Despite alarming spikes in teenage pregnancies, the Philippines’ population growth has plunged below 1 percent in 2024—probably its lowest rate since World War II—threatening to erode what has long been its most potent economic force: its people power.
Once a symbol of strength and global competitiveness, the country’s demographic engine is now sputtering, raising red flags for the economy’s long-term vitality.
Latest census results from the Philippine Statistics Authority (PSA), approved by President Ferdinand Marcos Jr., show the annual population growth rate averaged just 0.8 percent from 2020 to 2024. That’s a steep drop from 1.63 percent between 2015 and 2020—and a dramatic fall from the 3.01 percent seen between 1960 and 1970.
This isn’t just about population size reaching saturation.
In raw numbers, the country added only 3.69 million people from 2020 to 2024, compared to over 8 million in each of the two previous five-year periods, starting 2010. The PSA attributes the slowdown to a combination of falling fertility rates, COVID-related mortality, and muted migration.
Such a shift could reshape the nation’s future. With fewer young Filipinos entering the workforce, the country’s once-abundant labor pool—the same one that powers global remittances and supports domestic industries—could shrink in the coming decades.
Region IV-A, comprised of Cavite, Laguna, Batangas, Rizal, and Quezon, had the highest population in 2024 at 16.93 million, followed by Metro Manila with 14 million, and Region III with nearly 13 million. Together, these three areas account for nearly 40 percent of the country’s total population.
As the growth engine slows, the Philippines must rethink how to sustain economic momentum. “People power” has long been the nation’s edge—but it may not be enough in the decades ahead unless bold, region-specific policies address the demographic shift now unfolding.
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