The Philippines’ population is predicted to grow twice its size by 2058, according to Socioeconomic Planning Secretary Ernesto Pernia.
Since the last census conducted in 2015, the country’s population rate has already slowed down at 1.76 a year.
“Under this growth rate, our population, which is now 108.1 million, is expected to double in 39 years,” Pernia said in a speech during World Population Day on Thursday, July 12.
The Philippines had already become the 13th most populous country in the world, with Filipinos now accounting for 1.4 percent of the global population, according to Pernia, who heads state planning agency, the National Economic and Development Authority.
He urged the full implementation of the reproductive health law to ensure that the increase of the Philippine population will not hinder the government’s goal of reducing poverty incidence.
“Our total fertility rate has likewise gone down over time — from 6.4 in 1969, to 4.1 in 1994, and now down to 2.7 children (per woman of reproductive age) in 2019. Our target fertility rate is 2.1 children. This will be feasible if we can ratchet up modern contraceptive use,” Pernia said.
“This had gone up from 24.9 percent in 1993 to 40 percent in 2017. Fortunately, there are now more users of modern contraceptives. There are also now more rural than urban women who use modern family planning methods,” he added.
