If you base the ranking by GDP per capita (PPP or Nominal), the Philippines is just around a bit below the middle. There are approx. 200 more or less countries in the world and the Philippines is ranked below 120. With more or less 80 poorer countries, then it’s 80th or 90th, depending if you look at the World Bank stats or at the other recognized statistical department. Still, far from the poorest economy.
It depends on the person’s perspective. If you judge based on the slums of Metro Manila which is only 10% of the whole metropolis, domestic helpers abroad, and beggars on the streets, you would think that Philippines is very poor considering the very desperate situation of those people.
If you judge based on our Central Business Districts that reminiscents developed cities, those tall skylines and buildings, the beautiful beaches, luxurious resorts, and both the city and provincial guarded subdivisions, with the professional Filipinos such as our popular Nursing workforce abroad, Engineers, and other professional or white collar workers both locally and overseas, you would think that the Philippines is rich or at least upper middle classed.
It depends on the perspective. Compared to other Southeast Asian countries, we have the biggest poverty population. But we also have a very big population of middle classed or rich citizens in ASEAN. Why? We have 25 million citizens under poverty line which is dramatically high compared to other ASEAN countries. But we also have the remaining 75 million people who are just doing fine, meaning they have good homes, they have jobs, they can either be middle classed or rich.
You see? If you kept on watching the documentaries about the slums of the Philippines, you would think it’s very poor. If you kept on looking at the negative side, you would only think about the negativities of that place or whatever.
Otherwise, if you kept on watching the vlogs of the tourists about the beauty of the Philippines and the rich cities of Metro Manila, you would think it’s kinda rich. If you kept on looking at the positive side, you would only think about the positivities of that place or whatever. And to remind you, every country has positive and negative sides.
Therefore, it depends on the person’s perspective plus the reality to really suffice the judgment.
If I keep on judging negatively about the United States for example, always looking and judging their beggars, their very bad cities like Detroit, their ill-mannered citizens, and so on and so forth, I might ask how poor the United States is. The answer would be 195 poorest among the 200 countries. I asked it that way because I only looked and judged the negative side of the USA without looking at the positive side. I should have asked how rich it is instead.
Likewise for the Philippines, if I only look at the negative side, I would be asking this question and realized that it’s not really that poor since it is 114th richest or 86th poorest among the existing 200 countries and realize it only falls around the middle of the rankings. I could have realized it earlier if I also looked at the positive side of the Philippines.
That’s for GDP per capita alone. GDP per capita talks about the average income of the citizens.
For total GDP which describes how big an economy is (just big not necessarily developed), then the Philippines is 29th biggest economy out of the 200 countries. Indonesia is 5th biggest economy but it’s GDP per capita is only a bit higher than the Philippines. Total GDP talks about the total income of the government of the country. The higher, the more potential, the bigger to spend. However, spending depends on the government and other circumstances. And sad to say, without a good governance and cooperative citizens, both the country’s status and citizens would suffer.
For other metrics, you can google them.
Overall, Philippines is far from the poorest countries of Africa, South Asia, and even Southeast Asia such as Timor Leste, Myanmar, or Cambodia.
For Southeast Asia alone, Philippines is ranked 5 out of 9 (if you exclude Brunei) and 6 out of 10 (if you include Brunei). That’s only in terms of GDP per capita.
For other aspects and statistical measurements, you can google them. Singapore is the highest ranked in almost everything. Malaysia and Thailand are almost at par. Thailand and Indonesia can almost be at par in some measurements. Indonesia and the Philippines is almost at par in most measurements, and then Philippines and Vietnam can be at par in some measurements as well. Being at par does not mean being literally equal to each other. One could be a little bit higher or lower on some aspects or in some measurements.
I therefore conclude that overall, the Philippines is around between 80–90th poorest among the approx 200+ countries and territories of the world. This is only about the Economy of the Philippines. The Economy is just a bit lower than the middle rank, so it’s still somewhat a middle classed economy.
As an additional, the Philippines is projected to be an Upper Middle classed country or reach Stage 2 out of 3 in a few years. It’s GDP per capita is only $500 away to be classified as an Upper Middle Income per capita. If the development and progress were continued, the projections and predictions will happen.
Since we cannot only judge the Economy, we also need to look at the citizens and their individual status. I believe that if you were born poor, it was not your fault. But if you die poor, it is already your fault, not the government’s, economy’s or somebody else’s fault.
Citizens here have a choice. The government had mistakes but they are not the only ones to be blamed. I know someone who grew up in the slum but now, he is rich, very educated, has travelled the world, owning cars, properties, and investments such as stocks and etc. And I know someone who also grew up in the slum, but suffering the poverty with his 7 children still in the slum. You see? The government and economy can only do so much. But if the citizen does not want to choose the proper choice, they will end up poor. The only thing to be blamed from the government is their greediness, insufficient supply of opportunities, poor law enforcements that’s why you see many people making babies without even simple education that the government can actually provide, and the inconveniences they bring to the citizens. But I believe that if a person is ambitious, he can reach farther than what he thought he could just reach.
Sadly, there are still many Filipino citizens who are ill-mannered, illogical, and unambitious. There are still government officials who are greedy, selfish, and unambitious as well. But things are slowly improving. Rest assured that the Philippines will rise again until no one would ask about how poor it is if the progress and development will be continued.
Philippines was once rich in the past, 2nd in Asia, richest in SEA, did progresses together with USA and Spain in the past. If we had done that in the past, we can do it again today. We just need to recover from mismanagement. We can be rich again.
Cheerio!
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