2015 Census of Population, Highlights Demographic Characteristics

As of August 1, 2015, Bicol Region had a total population of 5,796,989 persons based on the 2015 Census of Population (POPCEN 2015)
The total population is higher by 376,578 persons compared with the 2010 Census of Population and Housing (2010 CPH) count of 5,420,411 persons. Based on POPCEN 2007 , the total Population was 5,106,160 persons.

The increase in the Bicol’s population translated into an average population growth rate (PGR) of 1.29 percent annually during the period 2010 to 2015. This means that there were about 12 persons added per year for every 1,000 persons in the population.
The annual PGR was higher at 1.83 percent during the period 1990 to 2000, and 1.46 percent during 2000 to 2010.

Among Bicol provinces, Camarines Norte was the fastest growing province in 2015 with an average annual population growth rate (PGR) of 1.8 percent or with 583,313 persons. The rate was lower compared to the 1.44 percent recorded in 2000-2010 and 1.87 percent in 1990-2000.
The next highest was Camarines Sur with an average annual population growth rate (PGR) of 1.32 percent, Sorsogon with 1.3 percent, Masbate with 1.28 percent and Albay with 1.22 percent.
Catanduanes recorded the lowest average annual population growth rate in 2015 with 1.11 percent.

Bicol Region is composed of six provinces, Camarines Sur had the biggest population size in 2015, totaling to 3,292,071 (33.7% of the region’s total population). It was followed by Albay which is 22.7% of the total region’s population, followed by Masbate, Sorsogon, Camarines Norte and the lowest is Catanduanes at 4.5 percent.

Of the total population, 50.9 percent was male while 49.1 percent was female. This results in a sex ratio of 104 males for every 100 females. The same sex ratio was reported in 2010.

In 2015, the median age of Region V’s total population was 21 years, which means that half of the population was below 21 years old and half was above 21 years old. The median age in 2010 was 20 years.

The household population of Bicol Region in 2015 was 5,780,963 persons, higher by 369,442 persons from the household population of 5,411,521 persons in 2010.
Meanwhile, the number of households, increased by 9.4 percent from 1,111,753 in 2010 to 1,216,421 in 2015.
The average household size in 2015 was 4.8 persons, lower than the average household size of 4.9 persons in 2010.

The age-sex distribution of the population showed that children aged 10 to 14 years, comprised the largest age groups, with 12.25 percent of the household population, followed by those in the age groups 5 to 9 years with 12.21 percent and 0 to 4 years with 11.87 percent share.
Males outnumbered females in the age group 0 to 54 years. Females, on the other hand, outnumbered their male counterparts in the older age group (55 years old and over).

Of the total population, 58.5 percent belonged to the working-age population (15 to 64 years). Children below 15 years of age comprised 36.3 percent while older persons (65 years and over) accounted for 5.2 percent.
The overall dependency ratio of Bicol in 2015 was 71 dependents for every 100 persons in the working age group, down from 75 dependents in 2010. Of the 71 dependents, 62 were young dependents while nine were old dependents.

Bicol Region’s voting-age population or persons 18 years old and over accounted for 56.8 percent (3,295,305 persons) of the total population in 2015.

Of the total population 10 years old and over, 45.7 percent was never married while 38.3 percent was married. The rest of the total population was categorized as common law/live-in marital arrangement (10.1 percent), widowed (4.8 percent), divorced/separated (1.1 percent), and had unknown marital status (less than 0.04 percent).
Among the never-married persons, a higher proportion of males (55.2 percent) than females (44.8 percent) was reported in 2015. Meanwhile, the proportion of females was higher than males among those who were widowed (77.5 percent), divorced/separated (59.4 percent), in common law/live-in marital arrangement (51.4 percent), and married (50.6 percent).

Of the total population 5 years old and over, 41.4 percent had attended or completed elementary education, 34.6 percent had reached or finished high school, 8.1 percent was baccalaureate/college graduate, and 7.6 percent was college undergraduate.
Among those with baccalaureate degree, there were more females (59.4 percent) than males (40.6 percent). Similarly, among those with post baccalaureate courses, females (64.0 percent) outnumbered males (36.0 percent).

Of the 2,521,195 household population aged 5 to 24 years, 1,828,899 thousand or 72.5 percent was attending school in School Year (SY) 2015-2016. In 2010, the rate of school attendance in SY 2009-2010 was lower at 67.1 percent.
By sex, the school attendance rate in 2015 was slightly higher among females (73.8 percent) than among males (71.4 percent). The same trend was recorded in 2010 for females (68.9 percent) and males (65.5 percent).

Bicol Region posted a literacy rate of 99.0 percent among the 4,388,772 household population aged 10 years and over. This is higher than the 98.3 percent literacy rate that was recorded in 2010. In the 2010 Census of Population and Housing and POPCEN 2015, a person is considered literate if he/she is able to read and write a simple message in any language or dialect.
Literacy rate in 2015 was slightly higher for female (99.1%) than male (98.9 percent). Similarly, literacy rate was the same in 2010, with 98.5 percent for female and 98.2 percent for male.

