The number of Filipino households suffering from involuntary hunger has risen to the highest level since the COVID-19 pandemic devastated the country.

The Social Weather Station survey released on Tuesday (January 14) indicated that as of the survey period of December, 2024, 25.9 percent of Filipino families have experienced hunger and without food at least once in the past three months.

According to one of two of the country’s reliable survey firms, the December, 2024 statistics on hunger “was 3.0 points above the 22.9% in September, 2024, and the highest since the record high 30.7% during the COVID-19 lockdowns in September, 2020.”

The 2024 annual hunger rate has been recorded at 0.9percent higher than the 2020 average of 21.1 %, when the pandemic triggered massive unemployment in the country.

According to the SWS the December 2024 hunger rate is almost double the yearly hunger average from 2023 which was 10.7 on the average.

It was reported that the 2024 hunger rate’s average was 22.9 percent.

Highest hunger incidence was in Mindanao at 30.3 percent.

Balance Luzon or places outside National Capital region was placed at 25.3 percent; Visayas at 24.4 percent and Metro Manila at 22.2 percent.

Metro manila registered an increase from 21.7 percent in September, 2024.

But the highest increase was in Balance Luzon which registered 18.1 in September, 2024 compared to the latest 25.3 percent.

There was a reduced hunger rate in Visayas which had 26 percent in September, 2024.

According to the SWS poor Filipinos are mostly affected by hunger.

“Hunger occurs at different rates among the Poor and the Non-Poor. At any single point in time, hunger is usually higher among the poor,” the survey firm said.

A total of 2,160 adults residing in various places across the country participated in the poll survey.

Balance Luzon was represented with 1,080 respondents while the rest of the survey regions had 360 each.