Eastern Visayas (Region VIII)
 | |
| Type | region |
|---|---|
| Island group | Visayas |
| Provinces | 6 |
| Cities | 7 |
| Municipalities | 136 |
| Barangays | 4,390 |
| Coastal/Landlocked | coastal |
| Marine waterbodies | Philippine Sea, Samar Sea, Camotes Sea, Visayan Sea, Bohol Sea, Surigao Strait, Canigao Channel, San Bernardino Strait |
| Area (2013) | 232.35 km2 (8971 sq mi) |
| Population (2020) | 4,547,150 |
| Density (2020) | 196 / km2 (507 / sq mi) |
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.
Map
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.
details
Local government units
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.
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 |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 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 | |
Demographics
Population by age group
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 distribution
| 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% |
| ||
Historical population
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.
Trends in population growth
| 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.
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.