Four Decades of Social Weather Stations Surveys: An Archival Treasure of Philippine Public Opinion
The SWS Survey Data Archives is a major archival resource preserving four decades of public opinion research. As of 16 December 2025, the archive comprises 848 survey datasets collected between 1984 and 2025, including 368 national and 480 sub-national surveys. Altogether, the archive represents more than 1.26 million respondents and over 154,000 questionnaire items, providing extensive longitudinal depth and geographic coverage.
The archive reflects the institutional evolution of SWS survey operations, transitioning from outsourced survey implementation (1984–2004) to predominantly in-house data production (2004–2025). Outsourced surveys account for 241 datasets, while 607 datasets were produced in-house, marking significant growth in survey volume, questionnaire complexity, and documentation practices. This shift highlights the strengthening internal capacity of SWS for systematic data collection, archiving, and long-term stewardship.
The SWS Survey Data Archives preserves a broad range of indicators central to the study of socio-economic and political conditions in the Philippines. These include changes in quality of life; expectations regarding future personal and economic conditions; self-rated poverty and food poverty; experiences of involuntary hunger; and adult unemployment. The archive also documents public satisfaction with major government officials - such as the President, Vice President, members of the House of Representatives, and the Supreme Court along with public trust in institutions and assessments of national government performance in areas including the economy, governance, and public safety. Additional indicators cover experiences of crime, trust in public figures and foreign countries, and key socio-demographic characteristics.
As the only research institution in the Philippines with long-term comparative data on topics such as hunger and poverty, the SWS Survey Data Archives provides invaluable resources for academic studies, conference presentations, and school research papers.