Philippine population growth slowing down
MANILA, Philippines — The Philippines’ annual population growth rate (PGR) is declining, according to data from the Philippine Statistics Authority (PSA).
President Ferdinand Marcos Jr. has officially declared the country’s latest population count at 112,729,484, based on recent data.
This marks an increase of 3.69 million people since the last nationwide census in 2020, when the population stood at 109.03 million.
The population and the population growth rate (PGR) are two different things. The population refers to the total number of people, while the PGR measures the rate at which that number increases over time.
Despite an increase in the overall population size, the PGR has declined, from 1.63% between 2015 and 2020, to 0.80% between 2020 and 2024.
The country’s PGR has been generally declining since 1960 to 1970, when it was recorded at 3.01%.
“The slowdown in the growth rate may be driven by several interrelated factors such as but not limited to declining fertility and birth rate, elevated mortality during the COVID-19 pandemic, and subdued migration activity,” the PSA said.
This slowdown in PGR is seen across the country, with 16 out of 18 regions experiencing a reduction in numbers.
The Bangsamoro Autonomous Region in Muslim Mindanao is the sole region to experience an increased PGR with 3.43%. On the opposite end of this, the Bicol Region experienced a negative PGR at -0.07%.
The census was conducted from July 1 to September 2024. The population count includes people who live within the country, as well as those who are abroad as of July 1, 2024.
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