THE WORLD FACTBOOK — Reference Edition 2026

Background: The Philippine Islands became a Spanish colony during the 16th century; they were ceded to the US in 1898 following the Spanish-American War. Led by Emilio AGUINALDO, the Filipinos conducted an insurgency against US rule from 1899-1902, although some fighting continued in outlying islands as late as 1913. In 1935, the Philippines became a self-governing commonwealth. Manuel QUEZON was elected president and was tasked with preparing the country for independence after a 10-year transition. The islands fell under Japanese occupation during World War II, and US forces and Filipinos fought together during 1944-45 to regain control. On 4 July 1946 the Republic of the Philippines attained its independence. Twenty-one years of authoritarian rule under Ferdinand MARCOS ended in 1986, when a "people power" movement in Manila ("EDSA 1") forced him into exile and installed Corazon AQUINO as president. Several coup attempts hampered her presidency, and progress on political stability and economic development faltered until Fidel RAMOS was elected president in 1992. The US closed its last military bases on the islands the same year. Joseph ESTRADA was elected president in 1998. His vice-president, Gloria MACAPAGAL-ARROYO, succeded him in 2001 after ESTRADA's stormy impeachment trial on corruption charges broke down and another "people power" movement ("EDSA 2") demanded his resignation. MACAPAGAL-ARROYO was elected president in 2004. Corruption allegations marred her presidency, but the Philippine economy was one of the few to avoid contraction after the 2008 global financial crisis. Benigno AQUINO III was elected as president in 2010, followed by Rodrigo DUTERTE in 2016. During his term, DUTERTE pursued a controversial drug war that garnered international criticism for alleged human rights abuses. Ferdinand MARCOS, Jr. was elected president in 2022 with the largest popular vote in a presidential election since his father's ouster.For decades, the country has been challenged by armed ethnic separatists, communist rebels, and Islamic terrorist groups, particularly in the southern islands and remote areas of Luzon.

Location: Southeastern Asia, archipelago between the Philippine Sea and the South China Sea, east of Vietnam
Geographic coordinates: 13 00 N, 122 00 E
Map references: Southeast Asia
Area: total: 300,000 sq km
land: 298,170 sq km
water: 1,830 sq km
Area - comparative: slightly less than twice the size of Georgia; slightly larger than Arizona
Land boundaries: total: 0 km
Coastline: 36,289 km
Maritime claims: territorial sea: irregular polygon extending up to 100 nm from coastline as defined by 1898 treaty; since late 1970s has also claimed polygonal-shaped area in South China Sea as wide as 285 nm
exclusive economic zone: 200 nm
continental shelf: to the depth of exploitation
Climate: tropical marine; northeast monsoon (November to April); southwest monsoon (May to October)
Terrain: mostly mountains with narrow to extensive coastal lowlands
Elevation: highest point: Mount Apo 2,954 m
lowest point: Philippine Sea 0 m
mean elevation: 442 m
Natural resources: timber, petroleum, nickel, cobalt, silver, gold, salt, copper
Land use: agricultural land: 42.7% (2023 est.)
agricultural land: arable land: arable land: 18.7% (2023 est.)
agricultural land: permanent crops: permanent crops: 18.9% (2023 est.)
agricultural land: permanent pasture: permanent pasture: 5% (2023 est.)
forest: 24.7% (2023 est.)
other: 32.7% (2023 est.)
Irrigated land: 16,270 sq km (2012)
Major lakes (area sq km): salt water lake(s): Laguna de Bay - 890 sq km
Population distribution: population concentrated in areas with good farmland; highest concentrations are northwest and south-central Luzon, the southeastern extension of Luzon, and the islands of the Visayan Sea, particularly Cebu and Negros; Manila is home to one eighth of the national population
Natural hazards: astride typhoon belt, usually affected by several cyclonic storms each year; landslides; active volcanoes; destructive earthquakes; tsunamis volcanism: significant volcanic activity; Taal (311 m) has been deemed a Decade Volcano by the International Association of Volcanology and Chemistry of the Earth's Interior, worthy of study due to its explosive history and close proximity to human populations; Mayon (2,462 m), the country's most active volcano, erupted in 2009 and forced over 33,000 to be evacuated; other historically active volcanoes include Biliran, Babuyan Claro, Bulusan, Camiguin, Camiguin de Babuyanes, Didicas, Iraya, Jolo, Kanlaon, Makaturing, Musuan, Parker, Pinatubo, and Ragang; see note 2 under "Geography - note"
Geography - note: note 1: for decades, the Philippine archipelago was reported as having 7,107 islands; in 2016, the national mapping authority reported that hundreds of new islands had been discovered and increased the number of islands to 7,641, though not all of the new islands have been verifiednote 2: the Philippines is one of the countries along the Ring of Fire, which is a belt bordering the Pacific Ocean that contains about 75% of the world's volcanoes and up to 90% of the world's earthquakesnote 3: the Philippines sits on the Pacific typhoon belt, and an average of 9 typhoons make landfall on the islands each year, with about 5 being destructive; the country is the most exposed in the world to tropical storms

Population: total: 118,277,063 (2024 est.)
