Philippine Family Income Reaches 411,350 Pesos as Regional Wealth Gap Widens

Average annual family income in the Philippines climbed to 411,350 pesos in 2025, according to preliminary data from the Philippine Statistics Authority’s latest Family Income and Expenditure Survey.

That nationwide figure works out to roughly 34,300 pesos a month, but earnings remain heavily skewed toward Metro Manila and industrial Luzon.

Makati posted the highest average income among highly urbanized cities at 796,990 pesos per year, or about 66,400 pesos monthly. That is nearly double the national average and 2.5 times higher than Zamboanga City, which ranked lowest among major urban centers at 309,610 pesos. The next four top-earning cities all sit within Metro Manila: San Juan at 735,960 pesos, Parañaque at 711,310 pesos, Mandaluyong at 676,130 pesos, and Quezon City at 648,150 pesos.

Metro Manila and Northern Luzon Lead

Only three administrative regions surpassed the national average in 2025. The National Capital Region led with an average annual family income of 574,370 pesos, followed by Calabarzon at 526,070 pesos and Central Luzon at 447,310 pesos. At the bottom, the Bangsamoro Autonomous Region in Muslim Mindanao recorded 246,050 pesos, trailing Zamboanga Peninsula at 286,340 pesos and Soccsksargen at 292,820 pesos.

Provincial data shows an even wider spread. Ilocos Norte topped all provinces with an average family income of 619,240 pesos, followed by Batanes, Cavite, Rizal, and Batangas. The bottom five provinces were all located in Mindanao, with Maguindanao del Sur recording just 177,750 pesos.

Ilocos Norte expanded its household income by nearly 70 per cent between 2021 and 2025, rising from 364,800 pesos to 619,240 pesos. Remittances and business proceeds drove that surge. Overseas cash receipts accounted for 20.2 per cent of provincial family earnings, compared to an 8.5 per cent share nationally, while salaries contributed 39.8 per cent against a national average of 54.6 per cent.

Uneven Growth Across Island Groups

Retailers sizing up consumer demand outside Manila face sharply different spending trajectories. While high-income enclaves command basket size, secondary provinces are posting faster percentage gains. Cagayan Valley delivered the fastest regional increase between 2023 and 2025, expanding 25 per cent to 388,220 pesos, while Samar recorded a 54.4 per cent provincial jump to 357,340 pesos.

Contraction hit other pockets. Sultan Kudarat saw average family income drop 8.2 per cent between 2023 and 2025 to 269,610 pesos. Income composition also split along regional lines: wage labor dominated every region except BARMM, where entrepreneurial activity generated 43.8 per cent of total household revenue.

The statistics agency will publish the final 2025 expenditure tables and poverty threshold estimates in its complete survey release.