The country’s 12th most populated region
TACLOBAN CITY – The population of Eastern Visayas has climbed to 4,625,929, according to the 2024 Census of Population (POPCEN) released by the Philippine Statistics Authority (PSA) on Friday, July 25. The region now accounts for 4.1 percent of the country’s total population of 112.7 million.
Although the region added 78,779 residents since the 2020 Census of Population and Housing, its annual population growth rate (PGR) has slowed to 0.41 percent from 0.50 percent recorded in 2015–2020. This equates to only about four additional persons per 1,000 people per year, reflecting a gradual demographic shift.
The PSA noted that Eastern Visayas ranks as the 12th most populous among the country’s 18 regions, with Region IV-A (CALABARZON) remaining the most populated at 16.93 million.
Meanwhile, the Cordillera Administrative Region (CAR) remains the least populated with 1,808,985 people. The latest census also includes the newly formed Negros Island Region (NIR) which has a population of 4,904,944.
PSA-8 statistical specialist Nikki Joy Javines emphasized the importance of census data in policymaking and local development.
“Population statistics are crucial for effective governance,” she said. “They inform where to build schools, hospitals, roads, and how to deliver social services. LGUs use these figures to plan budgets and improve disaster response.”
Among the provinces in the region, Leyte (excluding Tacloban City) remained the most populous with 1.82 million residents (39.4% of the regional total), followed by Samar (806,179), Northern Samar (645,789), Eastern Samar (472,683), Southern Leyte (434,372), and Biliran, the least populated, with 184,095.
Tacloban City, the regional capital and only highly urbanized city (HUC), had 259,353 residents, or 5.6 percent of the regional population. Its growth also slowed to 0.70 percent, from 0.84 percent in the previous census period.
In terms of annual population growth rates (2020–2024), Biliran posted the highest at 0.63%, followed by Leyte (0.62%), Samar (0.39%), Southern Leyte (0.27%), and Northern Samar (0.25%).
Only Eastern Samar recorded a population decline, with a negative growth rate of -0.23 percent.
According to Javines, the slower growth trend may be due to interrelated factors such as a declining fertility rate, the impact of COVID-19 on mortality, and reduced migration.
“These changes reflect not just numbers but deeper socio-economic trends that policymakers must address,” she added.
The 2024 POPCEN marks the 16th national population census since 1903 and serves as a foundation for development planning at all levels of government.
JOEY A. GABIETA
