Bicol Region (Region V)

Summary data
Map of the Philippines highlighting Bicol Region
Typeregion
Island groupLuzon
Provinces6
Cities7
Municipalities107
Barangays3,471
Coastal/Landlockedcoastal
Marine waterbodiesPhilippine Sea, Sibuyan Sea, Visayan Sea, Masbate Pass, Ticao Pass, Burias Pass, San Bernardino Strait
Area (2013)181.14 km2 (6994.04 sq mi)
Population (2020)6,082,165
Density (2020)336 / km2 (870 / sq mi)

Bicol Region, officially designated as Region V, is an administrative region in the Philippines grouped under the Luzon island group. It covers 6 provinces, namely, Albay, Camarines Norte, Camarines Sur, Catanduanes, Masbate, and Sorsogon. The regional center is the City of Legazpi.

Its population as determined by the 2020 Census was 6,082,165. This represented 9.78% of the overall population of the Luzon island group, or 5.58% of the entire population of the Philippines. Based on these figures, the population density is computed at 336 inhabitants per square kilometer or 870 inhabitants per square mile.

Map

Bicol Region is bordered, clockwise from the Northeast, by the Philippine Sea, San Bernardino Strait, Samar Sea, Visayan Sea, Asid Gulf, Sibuyan Sea, Ragay Gulf, and CALABARZON.

details
Map of Bicol RegionMap of Bicol Region highlighting its regional center, component provinces and their capitals, and nearby major citiesAlbayCamarines NorteCamarines SurCatanduanesMasbateSorsogonLegazpi, the regional center

Local government units

Bicol Region has 6 provinces, 107 municipalities, and 7 cities. The total number of barangays in the region is 3,471.

details
Local government units of Bicol Region
NameTypePopulation (2020)Population (2015)Annual Population Growth Rate (2015‑2020)Area (2013), in km2Density (2020), per km2City countMun countBrgy count
Albayprovince1,374,7681,314,8260.94%2,574.91534315720
Camarines Norteprovince629,699583,3131.62%2,277.93276012282
Camarines Surprovince2,068,2441,952,5441.22%5,511.903752351,063
Catanduanesprovince271,879260,9640.87%1,492.16182011315
Masbateprovince908,920892,3930.39%4,138.56220120550
Sorsogonprovince828,655792,9490.93%2,119.01391114541
Bicol Region Total6,082,1655,796,9891.02%18,114.4733671073,471

Demographics

Population by age group

According to the 2015 Census, the age group with the highest population in Bicol Region is 10 to 14, with 708,763 individuals. Conversely, the age group with the lowest population is 80 and over, with 49,044 individuals.

details
Population of Bicol Region by age group (2015 census)
Age groupPopulation (2015)Age group percentage
Under 1129,3562.23%
1 to 4557,2749.61%
5 to 9705,94612.18%
10 to 14708,76312.23%
15 to 19626,14710.80%
20 to 24487,0188.40%
25 to 29401,1386.92%
30 to 34358,0156.18%
35 to 39339,8145.86%
40 to 44300,5685.18%
45 to 49283,7434.89%
50 to 54240,3514.15%
55 to 59200,4183.46%
60 to 64156,7722.70%
65 to 69116,9522.02%
70 to 7480,7621.39%
75 to 7954,9080.95%
80 and over49,0440.85%
Total5,796,989100.00%
  • Youth Dependency Ratio: 61.91
  • Old Age Dependency Ratio: 8.89
  • Total Dependency Ratio: 70.8
  • Median Age: 21.76

Historical population

The population of Bicol Region grew from 643,901 in 1903 to 6,082,165 in 2020, an increase of 5,438,264 people over the course of 117 years. The latest census figures in 2020 denote a positive growth rate of 1.02%, or an increase of 285,176 people, from the previous population of 5,796,989 in 2015.

details
Population of Bicol Region (1903‑2020)
Census datePopulationGrowth rate
643,901
840,0041.69%
1,346,6202.39%
1,666,4592.21%
2,362,7073.12%
2,966,8812.25%
3,193,7211.49%
3,476,9821.71%
3,910,0011.18%
4,325,3071.91%
4,686,6691.74%
5,106,1601.19%
5,420,4112.20%
5,796,9891.29%
6,082,1651.02%

The total number of registered voters or electorate in Bicol Region for the year 2019 was 3,647,722.

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.
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