Poverty and living standards in Bicol Region (Region V), Philippines: official figures
20.3% of families in the Bicol Region lived below the poverty line in 2023 (official poverty statistics), against 10.9% of families nationally; it ranks joint 3rd highest of 17 regions for poverty.
Is poverty falling in the Bicol Region?
Family poverty in the Bicol Region fell from 21.9% in 2021 to 20.3% in 2023, by 1.6 percentage points; nationally it moved from 13.2% to 10.9%.
Source: Philippine Statistics Authority · saved copyHow has poverty in the Bicol Region changed since 2018?
Since 2018, when 20.0% of families in the Bicol Region were poor, the rate has risen by 0.3 percentage points to 20.3% in 2023; the national rate went from 12.1% to 10.9%.
Source: Philippine Statistics Authority · saved copyWhat is the poverty line in the Bicol Region?
The official poverty line in the Bicol Region was ₱33,575 a year per person in 2023 (about ₱2,798 a month); the national line was ₱33,296 a year, and the Bicol Region ranks 6th highest of 17 regions for the level of the line.
Source: Philippine Statistics Authority · saved copyHow many people in the Bicol Region are in the poorest fifth?
In the 2022 National Demographic and Health Survey 29.3% of people in the Bicol Region were in the poorest fifth of the national wealth index, and 11.2% were in the richest fifth (a country-wide split would be 20% each); it ranks 7th highest of 17 regions for the poorest fifth.
Source: Philippine Statistics Authority and ICF (The DHS Program) · saved copyHow many homes in the Bicol Region have earth or bamboo floors?
3.2% of households in the Bicol Region lived in homes with rudimentary floors (earth, wood plank, palm or bamboo) in 2022, against 11.3% nationally; it ranks 4th lowest of 17 regions.
Source: Philippine Statistics Authority and ICF (The DHS Program) · saved copyHow many households in the Bicol Region cook with clean fuel?
37.9% of households in the Bicol Region cooked with clean fuel (such as electricity or LPG) in 2022 (national: 59.5%); it ranks 8th lowest of 17 regions.
Source: Philippine Statistics Authority and ICF (The DHS Program) · saved copyHow Bicol Region (Region V) compares with other regions
People in the poorest fifth of the national wealth index (2022)
Bicol Region (Region V) ranks 7 of 17, highest first. Western Visayas and Central Visayas still include Negros in this source. Survey estimate with a margin of error.
| Rank | Region | People in the poorest fifth of the national wealth index |
|---|---|---|
| 4 | Northern Mindanao (Region X) | 35.0% |
| 5 | Caraga (Region XIII) | 33.1% |
| 6 | MIMAROPA Region (Region IV-B) | 30.0% |
| 7 | Bicol Region (Region V) | 29.3% |
| 8 | Western Visayas (Region VI) | 26.1% |
| 9 | Eastern Visayas (Region VIII) | 25.7% |
| 10 | Central Visayas (Region VII) | 24.8% |
Households cooking with clean fuel (2022)
Bicol Region (Region V) ranks 10 of 17, highest first. Western Visayas and Central Visayas still include Negros in this source. Survey estimate with a margin of error.
| Rank | Region | Households cooking with clean fuel |
|---|---|---|
| 7 | Cagayan Valley (Region II) | 53.1% |
| 8 | Davao Region (Region XI) | 47.3% |
| 9 | Eastern Visayas (Region VIII) | 43.9% |
| 10 | Bicol Region (Region V) | 37.9% |
| 11 | Caraga (Region XIII) | 33.9% |
| 12 | Northern Mindanao (Region X) | 31.8% |
| 13 | MIMAROPA Region (Region IV-B) | 31.0% |
Poverty incidence among families (2023)
Bicol Region (Region V) ranks 3 of 17, highest first. The Negros Island Region, created in 2024, is not listed; Western Visayas and Central Visayas exclude Negros in this table.
| Rank | Region | Poverty incidence among families |
|---|---|---|
| 1 | Zamboanga Peninsula (Region IX) | 24.2% |
| 2 | Bangsamoro Autonomous Region in Muslim Mindanao (BARMM) | 23.5% |
| 3 | Bicol Region (Region V) | 20.3% |
| 4 | Eastern Visayas (Region VIII) | 20.3% |
| 5 | Northern Mindanao (Region X) | 18.4% |
| 6 | SOCCSKSARGEN (Region XII) | 17.0% |
| 7 | MIMAROPA Region (Region IV-B) | 16.3% |
Change in family poverty incidence, 2021 to 2023 (percentage points) (2021-2023)
Bicol Region (Region V) ranks 6 of 17, highest first. The Negros Island Region, created in 2024, is not listed; Western Visayas and Central Visayas exclude Negros in this table.
| Rank | Region | Change in family poverty incidence, 2021 to 2023 (percentage points) |
|---|---|---|
| 3 | Davao Region (Region XI) | -0.6 |
| 4 | Northern Mindanao (Region X) | -0.8 |
| 5 | National Capital Region (NCR) | -1.1 |
| 6 | Bicol Region (Region V) | -1.6 |
| 7 | Eastern Visayas (Region VIII) | -1.9 |
| 8 | CALABARZON (Region IV-A) | -1.9 |
| 9 | Western Visayas (Region VI) | -2.3 |
Annual per capita poverty threshold (2023)
Bicol Region (Region V) ranks 6 of 17, highest first. The Negros Island Region, created in 2024, is not listed; Western Visayas and Central Visayas exclude Negros in this table.
| Rank | Region | Annual per capita poverty threshold |
|---|---|---|
| 3 | CALABARZON (Region IV-A) | ₱37,096 |
| 4 | Central Visayas (Region VII) | ₱34,553 |
| 5 | Ilocos Region (Region I) | ₱34,454 |
| 6 | Bicol Region (Region V) | ₱33,575 |
| 7 | Northern Mindanao (Region X) | ₱33,513 |
| 8 | Zamboanga Peninsula (Region IX) | ₱33,353 |
| 9 | Western Visayas (Region VI) | ₱33,122 |
More on Bicol Region (Region V): overview · economy and jobs · health · education and schools · government budget · the Philippines
Sources
- Philippine Statistics Authority and ICF (The DHS Program): 2022 Philippines National Demographic and Health Survey: selected national and regional indicators (DHS Program API), read 23 October 2026 · saved copy (SHA-256 401a0e9d6912…)
- Philippine Statistics Authority: Official poverty statistics, Table 1: Annual Per Capita Poverty Threshold and Poverty Incidence Among Families with Measures of Precision, by Region and Province: 2018, 2021 and 2023 (OpenStat table 0011F3DF010, CSV export), read 23 October 2026 · saved copy (SHA-256 5a5a465011bf…)
Each saved copy is the file exactly as downloaded, kept so the figures can be checked even if the source changes. Report an error.