male: 59,227,092
female: 59,049,971
Nationality: noun: Filipino(s)
adjective: Philippine
Ethnic groups: Tagalog 26%, Bisaya/Binisaya 14.3%, Ilocano 8%, Cebuano 8%, Illonggo 7.9%, Bikol/Bicol 6.5%, Waray 3.8%, Kapampangan 3%, Maguindanao 1.9%, Pangasinan 1.9%, other local ethnicities 18.5%, foreign ethnicities 0.2% (2020 est.)
Languages: Languages: Tagalog 39.9%, Bisaya/Binisaya 16%, Hiligaynon/Ilonggo 7.3%, Ilocano 7.1%, Cebuano 6.5%, Bikol/Bicol 3.9%, Waray 2.6%, Kapampangan 2.4%, Maguindanao 1.4%, Pangasinan/Panggalato 1.3%, other languages/dialects 11.2%, unspecified 0.4% (2020 est.)
major-language sample(s): Ang World Factbook, ang mapagkukunan ng kailangang impormasyon. (Tagalog)The World Factbook, the indispensable source for basic information.
Religions: Roman Catholic 78.8%, Muslim 6.4%, Iglesia ni Cristo 2.6%, other Christian 3.9%, other 8.2%, none/unspecified <0.1 (2020 est.)
Age structure: 0-14 years: 30.2% (male 18,234,279/female 17,462,803)
15-64 years: 64.3% (male 38,381,583/female 37,613,294)
65 years and over: 5.6% (2024 est.) (male 2,611,230/female 3,973,874)
Dependency ratios: total dependency ratio: 55.6 (2024 est.)
youth dependency ratio: 47 (2024 est.)
elderly dependency ratio: 8.7 (2024 est.)
potential support ratio: 11.5 (2024 est.)
Median age: total: 27.1 years (2025 est.)
male: 25.1 years
female: 26.3 years
Population growth rate: 0.74% (2025 est.)
Birth rate: 16.02 births/1,000 population (2025 est.)
Death rate: 5.8 deaths/1,000 population (2025 est.)
Net migration rate: -2.82 migrant(s)/1,000 population (2025 est.)
Population distribution: population concentrated in areas with good farmland; highest concentrations are northwest and south-central Luzon, the southeastern extension of Luzon, and the islands of the Visayan Sea, particularly Cebu and Negros; Manila is home to one eighth of the national population
Urbanization: urban population: 48.3% of total population (2023)
rate of urbanization: 2.04% annual rate of change (2020-25 est.)
Major urban areas - population: 14.667 million MANILA (capital), 1.949 million Davao, 1.025 million Cebu City, 931,000 Zamboanga, 960,000 Antipolo, 803,000 Cagayan de Oro City, 803,000 Dasmarinas (2023)
Sex ratio: at birth: 1.05 male(s)/female
0-14 years: 1.04 male(s)/female
15-64 years: 1.02 male(s)/female
65 years and over: 0.66 male(s)/female
total population: 1 male(s)/female (2024 est.)
Mother's mean age at first birth: 23.6 years (2022 est.)
Maternal mortality ratio: 84 deaths/100,000 live births (2023 est.)
Infant mortality rate: total: 18.5 deaths/1,000 live births (2025 est.)
male: 24.4 deaths/1,000 live births
female: 19.6 deaths/1,000 live births
Life expectancy at birth: total population: 70.8 years (2024 est.)
male: 67.3 years
female: 74.5 years
Total fertility rate: 1.94 children born/woman (2025 est.)
Gross reproduction rate: 0.94 (2025 est.)
Drinking water source: improved: urban: urban: 97.8% of population (2022 est.)
improved: rural: rural: 92.2% of population (2022 est.)
improved: total: total: 94.9% of population (2022 est.)
unimproved: urban: urban: 2.2% of population (2022 est.)
unimproved: rural: rural: 7.8% of population (2022 est.)
unimproved: total: total: 5.1% of population (2022 est.)
Health expenditure: Health expenditure (as % of GDP): 5.1% of GDP (2022)
Health expenditure (as % of national budget): 9% of national budget (2022 est.)
