Tawi-Tawi

Summary data
Map of the Philippines highlighting Tawi-Tawi
Typeprovince
Island groupMindanao
RegionBangsamoro Autonomous Region in Muslim Mindanao (BARMM)
Cities0
Municipalities11
Barangays203
Coastal/Landlockedcoastal
Marine waterbodiesSulu Sea, Celebes Sea
Area (2013)3,626.55 km2 (1,400.22 sq mi)
Population (2020)440,276
Density (2020)121 / km2 (314 / sq mi)

Tawi-Tawi is a province in the Philippines situated in the Bangsamoro Autonomous Region in Muslim Mindanao occupying the Sulu Archipelago and the provinces of Lanao del Sur and Maguindanao in central Mindanao. Its capital is the Municipality of Bongao.

The province has a land area of 3,626.55 square kilometers or 1,400.22 square miles. Its population as determined by the 2020 Census was 440,276. This represented 10.00% of the total population of the Bangsamoro Autonomous Region in Muslim Mindanao, 1.68% of the overall population of the Mindanao island group, or 0.40% of the entire population of the Philippines. Based on these figures, the population density is computed at 121 inhabitants per square kilometer or 314 inhabitants per square mile.

Map

Tawi-Tawi is bordered, clockwise from the Northeast, by the Sulu Sea, and Celebes Sea.

details

Local government units

Tawi-Tawi has 11 municipalities. The total number of barangays in the province is 203.

details
Local government units of Tawi-Tawi
NameTypePopulation (2020)Population (2015)Annual Population Growth Rate (2015‑2020)Area (2013), in km2Density (2020), per km2Brgy count
Bongaomunicipality, capital116,118100,5273.08%365.9531735
Languyanmunicipality37,09633,4942.17%581.206420
Mapunmunicipality30,03826,5972.59%181.2916615
Panglima Sugalamunicipality48,05544,1841.78%416.6611517
Sapa-Sapamunicipality33,58030,9171.75%235.6114323
Sibutumunicipality34,24330,3872.55%56.5460616
Simunulmunicipality34,24531,2231.96%167.2520515
Sitangkaimunicipality37,31933,3342.41%735.46519
South Ubianmunicipality29,58325,9352.81%272.0410931
Tandubasmunicipality34,31629,3903.32%552.056220
Turtle Islandsmunicipality5,6834,7273.95%62.50912
Tawi-Tawi Total440,276390,7152.55%3,626.55121203

Economy

The annual regular revenue of Tawi-Tawi for the fiscal year of 2016 was 814,288,464.59.

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Annual regular income of Tawi-Tawi (2009‑2016)
Fiscal YearAnnual Regular IncomeChange
2009513,377,830.41
2010540,271,966.865.24%
2011626,846,385.1616.02%
2012570,957,627.00-8.92%
2013570,916,123.00-0.01%
2014640,019,581.5512.10%
2015732,565,732.6714.46%
2016814,288,464.5911.16%

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 Tawi-Tawi is 5 to 9, with 53,718 individuals. Conversely, the age group with the lowest population is 80 and over, with 1,101 individuals.

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Population of Tawi-Tawi by age group (2015 census)
Age groupPopulation (2015)Age group percentage
Under 18,9362.29%
1 to 443,40111.11%
5 to 953,71813.75%
10 to 1450,23212.86%
15 to 1942,85210.97%
20 to 2434,5888.85%
25 to 2930,8827.90%
30 to 3426,2386.72%
35 to 3925,6866.57%
40 to 4420,8145.33%
45 to 4917,3054.43%
50 to 5412,7993.28%
55 to 598,7692.24%
60 to 646,0831.56%
65 to 693,8820.99%
70 to 742,2840.58%
75 to 791,1450.29%
80 and over1,1010.28%
Total390,715100.00%
  • Youth Dependency Ratio: 69.15
  • Old Age Dependency Ratio: 3.72
  • Total Dependency Ratio: 72.87
  • Median Age: 19.56

Historical population

The population of Tawi-Tawi grew from 16,675 in 1903 to 440,276 in 2020, an increase of 423,601 people over the course of 117 years. The latest census figures in 2020 denote a positive growth rate of 2.55%, or an increase of 49,561 people, from the previous population of 390,715 in 2015.

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Population of Tawi-Tawi (1903‑2020)
Census datePopulationGrowth rate
16,675
44,7996.44%
45,7690.11%
58,5312.56%
78,5942.63%
110,1963.36%
143,4875.44%
194,6516.29%
228,2041.60%
250,7181.78%
322,3175.53%
450,3464.72%
366,550-7.22%
390,7151.22%
440,2762.55%

The total number of registered voters or electorate in Tawi-Tawi for the year 2019 was 210,419.

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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