The Philippines is finally recording low birth rates. According to the Commission on Population and Development (PopCom), that trend should be considered good news in light of the country’s persistent overpopulation problems.
PopCom said that there was “nothing wrong with the low birth rate” recorded in 2020 and 2021, adding that the trend could indicate a demographic transition.
Speaking with One News, PopCom executive director Juan Perez III said that the country’s population grew by only 900,000 and 400,000 in 2020 and 2021, respectively, compared to the population boom of 1.5 million in 2019.
The birth rate in 2021 was the smallest population increase since 1946, Perez added.
As to why people are making fewer babies, Perez said that this could be attributed to a number of things, including the economic downturn, as well as the avoidance of unplanned pregnancies.
“There were fewer births because avoidance of pregnancy, unplanned pregnancies, unintended pregnancies were the aim of most women, and the economic crisis as well is (showing) that whenever there is an economic downturn, births go down,” Perez said, adding that the observed trend is a worldwide phenomenon.
The country is estimated to have a population of about 110 million people. The director added that the low birth rate signifies that this is the best time for the government to formulate policies that help Filipino families overcome the economic challenges of the pandemic.
