Population Institute

Screenshot from the Zoom livestream of the Philippine Statistics Authority

UPPI Director Elma Laguna served as discussant on “Unang Yugto: Understanding the Filipino Population,” the first installment of the Philippine Statistics Authority’s webinar series “Tatlong Census, Isang Kwento,” on July 24, 2026, via Zoom.

To give an accurate picture of the nation’s current demographic profile, Mr. Joseph Cajita of the Philippine Statistics Authority (PSA) presented the latest results of the 2024 Census of Population (2024 POPCEN), featuring updated statistics on population composition, population growth rate, population density, and other demographic indicators. Dr. Elma Laguna shared her insights on the results shortly after Mr. Cajita’s presentation.

Dr. Laguna reiterated that with an annual population growth rate of 0.80% from 2020 to 2024, the Filipino population is still growing—but at a slower pace compared with previous years. Currently at 112.7 million, this means that the national population is still increasing, yet it will take more time to double in size.

Meanwhile, she explained that almost 40% of the population is distributed among regions where major commercial and educational hubs are located: CALABARZON (16.9 million), the National Capital Region (14 million), and Central Luzon (12.99 million).

With the country’s current sex ratio of 102 males for every 100 females, she commented that more boys are born than girls, yet more women reach old age than men. She pointed out that this bears important implications for how Filipinos experience aging, taking into consideration how women remain disadvantaged in society.

Amid the education crisis, Dr. Laguna also suggested shifting focus to the country’s educational dividend rather than relying on the demographic dividend alone.

Overall, she is confident that the 2024 POPCEN data will be a useful tool for policymakers, academics, and civil society to understand and address the unique and evolving needs of the Filipino population.