PH to have 15M more people in 10 years, population watcher says
The Philippines is entering a “demographic sweet spot,” with projections showing a growing share of working-age Filipinos that could drive economic growth if government planning and investments are properly aligned, an official of the Commission on Population and Development (CPD) said on Friday.
“This is what we call the demographic sweet spot, meaning it is a very good situation for a country to have a larger working-age population,” CPD Executive Director Lisa Grace Bersales said in an interview.
Bersales said that although the country’s population growth rate has slowed a little in recent years, it will continue to grow with its structure shifting toward a larger labor force over the next 15 years, creating opportunities for development.
According to the 2024 Census of Population, the annual growth rate from 2020 to 2024 was 0.80 percent, down from 1.63 percent between 2015 and 2020. This deceleration is attributed to declining fertility and birth rates, elevated mortality during the COVID-19 pandemic and subdued migration activity.
But projections from the Philippine Statistics Authority (PSA) indicate that the country will continue to grow at an average annual rate of 0.85 percent from 2020 to 2035, adding around 14.76 million people to reach an estimated 123.96 million by 2035.
“We know the population will continue to grow, but what will happen is that the working-age population—those aged 15 to 64—will increase, with projections reaching about 70 percent compared to around 64 percent now,” Bersales said.
Demographic shift
She said this demographic shift means the government must gradually recalibrate its priorities, moving from a heavy focus on child-centered services toward employment generation, skills development and job matching for a growing working-age population, while still sustaining investments in education and nutrition.
“In the future, the working-age population will increase, so what the government will need to prioritize are good and appropriate jobs for those aged 15 to 64 so they can contribute to the country’s economic development,” she said.
Bersales said population projections show a growing number of senior citizens, highlighting the need to expand services for older persons, particularly in health care and social protection.
On population management, she reiterated that the country’s population policy remains human-rights-based and noncoercive, with the government focusing on providing accurate information and access to family planning services rather than dictating family size.