Physician density: 0.79 physicians/1,000 population (2021)
Hospital bed density: 1 beds/1,000 population (2021 est.)
Sanitation facility access: improved: urban: urban: 96.5% of population (2022 est.)
improved: rural: rural: 92.7% of population (2022 est.)
improved: total: total: 94.5% of population (2022 est.)
unimproved: urban: urban: 3.5% of population (2022 est.)
unimproved: rural: rural: 7.3% of population (2022 est.)
unimproved: total: total: 5.5% of population (2022 est.)
Obesity - adult prevalence rate: 6.4% (2016)
Alcohol consumption per capita: total: 4.85 liters of pure alcohol (2019 est.)
beer: 1.47 liters of pure alcohol (2019 est.)
wine: 0.03 liters of pure alcohol (2019 est.)
spirits: 3.34 liters of pure alcohol (2019 est.)
other alcohols: 0.01 liters of pure alcohol (2019 est.)
Tobacco use: total: 19.2% (2025 est.)
male: 34.4% (2025 est.)
female: 3.7% (2025 est.)
Children under the age of 5 years underweight: 16.7% (2021 est.)
Currently married women (ages 15-49): 55.6% (2022 est.)
Child marriage: women married by age 15: 1.5% (2022)
women married by age 18: 9.4% (2022)
Education expenditure: Education expenditure (% GDP): 3.6% of GDP (2023 est.)
Education expenditure (% national budget): 15.2% national budget (2025 est.)
Literacy: total population: 98.5% (2020 est.)
male: 98.4% (2020 est.)
female: 97% (2022 est.)
School life expectancy (primary to tertiary education): total: 12 years (2021 est.)
male: 12 years (2021 est.)
female: 13 years (2021 est.)
People - note: one of only two predominantly Christian nations in Southeast Asia, the other being Timor-Leste

Environmental issues: deforestation, especially in watershed areas; illegal mining and logging; soil erosion; air and water pollution in major urban centers; coral reef degradation; increasing pollution of coastal mangrove swamps; coastal erosion; dynamite fishing; wildlife extinction
International environmental agreements: party to: Biodiversity, Climate Change, Climate Change-Kyoto Protocol, Climate Change-Paris Agreement, Comprehensive Nuclear Test Ban, Desertification, Endangered Species, Hazardous Wastes, Law of the Sea, Marine Dumping-London Convention, Marine Dumping-London Protocol, Nuclear Test Ban, Ozone Layer Protection, Ship Pollution, Tropical Timber 2006, Wetlands
signed, but not ratified: none of the selected agreements
Climate: tropical marine; northeast monsoon (November to April); southwest monsoon (May to October)
Land use: agricultural land: 42.7% (2023 est.)
agricultural land: arable land: arable land: 18.7% (2023 est.)
agricultural land: permanent crops: permanent crops: 18.9% (2023 est.)
agricultural land: permanent pasture: permanent pasture: 5% (2023 est.)
forest: 24.7% (2023 est.)
other: 32.7% (2023 est.)
Urbanization: urban population: 48.3% of total population (2023)
rate of urbanization: 2.04% annual rate of change (2020-25 est.)
Carbon dioxide emissions: total emissions: 156.228 million metric tonnes of CO2 (2023 est.)
from coal and metallurgical coke: 88.581 million metric tonnes of CO2 (2023 est.)
from petroleum and other liquids: 61.597 million metric tonnes of CO2 (2023 est.)
from consumed natural gas: 6.05 million metric tonnes of CO2 (2023 est.)
Particulate matter emissions: 25.4 micrograms per cubic meter (2019 est.)
Methane emissions: energy: 230.7 kt (2022-2024 est.)
agriculture: 1,662.2 kt (2019-2021 est.)
waste: 452.7 kt (2019-2021 est.)
other: 39.1 kt (2019-2021 est.)
Waste and recycling: municipal solid waste generated annually: 14.632 million tons (2024 est.)
percent of municipal solid waste recycled: 49.9% (2022 est.)
Total water withdrawal: municipal: 9.498 billion cubic meters (2022)
industrial: 13.602 billion cubic meters (2022)
agricultural: 67.937 billion cubic meters (2022)
Total renewable water resources: 479 billion cubic meters (2022 est.)
