MANILA - The Philippines may have an aging population by the year 2030, the Commission on Population and Development said Monday, as it notes a slowdown in the country’s population growth.

“Patuloy po tayong dadami, pero bumabagal; kumukonti ang pagdami. And in fact, sa amin pong pag-aaral, by 2030, puwede na tayong i-classify ng UN na aging population,” Undersecretary Lisa Grace Bersales, Executive Director of the Commission on Population and Development said in a televised briefing.

“Ang ibig pong sabihin, tayo po ay... Ang ating mga 60 ang above po ay mga seven percent of the population,” she continued.

According to the projection, the Philippines’ population is expected to hit 112 million by 2024, lower than the pre-pandemic estimate of 115 million.

“So noong unang nag-projection ang PSA, noong 2015 census lang ang mayroon sila, ang projection po ay by end of 2023 at papasok na 2024, tayo ay magiging 115 million. Pero noon po iyon,” Bersales said.

“Ang projection po natin ay ang population po natin itong 2024, pagpasok ng 2024 ay mga [112] million mula 109 noong 2020,” she said.

Bersales said the slowdown may be attributed to the COVID pandemic, changes in fertility intentions and behavior of Filipina women, and even rising mortality rates among Filipinos.

“Nakaapekto talaga ang COVID-19. So kumonti po ang kasal. Tapos iyong mga kababaihan, medyo kumukonti rin iyong nanganak. So tingnan po natin—at saka, isa pa po, dumami rin po iyong mortality natin; dumami po iyong mga namatay...kaya ang projection ng populasyon ay medyo babagal ang pagdami,” she said.

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