Follow Philippine Investment Immigration and Life in the Philippines: According to a report by Philippine media on May 5, the country's population is expected to surpass 100 million this year, putting immense pressure on the nation's limited resources.
According to statistics from the Philippine National Statistical Coordination Board, by the end of 2013, the population had reached 97.35 million. The Philippine Population Commission predicts that the national population will exceed 100 million in the third or fourth quarter of this year. This is one year earlier than the World Bank's forecast of the Philippine population reaching 100 million by 2015.
Juan Perez, Chairman of the Philippine Population Commission, stated that with a population growth rate of 2%, the GDP growth rate must be maintained at over 4% to meet employment needs. He mentioned that to achieve a demographic dividend, the fertility rate must be reduced from the current 3.1% to 2.1%. He indicated that this goal would take 5 to 10 years to accomplish.
Janet Garin, Deputy Minister of Health of the Philippines, stated that population growth should align with economic development; otherwise, all economic reform measures implemented by the government will be in vain.
The Philippines currently has the highest population growth rate among ASEAN member countries and is one of the fastest-growing countries and regions in the world. Young people under 24 years old account for more than half of the total population.
Previously, the Philippine Population Commission predicted that at the current growth rate, the population of the Philippines will exceed 184 million by 2040, entering the ranks of the top ten most populous countries in the world.
