Northern Samar

Summary data
Map of the Philippines highlighting Northern Samar
Typeprovince
Island groupVisayas
RegionEastern Visayas (Region VIII)
Cities0
Municipalities24
Barangays569
Coastal/Landlockedcoastal
Marine waterbodiesPhilippine Sea, Samar Sea, San Bernardino Strait
Area (2013)3,694.96 km2 (1,426.63 sq mi)
Population (2020)639,186
Density (2020)173 / km2 (448 / sq mi)

Northern Samar is a province in the Philippines situated in the Eastern Visayas region occupying the eastern section of the Visayas. Its capital is the Municipality of Catarman.

The province has a land area of 3,694.96 square kilometers or 1,426.63 square miles. Its population as determined by the 2020 Census was 639,186. This represented 14.06% of the total population of the Eastern Visayas region, 3.11% of the overall population of the Visayas island group, or 0.59% of the entire population of the Philippines. Based on these figures, the population density is computed at 173 inhabitants per square kilometer or 448 inhabitants per square mile.

Map

Northern Samar is bordered, clockwise from the North, by the Philippine Sea, Eastern Samar, Samar, Samar Sea, and San Bernardino Strait.

details
Map of the Philippines with Northern Samar highlighted in redMap of Northern Samar showing its component municipalitiesAllenBiriBobonCapulCatarmanCatubigGamayLaoangLapinigLas NavasLavezaresLope de VegaMapanasMondragonPalapagPambujanRosarioSan AntonioSan IsidroSan JoseSan RoqueSan VicenteSilvino LobosVictoria

Local government units

Northern Samar has 24 municipalities. The total number of barangays in the province is 569.

details
Local government units of Northern Samar
NameTypePopulation (2020)Population (2015)Annual Population Growth Rate (2015‑2020)Area (2013), in km2Density (2020), per km2Brgy count
Allenmunicipality25,22825,469-0.20%47.6053020
Birimunicipality11,27411,767-0.90%24.624588
Bobonmunicipality25,96423,6681.97%130.0020018
Capulmunicipality12,32312,679-0.60%35.5634712
Catarmanmunicipality, capital97,87994,0370.85%464.4321155
Catubigmunicipality32,17433,025-0.55%217.0214847
Gamaymunicipality23,36723,511-0.13%115.1020326
Laoangmunicipality60,60761,359-0.26%246.9424556
Lapinigmunicipality11,84413,020-1.97%57.3020715
Las Navasmunicipality36,62137,947-0.75%282.6113053
Lavezaresmunicipality29,39028,7700.45%119.5024626
Lope de Vegamunicipality14,69014,6870.00%280.005222
Mapanasmunicipality14,23414,0250.31%117.8512113
Mondragonmunicipality41,41538,7261.42%288.9014324
Palapagmunicipality34,03434,286-0.16%179.6018932
Pambujanmunicipality35,53233,0621.53%163.9021726
Rosariomunicipality10,94910,5200.85%31.6034611
San Antoniomunicipality8,8829,058-0.41%27.0032910
San Isidromunicipality27,86726,6500.94%255.9010914
San Josemunicipality17,64117,5610.10%29.8559116
San Roquemunicipality29,88230,580-0.48%152.9819516
San Vicentemunicipality6,9287,856-2.61%15.804387
Silvino Lobosmunicipality15,10015,299-0.28%224.206726
Victoriamunicipality15,36114,8170.76%186.708216
Northern Samar Total639,186632,3790.23%3,694.96173569

Economy

The annual regular revenue of Northern Samar for the fiscal year of 2016 was ₱1,187,075,415.22.

Historical annual regular income data

Annual regular income of Northern Samar (2009‑2016)
Fiscal YearAnnual Regular IncomeChange
2009634,799,088.65–
2010676,007,943.986.49%
2011739,614,385.699.41%
2012731,946,971.99-1.04%
2013815,278,136.9111.38%
2014940,304,819.6815.34%
20151,104,615,057.2817.47%
20161,187,075,415.227.47%

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 Northern Samar is 10 to 14, with 81,310 individuals. Conversely, the age group with the lowest population is 80 and over, with 4,838 individuals.

Age distribution

Population of Northern Samar by age group (2015 census)
Age groupPopulation (2015)Age group percentage
Under 113,8952.20%
1 to 460,9979.65%
5 to 978,06712.34%
10 to 1481,31012.86%
15 to 1975,39111.92%
20 to 2456,9239.00%
25 to 2942,3506.70%
30 to 3436,5835.78%
35 to 3934,4895.45%
40 to 4432,6045.16%
45 to 4928,8454.56%
50 to 5423,9463.79%
55 to 5919,6533.11%
60 to 6415,4152.44%
65 to 6911,9661.89%
70 to 749,2261.46%
75 to 795,8810.93%
80 and over4,8380.77%
Total632,379100.00%
  • Youth Dependency Ratio: 63.97
  • Old Age Dependency Ratio: 8.71
  • Total Dependency Ratio: 72.68
  • Median Age: 20.57

Historical population

The population of Northern Samar grew from 67,680 in 1903 to 639,186 in 2020, an increase of 571,506 people over the course of 117 years. The latest census figures in 2020 denote a positive annualized growth rate of 0.23%, or an increase of 6,807 people, from the previous population of 632,379 in 2015.

Trends in population growth

Population of Northern Samar (1903‑2020)
Census datePopulationAnnualized Growth Rate
67,680–
93,5592.07%
155,0502.56%
228,8574.08%
261,4241.18%
306,1141.56%
354,6653.00%
378,5161.31%
383,6540.13%
454,1953.21%
500,6392.11%
549,7591.30%
589,0132.54%
632,3791.36%
639,1860.23%

The total number of registered voters or electorate in Northern Samar for the year 2019 was 442,824.

National roads

As of December 2016, the National Roads in Northern Samar are:

Primary Roads

  • Daang Maharlika (SM) (San Isidro-San Juanico Bridge)

Secondary Roads

  • Basey-Marabut-Pinamitinan Road
  • Buri Access Road
  • Calbayog Old National Route
  • Calbayog-Catarman Road
  • Dolongan-Basey Road
  • San Juanico-Basey-Sohoton Road
  • Wright-Taft-Borongan Road

Tertiary Roads

  • Bagacay Old Route
  • Basey Old Route
  • Calbayog Diversion Road
  • Catbalogan Diversion Road
  • Dimakiling-JP Rizal Street
  • Gandara Diversion Road
  • Gandara Old Route
  • Gomez Extension
  • Gomez Street
  • Hinabangan Diversion Road
  • J. Luna Street
  • Motiong Old Route
  • Navarro Street
  • Parasanon Old Route
  • Rueda Street
  • San Jorge Old Route
  • Santa Margarita Old Route
  • Wright Old Route

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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