Western Visayas (Region VI)
 | |
| Type | region |
|---|---|
| Island group | Visayas |
| Provinces (2021) | 6 |
| Cities (2021) | 16 |
| Municipalities (2021) | 117 |
| Barangays (2021) | 4,051 |
| Coastal/Landlocked | coastal |
| Marine waterbodies | Sulu Sea, Sibuyan Sea, Visayan Sea, Tañon Strait |
| Area (2013) | 207.78 km2 (8022.54 sq mi) |
| Population (2020) | 7,954,723 |
| Density (2020) | 383 / km2 (992 / sq mi) |
Western Visayas, officially designated as Region VI, is an administrative region in the Philippines occupying the western section of the Visayas. It covers 5 provinces, namely, Aklan, Antique, Capiz, Guimaras, and Iloilo, as well as 1 highly urbanized city; Negros Occidental was under the region's jurisdiction until June 11, 2024. The regional center is the City of Iloilo.
Its population as determined by the 2020 Census was 7,954,723. This represented 38.65% of the overall population of the Visayas island group, or 7.30% of the entire population of the Philippines. Based on these figures, the population density is computed at 383 inhabitants per square kilometer or 992 inhabitants per square mile.
Map
Western Visayas is bordered, clockwise from the North, by the Sibuyan Sea, Jintotolo Channel, Visayan Sea, Tañon Strait, Central Visayas, Sulu Sea, and the Tablas Strait.
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Local government units
Before Negros Occidental's and Bacolod City's transfer to Negros Island Region in June 11, 2024, Western Visayas had 6 provinces, 117 municipalities, and 16 cities (2 of which are highly urbanized cities administered independently from any province). The total number of barangays in the region was 4,051.
details
| Name | Type | Population (2020) | Population (2015) | Annual Population Growth Rate (2015‑2020) | Area (2013), in km2 | Density (2020), per km2 | City count | Mun count | Brgy count |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Aklan | province | 615,475 | 574,823 | 1.45% | 1,760.30 | 350 | 0 | 17 | 327 |
| Antique | province | 612,974 | 582,012 | 1.10% | 2,730.67 | 224 | 0 | 18 | 590 |
| Bacolod | city (HUC; now under NIR), capital | 600,783 | 561,875 | 1.42% | 160.71 | 3,738 | – | – | 61 |
| Capiz | province | 804,952 | 761,384 | 1.18% | 2,594.64 | 310 | 1 | 16 | 473 |
| Guimaras | province | 187,842 | 174,613 | 1.55% | 611.87 | 307 | 0 | 5 | 98 |
| Iloilo | province | 2,051,899 | 1,936,423 | 1.23% | 4,997.64 | 411 | 1 | 42 | 1,721 |
| Iloilo City | city (HUC), capital, regional center | 457,626 | 447,992 | 0.45% | 78.34 | 5,842 | – | – | 180 |
| Negros Occidental | province; now under NIR | 2,623,172 | 2,497,261 | 1.04% | 7,844.12 | 334 | 12 | 19 | 601 |
| Western Visayas Total (2021) | 7,954,723 | 7,536,383 | 1.14% | 20,778.29 | 383 | 16 | 117 | 4,051 | |
Demographics
Population by age group
According to the 2015 Census, the age group with the highest population in Western Visayas is 5 to 9, with 786,406 individuals. Conversely, the age group with the lowest population is 80 and over, with 87,558 individuals.
Age distribution
| Age group | Population (2015) | Age group percentage |
|---|---|---|
| Under 1 | 145,425 | 1.93% |
| 1 to 4 | 619,015 | 8.21% |
| 5 to 9 | 786,406 | 10.43% |
| 10 to 14 | 767,684 | 10.19% |
| 15 to 19 | 747,712 | 9.92% |
| 20 to 24 | 687,080 | 9.12% |
| 25 to 29 | 596,409 | 7.91% |
| 30 to 34 | 522,127 | 6.93% |
| 35 to 39 | 473,384 | 6.28% |
| 40 to 44 | 423,809 | 5.62% |
| 45 to 49 | 399,381 | 5.30% |
| 50 to 54 | 353,754 | 4.69% |
| 55 to 59 | 301,886 | 4.01% |
| 60 to 64 | 240,535 | 3.19% |
| 65 to 69 | 171,973 | 2.28% |
| 70 to 74 | 121,228 | 1.61% |
| 75 to 79 | 91,017 | 1.21% |
| 80 and over | 87,558 | 1.16% |
| Total | 7,536,383 | 100.00% |
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Historical population
The population of Western Visayas grew from 1,083,474 in 1903 to 7,954,723 in 2020, an increase of 6,871,249 people over the course of 117 years. The latest census figures in 2020 denote a positive annualized growth rate of 1.14%, or an increase of 418,340 people, from the previous population of 7,536,383 in 2015.
Trends in population growth
| Census date | Population | Annualized Growth Rate |
|---|---|---|
| 1,083,474 | – | |
| 1,347,249 | 1.39% | |
| 2,173,579 | 2.42% | |
| 2,530,517 | 1.57% | |
| 3,078,305 | 1.74% | |
| 3,618,326 | 1.59% | |
| 4,146,390 | 2.77% | |
| 4,525,615 | 1.77% | |
| 5,393,333 | 1.77% | |
| 5,776,938 | 1.30% | |
| 6,211,038 | 1.57% | |
| 6,843,643 | 1.35% | |
| 7,102,438 | 1.36% | |
| 7,536,383 | 1.14% | |
| 7,954,723 | 1.14% |
The total number of registered voters or electorate in Western Visayas for the year 2019 was 4,808,839.
Notes
- Unless otherwise specified, population count (excluding percentages) and land area figures are derived from the Philippine Statistics Authority.
- Data on registered voters is from the Commission on Elections.
- Maps utilize OpenStreetMap data available under the Open Data Commons Open Database License.