Geoparks: total global geoparks and regional networks: 1
global geoparks and regional networks: Bohol Island (2023)

Country name: conventional long form: Republic of the Philippines
conventional short form: Philippines
local long form: Republika ng Pilipinas
local short form: Pilipinas
etymology: named in honor of King PHILLIP II of Spain by Spanish explorer Ruy LOPEZ de VILLALOBOS, who visited the islands in 1543
Government type: presidential republic
Capital: name: Manila
geographic coordinates: 14 36 N, 120 58 E
time difference: UTC+8 (13 hours ahead of Washington, DC, during Standard Time)
etymology: derives from the Tagalog word may, meaning "there is," and nila, the local name for a shrub in the indigo family
Administrative divisions: 81 provinces and 38 chartered cities provinces: Abra, Agusan del Norte, Agusan del Sur, Aklan, Albay, Antique, Apayao, Aurora, Basilan, Bataan, Batanes, Batangas, Biliran, Benguet, Bohol, Bukidnon, Bulacan, Cagayan, Camarines Norte, Camarines Sur, Camiguin, Capiz, Catanduanes, Cavite, Cebu, Cotabato, Davao del Norte, Davao del Sur, Davao de Oro, Davao Occidental, Davao Oriental, Dinagat Islands, Eastern Samar, Guimaras, Ifugao, Ilocos Norte, Ilocos Sur, Iloilo, Isabela, Kalinga, Laguna, Lanao del Norte, Lanao del Sur, La Union, Leyte, Maguindanao, Marinduque, Masbate, Mindoro Occidental, Mindoro Oriental, Misamis Occidental, Misamis Oriental, Mountain, Negros Occidental, Negros Oriental, Northern Samar, Nueva Ecija, Nueva Vizcaya, Palawan, Pampanga, Pangasinan, Quezon, Quirino, Rizal, Romblon, Samar, Sarangani, Siquijor, Sorsogon, South Cotabato, Southern Leyte, Sultan Kudarat, Sulu, Surigao del Norte, Surigao del Sur, Tarlac, Tawi-Tawi, Zambales, Zamboanga del Norte, Zamboanga del Sur, Zamboanga Sibugaychartered cities: Angeles, Bacolod, Baguio, Butuan, Cagayan de Oro, Caloocan, Cebu, Cotabato, Dagupan, Davao, General Santos, Iligan, Iloilo, Lapu-Lapu, Las Pinas, Lucena, Makati, Malabon, Mandaluyong, Mandaue, Manila, Marikina, Muntinlupa, Naga, Navotas, Olongapo, Ormoc, Paranaque, Pasay, Pasig, Puerto Princesa, Quezon, San Juan, Santiago, Tacloban, Taguig, Valenzuela, Zamboanga
Legal system: mixed system of civil, common, Islamic (sharia), and customary law
Constitution: history: several previous; latest ratified 2 February 1987, effective 11 February 1987
amendment process: proposed by Congress if supported by three fourths of the membership, by a constitutional convention called by Congress, or by public petition; passage by either of the three proposal methods requires a majority vote in a national referendum
International law organization participation: accepts compulsory ICJ jurisdiction with reservations; withdrew from the ICCt in March 2019
Citizenship: citizenship by birth: no
citizenship by descent only: at least one parent must be a citizen of the Philippines
dual citizenship recognized: no
residency requirement for naturalization: 10 years
Suffrage: 18 years of age; universal
Executive branch: chief of state: President Ferdinand "BongBong" MARCOS, Jr. (since 30 June 2022)
head of government: President Ferdinand "BongBong" MARCOS, Jr. (since 30 June 2022)
cabinet: Cabinet appointed by the president with the consent of the Commission of Appointments, an independent body of 25 Congressional members that includes the Senate president (ex officio chairman) and is appointed by the president
election/appointment process: president and vice president directly elected on separate ballots by simple-majority popular vote for a single 6-year term
most recent election date: 9 May 2022
election results: 2022: Ferdinand MARCOS, Jr. elected president; percent of vote - Ferdinand MARCOS, Jr. (PFP) 58.7%, Leni ROBREDO (independent) 27.9%, Manny PACQUIAO (PROMDI) 6.8%, other 6.6%; Sara DUTERTE-Carpio elected vice president; percent of vote Sara DUTERTE-Carpio (Lakas-CMD) 61.5%, Francis PANGILINAN (LP) 17.8%, Tito SOTTO 15.8%, other 4.9%2016: Rodrigo DUTERTE elected president; percent of vote - Rodrigo DUTERTE (PDP-Laban) 39%, Manuel "Mar" ROXAS (LP) 23.5%, Grace POE (independent) 21.4%, Jejomar BINAY (UNA) 12.7%, Miriam Defensor SANTIAGO (PRP) 3.4%; Leni ROBREDO elected vice president; percent of vote Leni ROBREDO (LP) 35.1%, Ferdinand MARCOS, Jr. (independent) 34.5%, Alan CAYETANO 14.4%, Francis ESCUDERO (independent) 12%, other 4%
