Millennials, Gen Z make up 60 percent of voting population

MANILA, Philippines — Nineteen-year-old Alyssa Ibones, a college student enrolled at a university in Quezon City, flew back to her hometown in Cebu last Saturday to vote for the first time in today’s midterm elections.

Despite the travel cost and potential disruption to her studies, especially since it is already the end of the semester, Ibones says she recognizes the importance of participating in the democratic process.

“These elections determine who holds office, which means that they directly shape the policies that affect our daily lives. From education to health care, to the environment, the decisions made on election day will not only impact me, but also my community, and generations to come,” she said in an interview with The STAR.

“Through voting, I’m holding leaders accountable and demanding that they reflect the needs and values of the people they’re supposed to serve,” she added.

Her classmate Sharmaine Reyes, also 19, endured a three-hour commute to Sta. Rosa City, Laguna last Friday to ensure she could vote today.

“I think it’s something I owe to myself and society. The act of voting means choosing to stand up and try to make a change. By choosing the right leaders, I’m not only voicing out what can benefit me, but the entire country itself,” Reyes told The STAR.

Ibones and Reyes are among the millions of young Filipinos who will cast their votes, many for the first time, in this year’s midterm elections.

According to data from the Commission on Elections (Comelec), over six in 10 registered voters either belong to the millennial or Gen Z generations.

Based on Comelec data, millennials and Gen Z voters make up 60.5 percent, or 41,412,361, of the total 68,431,965 registered voters for the 2025 midterm polls. This marks a significant increase from the 2022 elections, when they comprised 56 percent or nearly 37 million of the 65.7 million registered voters.

Millennials – those born between 1981 and 1996 – account for over 23 million voters, or individuals aged 29 to 44. Meanwhile, Gen Z voters – aged 18 to 28 – number over 18.3 million.

Gen X voters, aged 45 to 59, comprise around 22.7 percent of the electorate with more than 15.5 million registered. Baby Boomers, or those aged 60 and above, make up 16.8 percent, with over 11.47 million voters.

Young voters like Ibones and Reyes are seen as key in shaping the next set of national and local leaders.

“Political apathy is a luxury we can’t afford, especially now. It’s easy to turn away from the political process, to say ‘it doesn’t matter’ or ‘nothing will change.’ But in doing so, we are handing over our future to the very forces that seek to control us,” said Ibones.

“You cannot escape politics. Some may see it as a hassle or a hopeless case; but being apolitical, in hindsight, will do you and everyone around you more bad than good. It means just letting whoever’s running, regardless of their intentions, manipulate the direction of your country,” added Reyes.

Vote-rich areas

Calabarzon remains the region with the most registered voters at 9.7 million, followed by Central Luzon with nearly 7.7 million, Metro Manila with over 7.5 million, Central Visayas with almost 4.4 million and the Bicol Region with over four million.

The province of Cebu, including Cebu City, tops the list with more than 3.4 million voters. It is followed by Cavite (2.44 million), Bulacan (2.17 million), Pangasinan (2.15 million) and Laguna (2.14 million).

In contrast, the provinces with the smallest number of registered voters were Batanes (13,655), Camiguin (66,557), Siquijor (81,404) and Dinagat Islands (81,404).

In Metro Manila, Quezon City has the highest number of registered voters with 1.45 million, followed by Manila with 1.14 million, Caloocan with 765,249, Taguig with 680,554 and Pasig with 463,885.

The municipality of Kalayaan in Palawan has the smallest number of registered voters nationwide, with only 819. Other municipalities with fewer than 1,500 voters include Uyugan (1,188), Ivana (1,216) and Sabtang (1,450) in Batanes, as well as Carasi (1,421) in Ilocos Norte.

Female voters, on the other hand, slightly outnumber male voters, with 34,877,106 women registered compared to 33,554,859 men.