More singles in PH, latest census shows

MANILA, Philippines — The number of single Filipinos rose between 2010 and 2015, even as the proportion of married people shrank during the same period, the population census showed.

Of the total population — 10 years old and above in 2015 — around 34.8 million Filipinos were never married, some 3.5 million higher compared to 31.3 million in 2010, while around 32.4 million were married, down from some 32.5 million.

The proportion of married persons declined to 41 percent in 2015, from 2010’s 45 percent, around the same percentage seen since 2000, the Philippine Statistics Authority (PSA) said in a release on Friday.

While the number of single persons increased, the proportion was steady at 44 percent, around the same percentage recorded in 2000 to 2010.

Highest in ARMM

Other status were categorized as: common-law/live-in marital arrangement (9.1 percent); widowed (4.5 percent); separated (1.5 percent); and had unknown marital status (less than 0.1 percent).

The PSA conducts the population census every 10 years which, among others, collects data on marital status for persons 10 years old and over.

When grouped by region, the then Autonomous Region in Muslim Mindanao (ARMM) had the highest proportion of single population in 2015 at 48.2 percent while Cagayan Valley had the highest proportion of married indivi¬duals at 50.7 percent.

Ilocos region reported the largest proportion of widowed at 5.6 percent while Eastern Visayas had the largest proportion of those in common law/live-in marital arrangement at 13.9 percent. Metro Manila had the largest proportion of separated persons at 2.1 percent.

Men accounted for 54.1 percent of the single population age 10 years old and over, resulting in a sex ratio of 118 males for every 100 females in 2015.—Inquirer Research