Philippines: Urban Population was

Registered at 48.0 Percent

Reference Number:
2003-082
Release Date:
Friday, October 10, 2003

Urban population comprised 48.0 percent

A transition from a rural to urban barangay classification signifies change in
the human habitat with respect to several physical, demographic and
economic characteristics of the barangay. In the 2000 CPH, barangays were
classified into either urban or rural by considering the street pattern,
presence of facilities and amenities, population density, presence of
establishments, and type of occupation engaged in by the residents.
Results of the latest Census 2000 placed the total population of the
Philippines as of May 1, 2000 at 76.5 million persons, of which, 36.7 million
persons or 48.0 percent were in 9,950 urban barangays.

Central Luzon (Region III) had the second highest proportion of urban
population
Among the regions, aside from the National Capital Region (NCR) which was
classified as entirely urban, two regions registered a proportion of urban
population higher than the national level. These regions were Central Luzon
(Region III), 60.5 percent and Southern Tagalog (Region IV), 58.2 percent. On
the other hand, Autonomous Region in Muslim Mindanao (ARMM) and Eastern
Visayas (Region VIII) with 21.2 percent and 19.5 percent respectively, had
the lowest proportion of urban population.

Eleven provinces had more than 50 percent of their population living in

urban areas
The urban population in 11 provinces was more than 50 percent of the total
population. These provinces were Rizal, Cavite, Laguna, Bulacan, Pampanga,
Cebu, Benguet, Bataan, Zambales, Misamis Oriental, and Pangasinan. On the
other hand, four provinces had less than 10 percent. These were Ifugao (9.6
percent), Mountain Province (9.1 percent), Siquijor (8.4 percent) and
Marinduque (4.8 percent).

Table A. Provinces with More Than 50 Percent Urban Population: 2000

Province

Proportion of Urban
Population

Rizal

95.8

Cavite

86.8

Laguna

83.5

Bulacan

77.8

Pampanga

67.4

Cebu

63.4

Benguet

62.7

Bataan

59.7

Zambales

56.9

Misamis Oriental

53.4

Pangasinan

52.4

Eleven out of 16 Highly Urbanized Cities were entirely urban

Of the 16 highly urbanized cities (HUCs), 11 were classified as entirely
urban. These were the HUCs in Luzon and Visayas and three HUCs in
Mindanao namely: Cagayan de Oro City, Marawi City, and Cotabato City
(Table B). The HUCs that were not entirely urban were Zamboanga City,
Iligan City, Davao City, General Santos City, and Butuan City, all in Mindanao.

Table B. Entirely Urban and Not Entirely Urban Highly Urbanized Cities:
2000

Highly Urbanized Cities

Entirely Urban

Not Entirely Urban

Luzon
Baguio City

Angeles City

Olongapo City

Lucena City

Visayas
Iloilo City

Bacolod City

Cebu City

Mandaue City

Mindanao
Zamboanga City
Cagayan de Oro City
Iligan City

x
x
x

Davao City

Marawi City

Cotabato City

General Santos City

Butuan City

x
x

Central Luzon had the second highest proportion of urban barangays

Central Luzon (Region III) had 43.6 percent of total barangays classified as
urban, hence, was second to the NCR in terms of the proportion of urban
barangays. Other regions that had a proportion of urban barangays higher
than the national figure (23.7 percent) were Southern Tagalog (Region IV),
34.3 percent; and Ilocos Region (Region I), 24.9 percent. On the other hand,
Western Mindanao (Region IX) had the lowest (8.7 percent).

Sixteen provinces had a proportion of urban barangays exceeding the

national figure

Of the total 78 provinces in the country, 16 provinces surpassed the national

proportion of urban barangays (23.7 percent). Of these provinces, 13 were
in Luzon, two in Visayas and one in Mindanao. The top 11 provinces were all
in Luzon, with Rizal and Cavite both in Southern Tagalog Region registering
four urban barangays for every five barangays in the province
Table C. Provinces with Higher than the National Proportion of Urban
Barangays: 2000

Province

Proportions of Urban
Barangays

Rizal

83.4

Cavite

79.0

Bulacan

69.0

Benguet

56.1

Bataan

54.8

Laguna

53.6

Pampanga

47.1

Pangasinan

42.0

Nueva Ecija

38.0

Batangas

38.0

Zambales

35.6

Cebu

35.2

Negros Occidental

28.9

Occidental Mindoro

25.9

Misamis Oriental

25.5

Batanes

24.1

Urban Barangays in the Philippines

(Based on 2010 CPH)
Release Date:

