MANILA, Philippines – The Filipino population is expected to grow by just 0.3% or 324,000 in 2021, according to the Commission on Population and Development (Popcom).
Popcom, in a statement, said this annual “natural increase” is the lowest since the period between 1946 and 1947, when the population grew by 254,000 people.
“As such, Filipinos will number 109,991,095 at the end of 2021, 2 million less than previous projections based on a population growth rate or PGR of 1.63 percent.”
Popcom Executive Director Dr. Juan Perez III explained that Filipinos remain cautious in continuing to delay having children or forming families during the combined economic crisis and the COVID-19 health emergency.
“A growing number of couples continue to benefit from family planning products and services in all regions of the country, with 8 million users of modern family planning methods in 2020, approximately 500,000 more than in 2019,” said he added.
‘Natural increase’
“Natural increase” of population, or natural population change, refers to the projection based on the number of births minus deaths during a given period.
Popcom made the calculations based on preliminary vital statistics reports from the Philippine Statistics Authority (PSA) for the period from January 2020 to August 2021.
Popcom also noted that the natural population increase in 2020 was 914,797 in reference to PSA Vital Statistics, which put the population at the end of 2020 at 109,667,216. The natural population increase this year -there was 0.79%.
Perez then pointed out that the past two years of low population growth offer opportunities to achieve a more stable population that can support socio-economic development at the national and household level if integrated population and development interventions are maintained.
“If the integrated population and development measures are maintained, we can expect a more stable population that can effectively support the development of the Philippines. Smaller families must be supported by a national living wage structure that also allows parents to save for their household’s unmet needs for food, housing and education,” Perez said.
Defense of depopulation
“The uneven regional wage structures only result in individuals falling further behind those in progressive areas such as the National Capital Region, Calabarzon and Central Luzon,” he added.
Perez also said that the low population growth of 2020-2021 offers a greater chance for the country and households to recover from the COVID-19 epidemic, with the increased capacities of national and local governments to provide quality services. to the Filipinos.
However, Perez revealed that the agency’s projected population for 2021 does not yet cover international migration during the year and that vital statistics data as reported by PSA is also subject to under-reporting. and late declarations.
Read more
Subscribe to INQUIRER PLUS to access The Philippine Daily Inquirer and over 70 titles, share up to 5 gadgets, listen to the news, download as early as 4am and share articles on social media. Call 896 6000.