SWS: 87% of Filipinos happy with life, lowest in 4 years

MANILA, Philippines — Eighty-seven percent of Filipinos assessed that they have a “very/fairly happy” life, the lowest in four years, the latest Social Weather Stations (SWS) survey showed.

The survey conducted from December 16-19, 2018 found that 87 percent of Filipinos evaluated their life in general as “very/fairly happy.”

Of the 87 percent, 39 percent are “very happy” while 48 percent are “fairly happy.”

However, the SWS said that the “Happiness score” of 87 percent declined by 7 points from the record-high 94 percent in December 2017.

The “Happiness score” this period is the lowest in four years since the 85 percent in December 2014, the pollster added.

Meanwhile, the “Unhappiness score” is at 13 percent, the highest since the 15 percent in the same period in 2014.

Courtesy of the Social Weather Stations (SWS)

Life satisfaction

On the other hand, the survey showed that 82 percent of Filipinos are “very/fairly satisfied with the lives they lead,” the lowest since September 2014, which had the score of 79 percent.

The score of 82 percent, which the pollster tagged as the “Satisfaction with Life” score, is a 10-point drop from the record-high 92 percent in December 2017.

The “Dissatisfaction with Life” score, on the other hand, was at 18 percent in December 2018, the highest since the 21 percent in September 2014.

Courtesy of the Social Weather Stations (SWS)

The survey was conducted using face-to-face interviews of 1,440 adults (18 years old and above) nationwide.

There were 360 respondents each in Balance Luzon, Metro Manila, the Visayas, and Mindanao.

The poll had sampling error margins of ±2.6 percent for national percentages, and ±5 percent  each for Balance Luzon, Metro Manila, the Visayas, and Mindanao.

The pollster said it asked respondents with the question on “Happiness”: “Kung iisipin ninyo ang inyong buhay sa kabuuan sa ngayon, masasabi ba ninyo na kayo ay: Talagang masaya; Medyo masaya; Hindi masyadong masaya; o Talagang hindi masaya?”

(If you were to consider your life in general these days, how happy or unhappy would you say you are on the whole? Are you: Very happy; Fairly happy; Not very happy; or Not at all happy?)

Meanwhile, SWS said it asked respondents with the question on the “Satisfaction with Life”: “Sa kabuuan, kayo po ba ay: Lubos na nasisiyahan; Medyo nasisiyahan; Hindi nasisiyahan; o Lubos na hindi nasisiyahan, sa buhay na inyong nararanasan?”

(On the whole, are you: Very satisfied; Fairly satisfied; Not very satisfied; or Not at all satisfied, with the life you lead?) /je