Philippines' birth rate skids to record low at 1.7

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March 31, 2026 | 3:46pm

MANILA, Philippines — Filipinos are having the fewest children ever recorded, with the national fertility rate continuing falling below the level needed to replace the population, according to a new survey by the Philippine Statistics Authority. 

The 2025 National Demographic and Health Survey, released Monday, March 30, recorded a total fertility rate of 1.7 — down from 1.9 in 2022 and less than half the 4.1 recorded in 1993. 

A rate of 2.1 is generally considered the minimum for a population to sustain itself without migration.

The survey interviewed a sample of 29,694 women aged 15 to 49 across the country and captures the period from 2022 to 2025.

The decline held across every region, income bracket, and education level, according to the survey, but there remained gaps.

Calabarzon recorded the sharpest drop in fertility rates, falling from 1.8 to 1.3, the lowest of any region. The National Capital Region and Negros Island Region followed at 1.4 each. At the other end, the Bangsamoro Autonomous Region in Muslim Mindanao still posted the highest rate at 2.4, though even that fell from 3.1 in 2022.

There are also variations among women of different socio-economic backgrounds. Women in the richest households now average 1.1 children, down from 1.4 in 2022. 

Among the poorest, the rate dropped from 3.1 to 2.8, but this is still more than double. 

Women with only some primary schooling had the highest fertility of any education group at 3.1.

What women are choosing

The decline, based on the survey findings, is largely driven by women's own preferences. Among married women, 57.3% said they wanted no more children. Among those with two children, 63.3% wanted to keep it at that number — up from 60.1% in 2017.

According to the PSA survey, modern contraceptive use among married women rose to 44.5% from 41.8% in 2022. Pills remained the most common method at 11.6%, followed by female sterilization at 4.6% and injectables at 3.4%. 

Barangay health stations were the top public source of contraceptives, while expectedly, private pharmacies led on pills and condoms.

1 in 10 married women has unmet family planning needs

But access is far from universal. Around one in 10 married women, or 12.5%, said they have an unmet need for family planning, slightly higher than survey's 12.4%. 

Among sexually active unmarried women, the gap was far starker, as 48% said they needed contraception but could not get it.

Teenage pregnancy however is now at a record low. Teenage childbearing dropped to 4.8% among women aged 15 to 19, the lowest since tracking began and less than half the 10.1% peak in 2013. Adolescent births stood at 22 per 1,000 women in that age group.