expected date of next election: 9 May 2028
Legislative branch: legislature name: Congress (Kongreso)
legislative structure: bicameral
Legislative branch - lower chamber: chamber name: House of Representatives (Kapulungan Ng Mga Kinatawan)
number of seats: 317 (all directly elected)
electoral system: mixed system
scope of elections: full renewal
term in office: 3 years
most recent election date: 5/12/2025
parties elected and seats per party: Lakas-CMD party (103), National Unity Party (NUP) (32), Nationalist People's Coalition (NPC) 31, Partido Federal ng Pilipinas (PFP) (27), Nacionalista Party (NP) (22), Liberal Party (LP) (6), others (28), independents (11)
percentage of women in chamber: 28.3%
expected date of next election: May 2028
Legislative branch - upper chamber: chamber name: Senate (Senado)
number of seats: 24 (all directly elected)
electoral system: plurality/majority
scope of elections: partial renewal
term in office: 6 years
most recent election date: 5/12/2025
parties elected and seats per party: Nationalist People's Coalition (NPC) (2); Nacionalista Party (NP) (3); Partido Demokratiko Pilipino-Laban (PDP-Laban) (2); Lakas- CMD party (1); Katipunan ng Nagkakaisang Pilipino (KANP) (1); Liberal Party (1); Independents (2)
percentage of women in chamber: 20.8%
expected date of next election: May 2028
Judicial branch: highest court(s): Supreme Court (consists of a chief justice and 14 associate justices)
judge selection and term of office: justices are appointed by the president on the recommendation of the Judicial and Bar Council, a constitutionally created, 6-member body that recommends Supreme Court nominees; justices serve until age 70
subordinate courts: Court of Appeals; Sandiganbayan (special court for corruption cases of government officials); Court of Tax Appeals; regional, metropolitan, and municipal trial courts; sharia courts
Political parties: Democratic Action (Aksyon Demokratiko) Alliance for Change (Hugpong ng Pagbabago or HNP) Katipunan ng Nagkakaisang Pilipino (KANP)Lakas ng EDSA-Christian Muslim Democrats or Lakas-CMDLiberal Party or LPNacionalista Party or NPNationalist People's Coalition or NPCNational Unity Party or NUPPartido Demokratiko Pilipino-Lakas ng Bayan or PDP-LabanPartido Federal ng Pilipinas or PFP
Diplomatic representation in the US: chief of mission: Ambassador Jose Manuel del Gallego ROMUALDEZ (since 29 November 2017)
chancery: 1600 Massachusetts Avenue NW, Washington, DC 20036
telephone: [1] (202) 467-9300
FAX: [1] (202) 328-7614
email address and website: info@phembassy-us.orgThe Embassy of the Republic of the Philippines in Washington D.C. (philippineembassy-dc.org)
consulate(s) general: Chicago, Honolulu, Houston, Los Angeles, New York, San Francisco, Tamuning (Guam)
Diplomatic representation from the US: chief of mission: Ambassador MaryKay Loss CARLSON (since 22 July 2022)
embassy: 1201 Roxas Boulevard, Manila 1000
mailing address: 8600 Manila Place, Washington DC 20521-8600
telephone: [63] (2) 5301-2000
FAX: [63] (2) 5301-2017
email address and website: acsinfomanila@state.govhttps://ph.usembassy.gov/
International organization participation: ADB, APEC, ARF, ASEAN, BIS, CD, CICA (observer), CP, EAS, FAO, G-24, G-77, IAEA, IBRD, ICAO, ICRM, IDA, IFAD, IFC, IFRCS, IHO, ILO, IMF, IMO, IMSO, Interpol, IOC, IOM, IPU, ISO, ITSO, ITU, ITUC (NGOs), MIGA, MINUSTAH, NAM, OAS (observer), OPCW, PCA, PIF (partner), UN, UNCTAD, UNESCO, UNHCR, UNIDO, Union Latina, UNMIL, UNMOGIP, UNOCI, UNOOSA, UNWTO, UPU, WCO, WFTU (NGOs), WHO, WIPO, WMO, WTO
Independence: 4 July 1946 (from the US)
National holiday: Independence Day, 12 June (1898)
Flag: description: two equal horizontal bands of blue (top) and red; a white equilateral triangle is based on the left side; the center of the triangle has a yellow sun with eight rays, each split into smaller rays; the triangle's corners each have a small five-pointed yellow starmeaning: blue stands for peace and justice, red for courage, and the triangle for equality; the rays represent the first eight provinces that sought independence from Spain, and the stars represent the country's three parts: Luzon, Visayas, and Mindanaohistory: the design dates to 1897
