Sixteen births per thousand population

From January to December 2023, a total of 97,716 live births were registered in Bicol Region. This figure is about 6.7 percent share to the total registered live births (1,448,522) in the country. For this period, Bicol Region registered a crude birth rate1 (CBR) of 15.5 or 16 births per thousand population.   

Figure 1 shows the number and percent change of registered births in the Bicol Region from 2015 to 2023. Overall, the number of registered live births has shown a generally decreasing trend. The highest decline occurred in 2020, with a drop of 10.4 percent, from 107,802 in 2019 to 96,627 in 2020. Conversely, a significant increase of 10.9 percent was observed in 2022. In 2023, there was a slight increase of 0.8 percent, resulting in a total of 97,716 registered births in the Bicol Region. 

Shown in Figure 2 is the number of registered live births in the Bicol Region from January to December 2023. Camarines Sur had the highest number of births, with 32,652 (33.4%) registered. It was followed by Albay with 20,813 (21.3%), Masbate with 15,060 (15.4%), Sorsogon with 13,835 (14.2%), and Camarines Norte with 11,179 (11.4%). Catanduanes recorded the least number of births, with 4,177, accounting for about 4.3% of the total registered births in the region.  

More males born than females

From January to December 2023, all provinces in the Bicol Region recorded more male births (50,668 or 51.9%) than female births (47,048 or 48.1%), resulting in a sex ratio of 108 males per 100 females. (Figures 3 and 4) On average, about 268 babies were born daily, or approximately 11 babies per hour in the region. 

Most births occur in September  

The most number of births in the Bicol Region from January to December 2023, occurred in September, with 9,673 births (9.9%). This was followed by January with 9,278 births (9.5%), October with 9,180 births (9.4%), and December with 8,776 births (8.7%). April recorded the fewest births with 7,037 (7.2%). (Figure 5) 

Nine in ten birth deliveries were medically attended

Of the total number of births in the Bicol Region, 95.5 percent of deliveries were attended by health professionals, which may include a physician, midwife, or nurse. Approximately 4.2 percent were facilitated by traditional birth attendants (hilot/unlicensed midwives). Among the six provinces, Sorsogon had the highest proportion of medically attended births, with 98.7%, while Camarines Sur recorded the highest number of births facilitated by traditional attendants, with 2,424 deliveries. 

Most babies born to mothers between ages 25-29 years old

In the Bicol Region, the majority of live births were registered to mothers between the ages of 25 and 29 (26,719 births, or 27.3%). The number of births decreases as the mother's age increases beyond this group. Additionally, there were 9,661 babies born to adolescent mothers, those younger than 20 years old, which accounted for 9.9% of the total. Only 7 births to mothers aged 50 and older were recorded in 2023. 

Six in ten of babies born to unwed mothers 

About six in ten of the total registered live births in 2023 (57,143 or 60.5%) were born out of wedlock in Bicol Region. 

Most registered births of children born out of wedlock in the Bicol Region were attributed to mothers between ages 20-24 years old (18,834 or 31.8%). On the other hand, the most registered live births of children conceived or born during a valid marriage was noticed to age group 30-34 (11,889 or 30.8%). Legitimate birth registration started to top the trend from age group 30-34 and continued to lead as the age groups progressed. 

DEFINITION OF TERMS AND CONCEPTS

Live Birth is a complete expulsion or extraction from its mother of a product of conception, irrespective of the duration of the pregnancy, which after such separation, breathes or shows any other evidence of life, such as beating of the heart, pulsation of the umbilical cord, or definite movement of voluntary muscles, whether or not the umbilical cord has been cut or the placenta is attached; each product of such a birth is considered liveborn.

Crude Birth Rate (CBR) refers to the number of live births per 1,000 mid-year population.  

Sex Ratio – the number to the males per 100 females in a population.