Ilocos Sur

Summary data
Map of the Philippines highlighting Ilocos Sur
Typeprovince
Island groupLuzon
RegionIlocos Region (Region I)
Cities2
Municipalities32
Barangays768
Coastal/Landlockedcoastal
Marine waterbodiesSouth China Sea
Area (2013)2,596.00 km2 (1,002.32 sq mi)
Population (2020)706,009
Density (2020)272 / km2 (704 / sq mi)

Ilocos Sur is a province in the Philippines situated in the Ilocos Region occupying the northwestern section of Luzon. Its capital is the City of Vigan.

The province has a land area of 2,596.00 square kilometers or 1,002.32 square miles. Its population as determined by the 2020 Census was 706,009. This represented 13.32% of the total population of the Ilocos Region, 1.14% of the overall population of the Luzon island group, or 0.65% of the entire population of the Philippines. Based on these figures, the population density is computed at 272 inhabitants per square kilometer or 704 inhabitants per square mile.

Map

Ilocos Sur is bordered, clockwise from the North, by Ilocos Norte, Abra, Mountain Province, Benguet, La Union, and the South China Sea.

details
Map of the Philippines with Ilocos Sur highlighted in redMap of Ilocos Sur showing its component cities and municipalitiesAlilemBanayoyoBantayBurgosCabugaoCandonCaoayanCervantesGalimuyodGregorio del PilarLidliddaMagsingalNagbukelNarvacanQuirinoSalcedoSan EmilioSan EstebanSan IldefonsoSan JuanSan VicenteSantaSanta CatalinaSanta CruzSanta LuciaSanta MariaSantiagoSanto DomingoSigaySinaitSugponSuyoTagudinVigan

Local government units

Ilocos Sur has 32 municipalities and 2 cities. The total number of barangays in the province is 768.

details
Local government units of Ilocos Sur
NameTypePopulation (2020)Population (2015)Annual Population Growth Rate (2015‑2020)Area (2013), in km2Density (2020), per km2Brgy count
Alilemmunicipality7,3616,6952.02%119.33629
Banayoyomunicipality7,9317,7480.49%24.6332214
Bantaymunicipality37,11835,7310.81%76.6048534
Burgosmunicipality12,79312,2240.96%44.3828826
Cabugaomunicipality38,88437,5010.77%95.5640733
Candoncity (CC)61,43260,6230.28%103.2859542
Caoayanmunicipality19,57419,861-0.31%17.421,12417
Cervantesmunicipality19,44917,2112.61%234.708313
Galimuyodmunicipality10,24410,748-1.01%34.4029824
Gregorio del Pilarmunicipality4,4724,875-1.80%41.661077
Lidliddamunicipality4,7054,6470.26%33.8413911
Magsingalmunicipality31,30830,7920.35%84.9836830
Nagbukelmunicipality5,4655,2590.81%43.1212712
Narvacanmunicipality46,23444,0061.05%122.2137834
Quirinomunicipality9,3068,5731.74%240.10399
Salcedomunicipality11,11011,288-0.33%103.4410721
San Emiliomunicipality7,2067,407-0.58%141.44518
San Estebanmunicipality8,3818,3490.08%19.6242710
San Ildefonsomunicipality8,1907,7871.07%11.3572215
San Juanmunicipality26,67426,4110.21%64.3741432
San Vicentemunicipality13,11812,7580.59%12.601,0417
Santamunicipality14,99215,340-0.48%109.1013726
Santa Catalinamunicipality14,49313,9450.81%9.681,4979
Santa Cruzmunicipality41,36639,8680.78%88.7846649
Santa Luciamunicipality25,96625,4020.46%49.7252236
Santa Mariamunicipality30,00630,321-0.22%63.3147433
Santiagomunicipality19,47118,7590.79%46.3642024
Santo Domingomunicipality29,04127,9750.79%55.4952336
Sigaymunicipality2,5522,737-1.46%81.55317
Sinaitmunicipality25,99825,6400.29%65.5639744
Sugponmunicipality4,9304,5851.54%57.11866
Suyomunicipality10,76611,446-1.28%124.00878
Tagudinmunicipality41,53839,2771.19%151.1927543
Vigancity (CC), capital53,93553,8790.02%25.122,14739
Ilocos Sur Total706,009689,6680.49%2,596.00272768