National symbol(s): three stars and sun, Philippine eagle
National color(s): red, white, blue, yellow
National coat of arms: the coat of arms was adopted on 3 July 1946; the three gold stars represent the major island groups of Luzon, the Visayas, and Mindanao; the rays of the sun represent the provinces of the Philippines; the American eagle and lion of Spain represent the nation's colonial past
National anthem(s): title: "Lupang Hinirang" (Chosen Land)
lyrics/music: collectively/Julian FELIPE
history: music adopted 1898 and lyrics adopted 1956; only sung in Tagalog
National heritage: total World Heritage Sites: 6 (3 cultural, 3 natural)
selected World Heritage Site locales: Baroque Churches of the Philippines (c); Tubbataha Reefs Natural Park (n); Rice Terraces of the Philippine Cordilleras (c); Historic Vigan (c); Puerto-Princesa Subterranean River National Park (n); Mount Hamiguitan Range Wildlife Sanctuary (n)

Economic overview: growing Southeast Asian economy; commercial rebound led by transportation, construction and financial services; electronics exports recovering from sector slowdown; significant remittances; interest rate rises following heightened inflation; uncertainties due to increased regional tensions with China
Real GDP (purchasing power parity): Real GDP (purchasing power parity) 2024: $1.202 trillion (2024 est.)
Real GDP (purchasing power parity) 2023: $1.137 trillion (2023 est.)
Real GDP (purchasing power parity) 2022: $1.078 trillion (2022 est.)
Real GDP growth rate: Real GDP growth rate 2024: 5.7% (2024 est.)
Real GDP growth rate 2023: 5.5% (2023 est.)
Real GDP growth rate 2022: 7.6% (2022 est.)
Real GDP per capita: Real GDP per capita 2024: $10,400 (2024 est.)
Real GDP per capita 2023: $9,900 (2023 est.)
Real GDP per capita 2022: $9,500 (2022 est.)
GDP (official exchange rate): $461.618 billion (2024 est.)
Inflation rate (consumer prices): Inflation rate (consumer prices) 2024: 3.2% (2024 est.)
Inflation rate (consumer prices) 2023: 6% (2023 est.)
Inflation rate (consumer prices) 2022: 5.8% (2022 est.)
GDP - composition, by sector of origin: agriculture: 9.1% (2024 est.)
industry: 27.7% (2024 est.)
services: 63.2% (2024 est.)
GDP - composition, by end use: household consumption: 76.1% (2024 est.)
government consumption: 14.5% (2024 est.)
investment in fixed capital: 23.6% (2024 est.)
investment in inventories: 0.1% (2024 est.)
exports of goods and services: 25.8% (2024 est.)
imports of goods and services: -40.1% (2024 est.)
Agricultural products: sugarcane, rice, coconuts, maize, bananas, vegetables, tropical fruits, plantains, pineapples, cassava (2023)
Industries: semiconductors and electronics assembly, business process outsourcing, food and beverage manufacturing, construction, electric/gas/water supply, chemical products, radio/television/communications equipment and apparatus, petroleum and fuel, textile and garments, non-metallic minerals, basic metal industries, transport equipment
Industrial production growth rate: 5.6% (2024 est.)
Labor force: 50.979 million (2024 est.)
Unemployment rate: Unemployment rate 2024: 2.2% (2024 est.)
Unemployment rate 2023: 2.3% (2023 est.)
Unemployment rate 2022: 2.6% (2022 est.)
Youth unemployment rate (ages 15-24): total: 6.6% (2024 est.)
male: 5.6% (2024 est.)
female: 8.3% (2024 est.)
Population below poverty line: 15.5% (2023 est.)
Gini Index coefficient - distribution of family income: Gini Index coefficient - distribution of family income 2023: 39.3 (2023 est.)
Average household expenditures: on food: 37.3% of household expenditures (2023 est.)
on alcohol and tobacco: 1.9% of household expenditures (2023 est.)
Household income or consumption by percentage share: lowest 10%: 2.9% (2023 est.)
highest 10%: 31.6% (2023 est.)
Remittances: Remittances 2024: 8.7% of GDP (2024 est.)
Remittances 2023: 8.9% of GDP (2023 est.)
Remittances 2022: 9.4% of GDP (2022 est.)
Budget: revenues: $65.069 billion (2022 est.)
expenditures: $93.871 billion (2022 est.)
