MANILA, Philippines — The country's population is projected to grow to 110.8 million in 2021, an increase from the previous 109.4 million at the onset of this year, the Commission on Population and Development (PopCom) said Wednesday.
PopCom said the Philippines' population growth rate is projected to decline to 1.31% in 2021 from 1.68% in 2016.
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The country's projected population next year, however, may still increase due to more unplanned pregnancies brought about by the COVID-19 pandemic.
The unplanned pregnancies brought about by one of the longest lockdowns in the world would affect the under-one age group in the Philippines.
"So our firm projection is that our population will be 110.8 million based on [Philippine Statistics Authority]. Because of Covid, it could go up to 111.1 million or higher," PopCom Executive Director Juan Antonio Perez III said during an online press briefing.
Meanwhile, the working-age group is also projected to reach 71.2 million by next year, which would make up 64.15% of the country's entire population.
PopCom noted that this would also mean that the Philippines will need to generate at least half a million new jobs in 2021.
"The increasing working age population presents a prospect for economic gain because of potentially greater income and productivity it can generate. This is what we call an opportunity for demographic dividend," Perez said.
For the first time, the number of senior citizens in the country will exceed 10 million next year. Those 60 years old and above comprise 9.07% of the population.
The number of Filipinos within 0-14 years old, which is 29.83% of the population, is projected to grow by 475,543.
"We also need to focus on the needs of this vulnerable part of the population, as it is also an often-neglected sector," Perez said, referring to the 0-14 and over 60 years old age groups or the "dependent" population.
International author Tomas Pueyo earlier warned that the high-density population of the country is one of the challenges in containing the COVID-19 pandemic.
“That is going to be the biggest challenge. You have millions of people working very close to each other. Many of them cannot just stay home because they are going to starve and how do you handle that situation?” Pueyo told Radyo Pilipinas in August.
PopCom's Perez further noted that at least 80% of the population would need to be vaccinated in able to achieve herd immunity or having a large population immune from certain infection. — Patricia Lourdes Viray