SOCCSKSARGEN (Region XII)

Summary data
Map of the Philippines highlighting SOCCSKSARGEN
Typeregion
Island groupMindanao
Provinces4
Cities5
Municipalities45
Barangays1,195
Coastal/Landlockedcoastal
Marine waterbodiesCelebes Sea
Population (2015)4,545,276

SOCCSKSARGEN, officially designated as Region XII, is an administrative region in the Philippines occupying the southern-central section of Mindanao. It covers 4 provinces, namely, Cotabato, Sarangani, South Cotabato, and Sultan Kudarat, as well as 1 highly urbanized city (General Santos) and the independent component city of Cotabato. The regional center is the City of Koronadal.

Its population as determined by the 2015 Census was 4,545,276. This represented 18.83% of the overall population of the Mindanao island group, or 4.50% of the entire population of the Philippines.

Map

SOCCSKSARGEN is bordered, clockwise from the Northeast, by Northern Mindanao, Davao Region, the Sarangani Strait, Sarangani Bay, Celebes Sea, Moro Gulf, and the Autonomous Region in Muslim Mindanao.

details
CotabatoSaranganiSouth CotabatoSultan KudaratCotabato City, an independent component cityCotabato City, an independent component cityGeneral Santos, a highly urbanized cityKoronadal, the regional center

Local government units

SOCCSKSARGEN has 4 provinces, 45 municipalities, and 5 cities (1 of which is a highly urbanized city administered independently from any province). The total number of barangays in the region is 1,195.

details
NameTypePopulation (2015)Population (2010)Annual Population Growth Rate (2010‑2015)Area (2007), in km2Density (2015), per km2City countMun countBrgy count
Cotabatoprovince1,379,7471,226,5082.27%9,008.90153117543
South Cotabatoprovince915,289827,2001.95%4,428.81207110199
General Santoscity (HUC)594,446538,0861.91%492.861,206––26
Sultan Kudaratprovince812,095747,0871.60%5,298.34153111249
Saranganiprovince544,261498,9041.67%3,601.2515107141
Cotabato Citycity (ICC), regional center299,438271,7861.86%176.001,701––37
SOCCSKSARGEN Total4,545,2764,109,5711.94%no datano data5451,195

Demographics

Population by age group

According to the 2015 Census, the age group with the highest population in SOCCSKSARGEN is 5 to 9, with 525,893 individuals. Conversely, the age group with the lowest population is 80 and over, with 26,082 individuals.

details
Age groupPopulation (2015)
Under 1102,506
1 to 4429,084
5 to 9525,893
10 to 14496,412
15 to 19478,761
20 to 24436,120
25 to 29382,347
30 to 34321,367
35 to 39297,171
40 to 44258,198
45 to 49228,152
50 to 54178,895
55 to 59137,943
60 to 64102,267
65 to 6969,520
70 to 7444,900
75 to 7929,658
80 and over26,082
Total4,545,276

Historical population

The population of SOCCSKSARGEN grew from 652,020 in 1960 to 4,545,276 in 2015, an increase of 3,893,256 people. The latest census figures in 2015 denote a positive growth rate of 1.94%, or an increase of 435,705 people, from the previous population of 4,109,571 in 2010.

details
Census datePopulationGrowth rate
34,762–
96,3916.65%
162,2012.64%
194,8801.90%
652,02011.20%
1,186,9636.04%
1,365,0782.85%
1,722,7274.76%
2,399,9533.37%
2,846,9663.25%
3,222,1692.69%
3,830,5002.41%
4,109,5712.59%
4,545,2761.94%

National rankings

  • Population (2015): 4,545,276, ranked 10 out of 17
  • Annual population growth rate (2010 to 2015): 1.94%, ranked 4 out of 17

Notes

  1. Unless otherwise specified, population count (excluding percentages) and land area figures are derived from the Philippine Statistics Authority.
  2. Maps utilize OpenStreetMap data available under the Open Data Commons Open Database License.
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