Public debt: Public debt 2017: 39.9% of GDP (2017 est.)
Taxes and other revenues: 14.1% (of GDP) (2023 est.)
Current account balance: Current account balance 2024: -$17.514 billion (2024 est.)
Current account balance 2023: -$12.387 billion (2023 est.)
Current account balance 2022: -$18.261 billion (2022 est.)
Exports: Exports 2024: $106.99 billion (2024 est.)
Exports 2023: $103.588 billion (2023 est.)
Exports 2022: $98.832 billion (2022 est.)
Exports - partners: China 19%, USA 13%, Hong Kong 12%, Japan 11%, Germany 5% (2023)
Exports - commodities: integrated circuits, machine parts, gold, insulated wire, semiconductors (2023)
Imports: Imports 2024: $161.154 billion (2024 est.)
Imports 2023: $151.441 billion (2023 est.)
Imports 2022: $152.638 billion (2022 est.)
Imports - partners: China 25%, Indonesia 8%, Japan 8%, S. Korea 6%, USA 6% (2023)
Imports - commodities: integrated circuits, refined petroleum, cars, crude petroleum, coal (2023)
Reserves of foreign exchange and gold: Reserves of foreign exchange and gold 2024: $106.195 billion (2024 est.)
Reserves of foreign exchange and gold 2023: $103.742 billion (2023 est.)
Reserves of foreign exchange and gold 2022: $96.04 billion (2022 est.)
Debt - external: Debt - external 2023: $63.241 billion (2023 est.)
Exchange rates: Currency: Philippine pesos (PHP) per US dollar -
Exchange rates 2024: 57.291 (2024 est.)
Exchange rates 2023: 55.63 (2023 est.)
Exchange rates 2022: 54.478 (2022 est.)
Exchange rates 2021: 49.255 (2021 est.)
Exchange rates 2020: 49.624 (2020 est.)

Electricity access: electrification - total population: 94.8% (2022 est.)
electrification - urban areas: 98%
electrification - rural areas: 91.1%
Electricity: installed generating capacity: 29.174 million kW (2023 est.)
consumption: 100.824 billion kWh (2023 est.)
transmission/distribution losses: 10.693 billion kWh (2023 est.)
Electricity generation sources: fossil fuels: 77.9% of total installed capacity (2023 est.)
solar: 1.6% of total installed capacity (2023 est.)
wind: 0.9% of total installed capacity (2023 est.)
hydroelectricity: 9% of total installed capacity (2023 est.)
geothermal: 9.3% of total installed capacity (2023 est.)
biomass and waste: 1.2% of total installed capacity (2023 est.)
Coal: production: 14.457 million metric tons (2023 est.)
consumption: 42.859 million metric tons (2023 est.)
exports: 8.151 million metric tons (2023 est.)
imports: 36.542 million metric tons (2023 est.)
proven reserves: 361 million metric tons (2023 est.)
Petroleum: total petroleum production: 10,000 bbl/day (2023 est.)
refined petroleum consumption: 457,000 bbl/day (2023 est.)
crude oil estimated reserves: 138.5 million barrels (2021 est.)
Natural gas: production: 2.325 billion cubic meters (2023 est.)
consumption: 3.12 billion cubic meters (2023 est.)
imports: 794.289 million cubic meters (2023 est.)
proven reserves: 98.543 billion cubic meters (2021 est.)
Energy consumption per capita: Total energy consumption per capita 2023: 17.654 million Btu/person (2023 est.)

Telephones - fixed lines: total subscriptions: 4.627 million (2023 est.)
subscriptions per 100 inhabitants: 4 (2023 est.)
Telephones - mobile cellular: total subscriptions: 135 million (2023 est.)
subscriptions per 100 inhabitants: 144 (2022 est.)
Broadcast media: multiple national private TV and radio networks; multi-channel satellite and cable TV systems available; more than 400 TV stations; about 1,500 cable TV providers with more than 2 million subscribers; over 1,400 radio stations; was scheduled to move to digital by the end of 2023 (2019)
Internet country code: .ph
Internet users: percent of population: 84% (2023 est.)
Broadband - fixed subscriptions: total: 7.51 million (2023 est.)
subscriptions per 100 inhabitants: 7 (2023 est.)