Friday, June 7, 2013

HIGHLIGHTS

The level of urbanization in 2010 or the proportion of urban

population to the total population was 45.3 percent. This means that of
the 92.3 million population in the Philippines in 2010, 41.9 million lived
in areas classified as urban (Table A). The rural population or those who
lived in areas classified as rural numbered 50.5 million and accounted
for 54.7 percent of the total population.
In 2007, the level of urbanization was 42.4 percent (Table A).
Excluding National Capital Region (NCR), which is entirely urban, in
2010 and 2007, there were four regions namely, Region III, Region IV-A,
Region XI, and Region XII, which had a level of urbanization higher than
the level of urbanization for the entire country, which was 45.3 percent
in 2010 and 42.4 percent in 2007 (Table A).

In 2010, nine out of the total 80 provinces registered a level of

urbanization higher than the national level (Table B). Rizal had the
highest level of urbanization of 92.7 percent, followed by Laguna (71.9%)
and Bulacan (70.9%). In 2007, except for Bataan, these provinces also
had a level of urbanization higher than the level of urbanization for the
country (42.4 %).

Excluding the cities in the NCR, there were 70 cities with at least 50
percent of the total population residing in areas classified as urban in
2010, while the corresponding number of municipalities was 105 (Table
C).

Municipalities which were classified as entirely urban in 2010 are

municipalities of Cabuyao and Kalayaan from the province of Laguna,
municipalities of Cainta and Taytay from the province of Rizal,

municipality of Talaingod from Davao del Norte province, and

municipality of Jolo from Sulu province (Table C). None of the 70 cities
were classified as entirely urban.

Those with at least 90 percent of the total population classified as

urban population, aside from the abovementioned entirely urban
municipalities, are municipality of Mariveles (Bataan); municipalities of
Marilao, Norzaragay and Santa Maria (Bulacan); municipality of Apalit,
City of San Fernando and Angeles City (Pampanga), Olongapo City
(Zambales); Trece Martires City (Cavite); municipalities of Bian, Los
Baos and San Pedro, and City of Santa Rosa (Laguna); Lucena City
(Quezon); municipalities of Angono, Rodriguez and San Mateo, and City
of Antipolo (Rizal); Naga City (Camarines Sur); Cadiz City, San Carlos City
and Bacolod City (Negros Occidental); Cities of Carcar and Talisay, Cebu
City, Lapu-Lapu City, and Mandaue City (Cebu); municipality of Tagoloan
and Cagayan de Oro City (Misamis Oriental); and General Santos City
(South Cotabato) [Table C].

The urban population in the Philippines increased on average by 4.0

percent annually during the period 2007 to 2010 (Table D).

The tempo of urbanization or the difference in the average annual

growth rates of the urban and rural population for the period 2007 to
2010 was 4.4 percent (Table D).

As of 2010, there were 42,025 barangays nationwide. Of this number,

13.6 percent or 5,697 barangays were classified as urban. In 2007, 4,838
barangays were classified as urban representing 11.5 percent of the total
41,994 barangays in that year (Table E).

Majority (64.8%) of the urban barangays in 2010 were classified under

Category 1, that is, having a population size of at least 5,000 (Table F).
Altogether, the urban population in these barangays totaled 26.9 million
accounting for 89.6 percent of the total urban population in the country.

In 2007, 75.5 percent of the urban barangays were classified under the
same category. Such urban barangays numbered 2,373.

The barangays classified as urban based on the presence of

establishments with at least 100 employees (Category 2) totaled to 798
in 2010 making up 20.0 percent of the total urban barangays. By
comparison, Category 2 urban barangays totaled to 329 in 2007,
accounting for 10.5 percent of the total barangays in that year.

The remaining urban barangays, 608 or 15.2 percent of the total urban
barangays in 2010, and 441 or 14.0 percent of the total urban barangays
in 2007, had at least five small establishments (that is, with 10 to 99
employees) within the barangay, and at least five facilities within the
two-kilometer radius from the barangay hall (Table F). These urban
barangays fall into Category 3.

Urban-Rural Classification
Urban Barangays in the Philippines (Based on
2010 CPH)
HIGHLIGHTS

The level of urbanization in 2010 or the proportion of urban

population to the total population was 45.3 percent. This means that of
the 92.3 million population in the Philippines in 2010, 41.9 million lived
in areas classified as urban. The rural population or those who lived in
areas classified as rural numbered 50.5 million and accounted for 54.7
percent of the total population.
In 2007, the level of urbanization was 42.4 percent