Based on the poll conducted from December 8 to 11, hunger increased from 9.8 percent in September 2023 to 12.6 percent in December 2023.

According to the SWS, the survey results brought the 2023 annual hunger rate to 10.7 percent, one point below the 11.7 percent average in 2022, but it was 1.4 points above the pre-pandemic 9.3 percent average in 2019.

SWS stated that hunger was highest in Balance Luzon at 14.3 percent, followed by Metro Manila at 12.7 percent, Mindanao at 12 percent, and the Visayas at 9.3 percent.

The 2.8-point rise in hunger between September 2023 and December 2023 was attributed to increases in Mindanao, Balance Luzon, and the Visayas, combined with a decrease in Metro Manila.

In December 2023, the hunger rate was 12.6 percent, including 11.2 percent who experienced "moderate" hunger and 1.4 percent who experienced "severe" hunger.

Moderate hunger is defined as "only once" or "a few times" in the previous three months, whereas severe hunger is defined as "often" or "always" in the same timeframe.

“Compared to September 2023, moderate hunger rose by 2.8 points from 8.4 percent, while severe hunger hardly moved from 1.3 percent,” SWS said.

Involuntary hunger also rose among self-rated poor Filipino families from 7.7 percent in December 2023 to 20.1 percent, while it decreased among non-poor Filipino families from 10.4 to 5.9 percent.

The survey was conducted via face-to-face interviews with 1,200 adult Filipinos.

The survey had ±2.8 percent sampling error margin for national percentages and ±5.7 percent each for Metro Manila, Balance Luzon, the Visayas, and Mindanao.