Civil aircraft registration country code prefix: RP
Airports: 256 (2025)
Heliports: 416 (2025)
Railways: total: 77 km (2017)
standard gauge: 49 km (2017) 1.435-m gauge
narrow gauge: 28 km (2017) 1.067-m gauge
Merchant marine: total: 2,203 (2023)
by type: bulk carrier 52, container ship 43, general cargo 955, oil tanker 207, other 946
Ports: total ports: 70 (2024)
large: 2
medium: 4
small: 8
very small: 56
ports with oil terminals: 22
key ports: Batangas City, Cagayan de Oro, Cebu, Manila, San Fernando Harbor, Subic Bay

Military and security forces: Armed Forces of the Philippines (AFP): Army, Navy (includes Marine Corps), Air ForceDepartment of Transportation: Philippine Coast Guard (PCG); Department of the Interior: Philippine National Police Force (PNP) (2025)
Military expenditures: Military Expenditures 2024: 1.7% of GDP (2024 est.)
Military Expenditures 2023: 1.5% of GDP (2023 est.)
Military Expenditures 2022: 1.4% of GDP (2022 est.)
Military Expenditures 2021: 1.2% of GDP (2021 est.)
Military Expenditures 2020: 1.1% of GDP (2020 est.)
Military and security service personnel strengths: approximately 145,000 active Armed Forces (105,000 Army; 25,000 Navy, including about 8,000 Marine Corps; 15,000 Air Force) (2025)
Military equipment inventories and acquisitions: the AFP is equipped with a mix of imported weapons systems from more than a dozen countries, including Brazil, Israel, South Korea, and the US (2025)
Military service age and obligation: some variations in age based on the branch of service, but generally 18-27 years of age for voluntary military service for men and women; no conscription (2025)
Military - note: the Armed Forces of the Philippines (AFP) are responsible for territorial defense and assisting with internal security; much of the AFP's operational focus is on internal security alongside the Philippines National Police, particularly in the south, where several separatist insurgent, terrorist, and criminal groups operate and a considerable portion of the AFP is typically deployed; additional combat operations are conducted against the Communist People’s Party/New People’s Army, which is active mostly on Luzon, as well as the Visayas and areas of Mindanao; prior to a peace deal in 2014, the AFP fought a decades-long conflict against the Moro Islamic Liberation Front (MILF), a separatist organization based mostly on the island of Mindanao, which had up to 40,000 fighters under armsmaritime security is also a priority; the AFP's naval forces conduct naval interdiction missions in support of security operations on the southern islands, including joint maritime patrols with Indonesia and Malaysia; rising tensions with China over disputed waters and land features in the South China Sea since 2012 have spurred the AFP to place more emphasis on blue-water naval capabilities, including acquiring larger warships such as guided missile frigates, corvettes, offshore patrol vessels, and landing platform dock (LPD) amphibious assault shipsthe Philippine military was formally organized during the American colonial period as the Philippine Army; they were established by the National Defense Act of 1935 and comprised of both Filipinos and Americans; the US and Philippines agreed to a mutual defense treaty in 1951; based on agreements signed in 2014 and 2023, the Philippine Government allows the rotational presence of US military forces, aircraft, and ships at up to nine bases in the Philippines; also in 2023, the US agreed to assist in modernizing Philippine defense capabilities, deepen interoperability, enhance bilateral planning and information-sharing, and combat transnational and nonconventional threats (2025)

Space agency/agencies: Philippine Space Agency (PhilSA; established 2019) (2025)
Space program overview: has a small space program focused on acquiring satellites and related technologies, largely for climate studies, national security, and risk management; also prioritizing development of space expertise and industry; manufactures and operates satellites (mostly micro- and nano-sized), including remote sensing and scientific/experimental; has relations with a variety of foreign space agencies and industries, including those of China, the ESA (and some of its member states), India, Japan, Russia, and the US (2025)
Key space-program milestones: 1994 - formed a consortium of companies to acquire and operate satellites1996 - acquired first communications satellite (Agila-1) from Indonesia after it was already in orbit2014 - initiated a scientific remote sensing (RS) microsatellite development program in collaboration with Japan, resulting in first RS microsatellite (Diwata-1) being deployed from the International Space Station (ISS) in 20162018 - first domestically designed and built scientific/technology-demonstrator cube satellite (Maya-1) deployed from ISS; second RS microsatellite (Diwata-2) developed with assistance from and launched by Japan2023 - signed agreement with the ESA and EU to expand cooperation on Earth observation/RS data sharing2025 - signed US-led Artemis Accords for space exploration

Terrorist group(s): Abu Sayyaf Group; Communist Party of the Philippines/New People's Army (CPP/NPA); Islamic State of Iraq and ash-Sham – East Asia (ISIS-EA) in the Philippines

Refugees and internally displaced persons: refugees: 2,342 (2024 est.)
IDPs: 1,158,643 (2024 est.)
stateless persons: 30 (2024 est.)

Philippines