PH population growth on ‘downtrend’: PSA

MANILA – The Philippine population growth continues at a slower pace as more Filipinos prefer smaller family sizes, the Philippine Statistics Authority (PSA) reported on Tuesday.

Citing results of the 2020 Census of Population and Housing, PSA Undersecretary and National Statistician Dennis Mapa said the country’s total population rose by 1.63 percent between 2015 and 2020, slower compared to 1.72 percent registered in 2010 until 2015.

“The trend is actually going down so one of the reasons of course is the preference of many families for smaller family size. But this is not unique, this 2015-2020 (census), because we are seeing a downtrend in terms of population growth several censuses already,” he said in a virtual press briefing.

Mapa said the total population of the country reached 109,035,343 as of May 1, 2020, up by over 8 million from 100,981,437 in 2015.

He identified the most populous regions in 2000 as Region 4-A (Cavite, Laguna, Batangas, Rizal and Quezon) with a population of 16,195,042; National Capital Region (NCR) -13,484,462; and Region 3 (Central Luzon) -12,422,172.

“The population in Calabarzon, NCR and Central Luzon is 38.61 percent of the total population of the Philippines. Four out of 10 Filipinos live in these regions,” he added in Filipino.

Mapa said Batanes has the smallest population with 18,831 people, while Camiguin is another province with a small population of 92,808.

Socioeconomic Planning Secretary Karl Kendrick Chua said the slower population growth is consistent with the increase in the income of the people and the country.

Chua said it is important that population growth is supported by improving services for the people so they become productive and boost human capital.

“(So) there is really no ideal population growth in my opinion. What is important is we are able to provide the basic services to the people to allow them to be healthy so that they can finish school and they have a good job, and improve the productivity of the country,” he added in the same briefing.

Chua said they will be evaluating some of the government programs, including the productive health, to determine whether these are showing progress in line with census results.

“Right now, what I can see from the initial data is there is progress in our reproductive health program. Total fertility rate is falling, more women are more educated and are better managing their families and the population growth is also falling…,” he added.