In 2022, the Philippines witnessed a notable increase in live births, totaling 1,455,393. This equates to an average of three babies born every minute, a significant rise following the pandemic-induced decline. The data from the Philippine Statistics Authority (PSA) shows this growth as the first in three years. Previously, the birth rate had dropped by 10.7% in 2021 and 8.7% in 2020 due to the COVID-19 lockdowns.
The births recorded in 2022 had a slightly higher proportion of male babies, with 52.1% being males and 47.9% females. Geographically, most births occurred in Luzon (56.5%), followed by Mindanao (24.8%) and the Visayas region (18.7%). The highest number of births were in the Calabarzon region.
Interestingly, the majority of births occurred in September, with an average of 4,775 births per day. Health professionals attended the vast majority of these births, with 65% by physicians and 26.5% by midwives. Most births took place in hospitals or similar facilities, although 7.3% occurred at home.
Regarding the parents’ demographics, the majority of mothers were aged between 25-29 years. Notably, over half of the live births in 2022 were out of wedlock, with the highest rates observed in the Calabarzon, the National Capital Region, and Central Luzon. The proportion of illegitimate births was highest among adolescent mothers under 15 years of age.
The data reveals a trend of increasing birth rates in the Philippines post-pandemic, along with significant insights into the demographics and circumstances surrounding these births.