The Philippines' population is expected to nearly double to 141.7 million in the 40 years to 2040, from 76.5 million at the turn of the century, the National Statistics Office said yesterday.
This means there would be 65 million new Filipinos in the 40 years to 2040, even though the population growth rate is projected to drastically decline to 1.0 percent from around 2.34 percent in the 1990s, it said in a statement.
The population would continue to grow by 1.95 percent within the 2005-2010 period, from 85.3 million in 2005 to 94.0 million in 2010. By 2040 the population would also become older, as it is expected that women's child-bearing rate will continue to decline and the survival rates of all age groups will improve.
Last year, 35 percent of the population were aged 14 or younger.
The government agency said the CALABARZON region comprising several provinces with light industrial activity south of Manila would eclipse the capital in population terms by 2010. CALABARZON would have 11.9 million people, overtaking Manila's 11.6 million, it added.
Efforts to curb population growth in the Philippines, which sends millions of people overseas to seek work, have been hampered by the influential Catholic Church. More than 80 percent of Filipinos are Roman Catholics.
