as Philippines enters the midterm elections in 2025. While the Philippines remains a nation of resilience, keeping their positive disposition high, leaders need to be on the lookout for what will happen next. There will be needs in gaining back confidence and strengthening the disposition of Filipinos. GIA says, “The long-term trend on economic optimism… has improved. The significant gap between difficulty and prosperity which started to emerge in 2017 is now at its narrowest since then.”
For the Philippines things are getting better, but there is still a lot of work to be done.
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This End of Year Survey 2024 is an initiative of Gallup International Association, represented by The Philippine Survey and Research Center locally. The worldwide study covers a total of 37, 338 persons, among 37 countries. In the Philippines, face-to-face interviews were conducted among 1,000 randomly sampled respondents that is nationally representative. Philippines survey covers males and females, 18 years old and above, nationwide urban and rural areas, and all socio-economic classes, with margin of error of 3%.
Read more the global GIA report here
