Eastern Visayas, officially designated as Region VIII, is an administrative region in the Philippines occupying the eastern section of the Visayas. It covers 6 provinces, namely, Biliran, Eastern Samar, Leyte, Northern Samar, Samar, and Southern Leyte, as well as 1 highly urbanized city. The regional center is the City of Tacloban.
Its population as determined by the 2020 Census was 4,547,150. This represented 22.09% of the overall population of the Visayas island group, or 4.17% of the entire population of the Philippines. Based on these figures, the population density is computed at 196 inhabitants per square kilometer or 507 inhabitants per square mile.
Eastern Visayas is bordered, clockwise from the Northeast, by the Philippine Sea, Leyte Gulf, Surigao Strait, Bohol Sea, Canigao Channel, Camotes Sea, Visayan Sea, Samar Sea, Ticao Pass, and the San Bernardino Strait.
Eastern Visayas has 6 provinces, 136 municipalities, and 7 cities (1 of which is a highly urbanized city administered independently from any province). The total number of barangays in the region is 4,390.
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 |
---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
Biliran | province | 179,312 | 171,612 | 0.93% | 536.01 | 335 | 0 | 8 | 132 |
Eastern Samar | province | 477,168 | 467,160 | 0.45% | 4,617.16 | 103 | 1 | 22 | 597 |
Leyte | province | 1,776,847 | 1,724,679 | 0.63% | 6,335.44 | 280 | 2 | 40 | 1,503 |
Northern Samar | province | 639,186 | 632,379 | 0.23% | 3,694.96 | 173 | 0 | 24 | 569 |
Samar | province | 793,183 | 780,481 | 0.34% | 6,048.03 | 131 | 2 | 24 | 951 |
Southern Leyte | province | 429,573 | 421,750 | 0.39% | 1,801.46 | 238 | 1 | 18 | 500 |
Tacloban | city (HUC), capital, regional center | 251,881 | 242,089 | 0.84% | 201.72 | 1,249 | – | – | 138 |
Eastern Visayas Total | 4,547,150 | 4,440,150 | 0.50% | 23,234.78 | 196 | 7 | 136 | 4,390 |
According to the 2015 Census, the age group with the highest population in Eastern Visayas is 10 to 14, with 513,551 individuals. Conversely, the age group with the lowest population is 80 and over, with 42,948 individuals.
Age group | Population (2015) | Age group percentage |
---|---|---|
Under 1 | 95,543 | 2.15% |
1 to 4 | 403,530 | 9.09% |
5 to 9 | 508,998 | 11.46% |
10 to 14 | 513,551 | 11.57% |
15 to 19 | 487,753 | 10.99% |
20 to 24 | 393,853 | 8.87% |
25 to 29 | 313,629 | 7.06% |
30 to 34 | 273,749 | 6.17% |
35 to 39 | 257,230 | 5.79% |
40 to 44 | 236,541 | 5.33% |
45 to 49 | 219,637 | 4.95% |
50 to 54 | 190,622 | 4.29% |
55 to 59 | 161,670 | 3.64% |
60 to 64 | 125,877 | 2.83% |
65 to 69 | 97,164 | 2.19% |
70 to 74 | 70,118 | 1.58% |
75 to 79 | 47,737 | 1.08% |
80 and over | 42,948 | 0.97% |
Total | 4,440,150 | 100.00% |
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The population of Eastern Visayas grew from 655,159 in 1903 to 4,547,150 in 2020, an increase of 3,891,991 people over the course of 117 years. The latest census figures in 2020 denote a positive annualized growth rate of 0.50%, or an increase of 107,000 people, from the previous population of 4,440,150 in 2015.
Census date | Population | Annualized Growth Rate |
---|---|---|
655,159 | – | |
977,525 | 2.56% | |
1,462,159 | 2.03% | |
1,764,103 | 1.94% | |
2,040,966 | 1.29% | |
2,381,409 | 1.52% | |
2,599,728 | 1.78% | |
2,799,534 | 1.49% | |
3,054,490 | 0.88% | |
3,366,917 | 1.84% | |
3,610,355 | 1.51% | |
3,915,140 | 1.12% | |
4,101,322 | 1.71% | |
4,440,150 | 1.52% | |
4,547,150 | 0.50% |
The total number of registered voters or electorate in Eastern Visayas for the year 2019 was 3,051,649.