Philippines' Population Surge: Accounting for 1.39% of the Global Inhabitants

As of 2017, the Philippines boasts a staggering population of 104 million, marking an increase of 4 million since 2014. This translates to an annual growth of approximately 1.33 million residents.

The streets of Manila are frequently congested, illustrating the challenges faced by the government due to this rapid growth. Remarkably, 1.39% of the global populace now identifies as Filipino.

The nation reached a significant milestone on July 27, 2014, when the Philippine population touched the 100 million mark. The birth of a baby girl on this day symbolized the 100 millionth Filipino. This event sparked conversations around the country's anti-poverty commitment. Reflecting on this brings to mind a study I conducted at the International Pacific College in 2006 examining the effects of Manila's population boom on the Philippine economy. Yogon's quote, "Fucking beyond our means," captures the essence of the issue.

Surprisingly, amidst a growing population, the focus of the government seems more inclined toward poverty alleviation than addressing the population rise. It raises questions about the adequacy of birth control education, especially among impoverished communities. As Aryanna_EQ poignantly remarked, "This is not a time for celebration." The surge in population, coupled with prevailing poverty, raises concerns about the increasing number of uninformed citizens. She emphasizes the importance of a proper educational foundation to ensure a prosperous future for the nation.

The burgeoning population presents a dual-edged sword. On the one hand, it can provide a more extensive workforce. Conversely, it also indicates a rise in dependents in a nation where roughly 25% live below the poverty line. Perez highlighted the importance of ensuring quality services to the underprivileged while also emphasizing the need to reduce the fertility rate. Currently, the average Filipino woman has three children in her lifetime, a number the government aims to reduce to two.

Interestingly, when it comes to population growth, the Philippines trails behind nations like Nigeria, Ethiopia, and Pakistan among the top 13.

Queues going down the road as far as the eye can see are examples of some challenges the Philippines

government faces with an ever-growing population. of 1.39% of the world population now is Filipino

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Rank	Country or area	UN continental region[1]	UN statistical region[1]	Population (1 July 2016)[2]	Population (1 July 2017)[2]	Change
—	World	—	—	7,466,964,280	7,550,262,101	+1.1%
1	China[a]	Asia	Eastern Asia	1,403,500,365	1,409,517,397	+0.4%
2	India	Asia	Southern Asia	1,324,171,354	1,339,180,127	+1.1%
3	United States	Americas	Northern America	322,179,605	324,459,463	+0.7%
4	Indonesia	Asia	South-Eastern Asia	261,115,456	263,991,379	+1.1%
5	Brazil	Americas	South America	207,652,865	209,288,278	+0.8%
6	Pakistan	Asia	Southern Asia	193,203,476	197,015,955	+2.0%
7	Nigeria	Africa	Western Africa	185,989,640	190,886,311	+2.6%
8	Bangladesh	Asia	Southern Asia	162,951,560	164,669,751	+1.1%
9	Russia	Europe	Eastern Europe	143,964,513	143,989,754	0.0%
10	Mexico	Americas	Central America	127,540,423	129,163,276	+1.3%
11	Japan	Asia	Eastern Asia	127,748,513	127,484,450	−0.2%
12	Ethiopia	Africa	Eastern Africa	102,403,196	104,957,438	+2.5%
13	Philippines	Asia	South-Eastern Asia	103,320,222	104,918,090	+1.5%

  Shown below is a table of the projected population of the Philippines in the next two centuries under the assumption that our population growth rate remains steady at 1.904%.

Table 1
Year	Population
2011	101 million
2048	202 million
2085	404 million
2122	808 million
2159	1.616 billion
2196	3.232 billion

Table 2
Year	Population Growth Rate
1970	3.08%
1980	2.71%
1990	2.35%
2000	2.36%
2007	2.04%