The Philippine Statistics Authority (PSA) has released updated figures on the 2023 Full Year
Official Poverty Statistics, based on preliminary results from the 2023 Family Income and
Expenditure Survey.
Poverty Threshold
A family with five members in Sorsogon needed at least Php 14,321 per month to meet their
minimum basic food and non-food needs in 2023.
The graph shows an increasing poverty threshold for both the Bicol Region and Sorsogon
from 2018 to 2023, with Sorsogon consistently having a slightly higher threshold each year.
This upward trend reflects a rise in the minimum income required to meet basic needs over
time. In 2023, the poverty threshold in Sorsogon reached Php 14,321, compared to Php
13,990 for the Bicol Region, marking the largest gap in the years shown. This suggests that
families in Sorsogon require a slightly higher income than the regional average to cover
essential expenses.
Poverty Incidence Among Families in Sorsogon Rises to 28.4 Percent in 2023
The poverty incidence among families in Sorsogon was estimated at 28.4 percent in 2023.
This indicates that approximately 28 out of every 100 families in the province had an income
below the level needed to meet basic food and non-food needs. This marks an increase from
19.6 percent in 2018 and 21.7 percent in 2021.
The 2023 poverty incidence in Sorsogon is notably higher than the Bicol Region's average of
20.3 percent, underscoring the greater economic challenges faced by families in the province.
Sorsogon recorded 53.35 thousand poor families in 2023, an increase of 33.8 percent
compared to 39.88 thousand in 2021, and an increase of 55.3 percent from 34.36 thousand
in 2018. In contrast, the total number of poor families in the Bicol Region saw a decrease of
4.9 percent, dropping from 293.48 thousand in 2021 to 279.22 thousand in 2023.
The subsistence incidence among families in Sorsogon was estimated at 6.80 percent in 2023,
meaning that approximately 7 out of every 100 families in the province did not have sufficient
income to meet their minimum basic food needs. This represents an increase from 5.40
percent in 2021 and 4.40 percent in 2018. The 2023 subsistence incidence in Sorsogon is
also higher than the Bicol Region's average of 5.10 percent, highlighting greater food
insecurity among families in the province.
The number of food-poor families in Sorsogon reached 12.88 thousand in 2023, reflecting a
29.7 percent increase from 9.93 thousand in 2021 and a 65.1 percent increase from 7.80
thousand in 2018. This significant rise highlights the growing number of families in the province
struggling to meet their basic food needs over recent years.
Technical Notes:
(Section 3 of Republic Act 8425 of 1997 or the Social Reform & Poverty Alleviation
Act) - The poor are individuals and families whose income fall below the poverty threshold
as defined by the NEDA and/or cannot afford in a sustained manner to provide their
minimum basic needs of food, health, education, housing and other essential amenities of
life.
Food Threshold is the minimum income needed for a family/individual to meet the basic
food needs, which satisfies the nutritional requirements for economically necessary and
socially desirable physical activities.
Also referred to as the subsistence threshold or the food poverty line.
Poverty Threshold is the minimum income needed for a family/individual to meet the basic
food and non-food requirements
Basic Non-Food Requirements include:
- clothing and footwear;
- fuel, light and water;
- housing maintenance and other minor repairs;
- rental of occupied dwelling units;
- medical care;
- education;
- transportation & communication;
- non-durable furnishing;
- household operations and
- personal care and effects.
Recreation, tobacco and alcohol are excluded.
Is equal to the cost of minimum basic needs: food + non-food
Poverty Incidence (%) is the proportion of families/individuals who are income poor or
whose income is below the poverty threshold to the total families/individuals.
Subsistence Incidence (%) is the proportion of families/individuals who are food
poor/subsistence poor or whose income is below the food threshold to the total
families/individuals.
Magnitude of Poor refers to the number of families/ individuals who are income poor.
Magnitude of the Food Poor/Subsistence Poor refers to the number of families/individuals
who are food poor/subsistence poor.
SGD
CROSS DOREH L. LEE
(Supervising Statistical Specialist)
Officer-in-Charge
PSO Sorsogon
/fgh
