Live births in the Philippines have declined by more than a fifth over the past 10 years as the country records a steady shift in reproductive trends and maternal healthcare.
Data released by the Philippine Statistics Authority show that registered live births fell 22.1 percent from 1,744,767 in 2015 to 1,358,989 in 2024.
The latest figures represent a 6.2-percent decrease from the 1,448,522 births recorded in 2023, resulting in a crude birth rate of 12 births per 1,000 population.
The 2024 statistics reveal that 59.5 percent of registered births, totaling 808,965 babies, were born to unmarried parents.
Eastern Visayas reported the highest proportion of non-marital births at 71.4 percent, followed by the National Capital Region at 69.4 percent. The Bangsamoro Autonomous Region in Muslim Mindanao recorded the highest proportion of marital births at 93.2 percent.
Daily averages for 2024 show 3,713 babies were born every day, which translates to 155 babies per hour or about three babies per minute.
Males outnumbered females with 705,714 births compared to 653,275 females, establishing a sex ratio of 108 males for every 100 females.
Geographic data indicate that 57.1 percent of births occurred in Luzon, while Mindanao and Visayas accounted for 24.6 percent and 18.3 percent respectively.
CALABARZON, the National Capital Region and Central Luzon remained the top three regions for birth occurrences, collectively accounting for 37.7 percent of the national total.
September recorded the highest daily average of births with 4,215 deliveries per day, while February saw the lowest average at 3,343 births. October had the highest total volume of births for the year, representing 9.5 percent of the annual total.
Maternal health services showed broad coverage as 96.1 percent of births were attended by health professionals such as physicians, midwives or nurses.
Most deliveries took place in health facilities, with only 4 percent of total births occurring at home. While most regions exceeded a 90 percent medical attendance rate, the Bangsamoro Autonomous Region in Muslim Mindanao reported a lower rate of 76.4 percent.
The median age for mothers at childbirth was 28 years and the median age for fathers was 30 years. Most registered births involved parents in the 25 to 29 age bracket. However, the data highlighted 138,697 births to adolescent mothers under 20 years old, a figure nearly three times higher than the 46,400 births involving adolescent fathers.
Newborn health indicators remained stable with 86.2 percent of babies weighing above the low birth weight threshold of 2,500 grams. The median birth weight for 2024 was 3,000 grams.
Timely registration remains high across the archipelago as 90 percent of births were registered within the required 30-day window.
Central Visayas and Cagayan Valley led the country with a 97.5 percent timely registration rate, while the Bangsamoro Autonomous Region in Muslim Mindanao reported the highest late registration rate at 22.3 percent.
