Manila, Aug. 21 -- The Department of Economy, Planning, and Development (DEPDev) on Friday said the Philippines recorded its lowest-ever poverty incidence of 9.7 percent in 2025, achieving the single-digit target under the Philippine Development Plan (PDP) three years ahead of schedule.

Likewise, the 2025 Full-Year Poverty Statistics released by the Philippine Statistics Authority (PSA) on Aug. 21 indicated that 6.5 million Filipinos were lifted out of poverty between 2023 and 2025.

The number of Filipinos living below the poverty threshold fell from 17.5 million in 2023 to 11 million in 2025.

"For the first time, fewer than one in ten Filipinos is living below the poverty line," DEPDev Secretary Arsenio Balisacan said in a statement....