About 93.6 percent or 5,425,409 persons of the total population of Bicol in 2015 reported Roman Catholic as their religious affiliation. In 2010 it was about 94.3 percent or 5,104,162 persons.
The next largest religious affiliation in the region was Iglesia ni Cristo, comprising 1.6 percent of the total population. It was followed by those who were affiliated with the Evangelicals, with 0.7 percent share. The remaining 4.1% consists of different religious affiliation.

In 2015, the Bicol Region had 3,680,571 household population aged 15 years and over. Of this total, approximately four in every seven persons (56.6 percent) were engaged in a gainful activity during the 12 months preceding the census.
By major occupation group, workers engaged in elementary occupations comprised the largest group (25.9 percent of all persons with gainful activity), this group includes janitorial, gardener, helper, laborer etc. Skilled Agricultural Forestry and Fishery Workers came in next (24.4 percent), followed by Service and Sales workers (13.3 percent).

Of the household population 15 years old and over, 59,749 persons or 1.6 percent were overseas workers. Overseas workers aged 45 years and over made up the largest age group, comprising 20.7 percent of the total overseas workers, followed by those in the age groups 30 to 34 years (19.8 percent), 25 to 29 years (19.3 percent), and 35 to 39 years (18.2 percent).

LIST OF TABLES

Table 1. Population Enumerated in Various Censuses by Region: 1960 – 2015

Table 2. Total Population by Single-Year Age and Sex: 2015

Table 3. Household Population by Single-Year Age and Sex: 2015

Table 4. Total Population by Age Group, Sex, and Region: 2015

Table 5. Household Population by Age Group, Sex, and Region: 2015

Table 6. Total Population 10 Years Old and Over by Age Group, Marital Status, Sex, and Region: 2015

Table 7. Household Population 10 Years Old and Over by Age Group, Marital Status, Sex, and Region: 2015

Table 8. Total Population by Religious Affiliation and Sex: 2015

Table 9. Household Population 5 to 24 Years Old Who Were Currently Attending School by Age Group, Sex, and Region: 2015

Table 10. Literacy of the Household Population 10 Years Old and Over by Age Group, Sex, and Region: 2015

Table 11. Total Population 5 Years Old and Over by Highest Grade/Year Completed, Sex, Age, and Region: 2015

Table 12. Overseas Workers 15 Years Old and Over by Highest Grade/Year Completed, Sex, and Age Group: 2015

Table 13. Gainful Workers 15 Years Old and Over by Major Occupation Group, Age Group, Sex, and Region: 2015

Table 14. Household Population by Relationship to the Household Head and Household Size: 2015

Table 15. Number of Households by Age Group, Sex of the Household Head, Household Size, and Region: 2015

TECHNICAL NOTES

Population growth rate	the rate at which the population is increasing (or decreasing) in a given period due to natural increase and net migration, expressed as a percentage of the base population
Total population	the sum of the household population and institutional population. It also includes Filipinos in Philippine embassies, consulates, and missions abroad
Household population	comprises of persons who belong to a household, the basic criterion of which is the usual place of residence or the place where the person usually resides
Institutional population	the population enumerated in collective or institutional living quarters such as: dormitories/lodging houses, jails/prisons, military camps, convents/seminaries, and mental hospitals
Household	a social unit consisting of a person living alone or a group of persons who sleep in the same housing unit and have a common arrangement in the preparation and consumption of food
Average household size	the average number of persons who live in the household, computed as the household population in a given area divided by the corresponding total number of households in that area
Head of the household	an adult person, male or female, who is responsible for the organization and care of the household, or who is regarded as such by the members of the household
Sex ratio	the ratio of males to females in a given population, expressed as the number of males per 100 females
Age	the interval of time between a person’s date of birth and the census reference date (1 August 2015). Expressed in completed years (as of last birthday), it is recorded in whole number
Median age	the age at which exactly half of the population is younger than this age and the other half is older than it
Overall dependency ratio	the ratio of persons in the dependent ages (under 15 years old and over 64 years old) to persons in the economically active or working ages (15 to 64 years old) in the population
Marital status	the personal status of each individual with reference to the marriage laws or customs of the country
Religious affiliation	a particular system of beliefs, attitudes, emotions, and behaviors constituting man’s relationship with the powers and principalities of the universe
School attendance rate	the proportion of persons 5 to 24 years old who were attending school during the School Year June 2015 to March 2016 to school-age population (5 to 24 years old)
Simple literacy rate	the proportion of persons aged 10 years and over who are able to read and write a simple message in any language or dialect
Highest grade / year completed	the highest grade or year completed in school, college or university
Usual activity / occupation	the kind of job or business, which a person aged 15 years and over was engaged in most of the time during the 12 months preceding the census
Overseas worker	a household member (15 years old and over) who is out of the country due to an overseas employment