4 in 10 Filipinos ‘very happy and satisfied’ — survey

MANILA, Philippines — About four in 10 Filipinos are “very happy” and “very satisfied” with their lives, a recent survey by the Social Weather Stations (SWS) showed.

To the question, “If you were to consider your life in general these days, how happy or unhappy would you say you are on the whole,” 44 percent answered “very happy,” 49 percent “fairly happy,” seven percent “not very happy” and one percent “not at all happy.”

The survey was conducted from March 28 to 31 using face-to-face interviews of 1,440 adults, 18 years old and above, nationwide.

Filipinos who have a very happy life increased by five points from 39 percent in December 2018, the SWS said.

“Prior to this, it had been declining for two consecutive quarters since the record-high 57 percent in December 2017,” it said.

The eight percent “unhappy” (seven percent not very happy and one percent not at all happy) dropped five points from the 13 percent (11 percent not very happy and two percent not at all happy) in December last year.

The proportion of very happy was highest in Mindanao at 58 percent (up from 51 percent in December 2018), followed by the Visayas at 57 percent (up from 45 percent), Metro Manila at 43 percent (up from 29 percent) and balance Luzon at 32 percent (down from 33 percent).

On the other hand, the proportion of fairly happy was highest in balance Luzon at 59 percent (up from 53 percenr), followed by Metro Manila at 48 percent (down from 53 percent), Mindanao at 38 percent (down from 39 percent) and the Visayas at 37 percent (down from 44 percent).

Unhappiness was highest in Metro Manila at nine percent (down from 17 percent) and balance Luzon at nine percent (down from 14 percent), followed by the Visayas at six percent (down from 11 percent) and Mindanao at four percent (down from 11 percent).

The poll found 37 percent of Filipinos who said they are “very satisfied” with life, up by three points from 34 percent in December 2018. 

It said 53 percent of Filipinos are “fairly satisfied” with life, up from 48 percent in December 2018, and the highest since the 55 percent in April 2016.

Eleven percent of respondents, meanwhile, said they are unsatisfied with life (eight percent not very satisfied and two percent not at all satisfied).

This was seven points below the 18 percent (14 percent not very satisfied and three percent not at all satisfied) in December 2018.

Filipinos who are very satisfied with life was highest in Mindanao at 49 percent (up from 47 percent), followed by the Visayas at 42 percent (up from 41 percent), Metro Manila at 38 percent (up from 28 percent in December 2018) and balance Luzon at 28 percent (up from 27 percent).

The proportion of Filipinos who are fairly satisfied with life was highest in balance Luzon at 62 percent (up from 56 percent), followed by Metro Manila at 53 percent (up from 52 percent), the Visayas at 43 percent (unchanged from December 2018) and Mindanao at 41 percent (up from 33 percent).

On the other hand, dissatisfaction with life was highest in the Visayas at 15 percent (down from 17 percent), followed by Mindanao at 10 percent (down from 20 percent), Metro Manila at nine percent (down from 19 percent) and balance Luzon at nine percent (down from 17 percent).