Guimaras reduces poverty rate to 6.5 percent in 2023
Guimaras has significantly reduced its poverty rate, dropping from 10 percent in 2021 to 6.5 percent in 2023, according to the Philippine Statistics Authority. This makes it the second lowest in Western Visayas, after Aklan. The number of people living below the poverty line decreased by 6,360, from 18,740 in 2021 to 12,380 in 2023. The poverty rate among families also fell to 3.8 percent, down from 7.3 percent in 2021. Additionally, the income gap between the richest and poorest households narrowed, decreasing to 9.1 percent in 2023 from 15.8 percent in 2021. Aklan remains the province with the lowest poverty incidence in the region.