Economy

The annual regular revenue of Ilocos Sur for the fiscal year of 2016 was ₱3,285,231,293.03.

details
Annual regular income of Ilocos Sur (2009‑2016)
Fiscal YearAnnual Regular IncomeChange
2009734,945,745.61–
20101,840,408,798.55150.41%
20111,850,393,845.570.54%
20121,563,288,028.36-15.52%
20132,459,006,230.6857.30%
20141,194,116,437.46-51.44%
20151,311,914,281.759.86%
20163,285,231,293.03150.42%

End notes:

  • Annual Regular Income = Locally Sourced Revenue + Internal Revenue Allotment (IRA) Current Year + Other Shares from National Tax Collection
  • Locally Sourced Revenue = Real Property Tax (General Fund) + Tax on Business + Other Taxes + Regulatory Fees + Service/User Charges + Receipts from Economic Enterprises

Demographics

Population by age group

According to the 2015 Census, the age group with the highest population in Ilocos Sur is 5 to 9, with 65,500 individuals. Conversely, the age group with the lowest population is 75 to 79, with 10,438 individuals.

details
Population of Ilocos Sur by age group (2015 census)
Age groupPopulation (2015)Age group percentage
Under 111,7991.71%
1 to 451,5477.47%
5 to 965,5009.50%
10 to 1465,1089.44%
15 to 1960,9528.84%
20 to 2459,7168.66%
25 to 2954,0897.84%
30 to 3452,2197.57%
35 to 3947,7626.93%
40 to 4441,0725.96%
45 to 4939,3505.71%
50 to 5434,8105.05%
55 to 5929,3244.25%
60 to 6423,5173.41%
65 to 6917,4292.53%
70 to 7412,8731.87%
75 to 7910,4381.51%
80 and over12,1631.76%
Total689,668100.00%
  • Youth Dependency Ratio: 43.8
  • Old Age Dependency Ratio: 11.95
  • Total Dependency Ratio: 55.75
  • Median Age: 27.79

Historical population

The population of Ilocos Sur grew from 189,572 in 1903 to 706,009 in 2020, an increase of 516,437 people over the course of 117 years. The latest census figures in 2020 denote a positive growth rate of 0.49%, or an increase of 16,341 people, from the previous population of 689,668 in 2015.

details
Population of Ilocos Sur (1903‑2020)
Census datePopulationGrowth rate
189,572–
247,4581.70%
271,5320.47%
276,2780.18%
338,0581.79%
385,1391.28%
419,7761.74%
443,5911.11%
519,9661.60%
545,3850.90%
594,2061.86%
633,1380.88%
658,5871.44%
689,6680.88%
706,0090.49%

The total number of registered voters or electorate in Ilocos Sur for the year 2019 was 457,770.

National roads

As of December 2016, the National Roads in Ilocos Sur are:

Primary Roads

  • Manila North Road

Secondary Roads

  • Bantay-Vigan Road Extension
  • Bantay-Vigan Road
  • Cervantes-Bontoc Road
  • Ilocos Sur-Abra Road
  • Salomague Port Road
  • Sulvec Port Road
  • Tagudin-Cervantes Road
  • Vigan Airport Road

Tertiary Roads

  • Alilem-Sugpon-Sudipen Road
  • Bantay-San Vicente Road
  • Bayubay-Santa Catalina Road
  • Bulag-Camp Quirino Road
  • Burgos-Lidlidda Road
  • Cervantes-Mankayan-Abatan Road
  • Cervantes-Quirino Road
  • Junction Candon-Salcedo-Del Pilar Road
  • Junction Santa Cruz-Pinipin Road
  • Junction Santa Lucia-Salcedo Road
  • Junction Santiago-Banayoyo-Lidlidda-San Emilio-Quirino Road
  • Mountain Province-Ilocos Sur via Kayan Road
  • Quirino-Pandan Road
  • Santa Maria Poblacion Road
  • Santa Maria-Burgos Road
  • Santa-Rancho Road
  • Vigan-Caoayan Road
  • Vigan-San Vicente Road
  • Vigan-Santa Catalina Road

Notes

  1. Unless otherwise specified, population count (excluding percentages) and land area figures are derived from the Philippine Statistics Authority.
  2. Data on registered voters is from the Commission on Elections.
  3. Maps utilize OpenStreetMap data available under the Open Data Commons Open Database License.
  4. Data on National Roads is from the Department of Public Works and Highways.
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