Population of Nueva Ecija increased at the rate of 1.65 percent annually

Based on the 2010 Census of Population and Housing (2010 CPH), the province of Nueva Ecija posted a total population of 1,955,373 persons as of May 1, 2010.  This is larger by 295,490 persons compared to its total population of 1,659,883 persons counted in the 2000 CPH.  The increase in the population count from 2000 to 2010 translated to an average annual population growth rate (PGR) of 1.65 percent.  This is lower than the 2.37 percent annual PGR of the province between the census years 1990 and 2000.

If the average annual PGR recorded at 1.65 percent during the period 2000 to 2010 continues, the population of Nueva Ecija would double in 42 years.

Fifty years ago, the population of Nueva Ecija was only 608,362 persons.  This population size is less than one third of the population of the province in the 2010 CPH.

Cabanatuan City was the most populous

Among the five cities and 27 municipalities comprising the province of Nueva Ecija, the   Cabanatuan City was the most populous with a population size making up 13.9 percent of the total provincial population.  San Jose City was second with 6.6 percent share, followed by the municipalities of Talavera with 5.8 percent, Guimba with 5.4 percent, and the City of Gapan with 5.2 percent. The rest of the cities/municipalities contributed less than 4.0 percent each.

The least populated area was the municipality of Nampicuan with 0.7 percent share to the total population of the province. It was also the least populated area in 2000.

Sex ratio was 103 males per 100 females

Of the 1,953,716 household population in 2010, males accounted for 50.7 percent while females comprised 49.3 percent.  These figures resulted in a sex ratio of 103 males for every 100 females.  The recorded sex ratio in 2000 was the same as that in 2010.

Median age increased to 24.5 years

In 2010, the median age of the population of the province was 24.5 years, which means that half of the population was younger than 24.5 years.  This is higher than the median age of 22.3 years that was recorded in 2000.

Moreover, three in every 10 persons (31.7 percent) were under 15 years old.  Children aged 0 to 4 years (10.8 percent) comprised the largest age group, followed by those in the age groups 5 to 9 years (10.5 percent) and 10 to 14 years (10.4 percent).  Males outnumbered females in the age groups 0 to 54 years.  On the other hand, there were more females than males in the older age groups (55 years and over).

Three fifths of the population were of voting age                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                          

The voting-age population (18 years and over) accounted for 62.1 percent of the household population of the province in 2010, up from 58.4 percent in 2000.  The distribution of males and females of voting age was equal at 50.0 percent.

Dependency ratio decreased to 56 dependents per 100 persons in the working age group

In 2010, the young dependents (0 to 14 years) comprised 31.7 percent of the household population while the old dependents (65 years and over) posted a share of 4.9 percent. The working-age population (15 to 64 years) accounted for the remaining 63.4 percent.

The overall dependency ratio was 58, which indicates that for every 100 working-age population, there were about 58 dependents (50 young dependents and eight old dependents).  This ratio is lower than the dependency ratio in 2000, which was recorded at 66 dependents per 100 working-age population (59 young dependents and seven old dependents).

There were more males than females among the never-married persons

Of the household population 10 years old and over 51.1 percent were married while 39.2 percent were never married.  The rest of the population were categorized as follows: widowed (4.7 percent), in common-law/live-in marital arrangement (3.4 percent), and divorced/separated (1.4 percent).

Among the never-married persons, 55.2 percent were males while 44.8 percent were females.  For the rest of the categories for marital status, the females outnumbered the males.

More females had attained higher levels of education

Of the household population aged five years and over, 37.2 percent had attended or completed elementary education, 37.0 percent had reached or finished high school, 8.5 percent were college undergraduates, and 9.3 percent were academic degree holders.  Among those with an academic degree, the females (57.0 percent) outnumbered the males (43.0 percent).  Similarly, more females (60.2 percent) than males (39.8 percent) had pursued post baccalaureate courses.

Persons with disability comprised 1.4 percent of the population in the province

In 2010, around 27,200 persons or 1.4 percent of the 1,953,716 household population had a disability.  The proportion of persons with disability (PWD) in 2000 was 1.2 percent of the 1,658,338 household population of the province during that year.  The number of PWD for the same year was around 20,600 persons.

There were more females than males among those with functional difficulty

Of the 1,741,778 household population five years and over, 3.2 percent (or 56,157 persons) had at least one type of functional difficulty either in seeing, hearing, walking or climbing steps, remembering or concentrating, self-caring (bathing or dressing), or communicating.  There were more females (53.9 percent) than males (46.1 percent) among those persons with at least one type of functional difficulty.

Moreover, of the total 56,157 persons aged five years and over with at least one type of functional difficulty, 74.1 percent reported difficulty in seeing, even if wearing eyeglasses.  There were 21.5 percent who had difficulty in walking or climbing steps; 18.8 percent had difficulty in hearing, even if using a hearing aid; 10.5 percent had difficulty in remembering or concentrating; 10.0 percent had difficulty in communicating; and 8.6 percent had difficulty in self-caring (bathing or dressing).

Female overseas workers outnumbered their male counterparts

Of the 1,536,570 household population 10 years old and over in Nueva Ecija, 2.4 percent (or 37,346 persons) were overseas workers.  Female overseas workers outnumbered their male counterparts as they comprised 50.1 percent of all the overseas workers from this province.  Overseas workers aged 45 years and over made up the largest age group, comprising 21.8 percent of the total overseas workers from this province in 2010, followed by the age groups 30 to 34 (18.6 percent), 25 to 29 years (16.8 percent), and 35 to 39 years (16.6 percent).

Average household size was 4.4 persons

The number of households in 2010 was recorded at 439,460, higher by 99,302 households compared with the 340,158 households posted in 2000.  The average household size in 2010 was 4.4 persons, lower than the average household size of 4.9 persons in 2000.

There were 101 households per 100 occupied housing units

A total of 433,125 occupied housing units were recorded in the province of Nueva Ecija in 2010.  This translates to a ratio of 101 households for every 100 occupied housing units, with 4.5 persons per occupied housing unit.  In 2000, there were 101 households per 100 occupied housing units, and 4.9 persons per occupied housing unit.

Occupied housing units with outer walls and roofs made of strong materials increased

In 2010, 60.6 percent of the occupied housing units in the province had outer walls made of concrete/brick/stone, higher than the proportion of 43.8 percent recorded in 2000.  The proportion of occupied housing units with outer walls made of half concrete/brick/stone and half wood decreased from 21.4 percent in 2000 to 16.7 percent in 2010.  Those with walls made of bamboo/sawali/cogon/nipa decreased from 20.6 percent in 2000 to 13.7 percent in 2010.  Meanwhile, majority (86.0 percent) of the occupied housing units in 2010 had roofs made of galvanized iron/aluminum.  This is higher than the proportion of 77.4 percent recorded in 2000.  Those with roofs made of cogon/nipa/anahaw decreased from 14.1 percent in 2000 to 7.8 percent in 2010.

Majority of the households lived in lots that they owned or amortized           

In 2010, of the total 439,460 households, 76.8 percent owned or amortized the lots that they occupied.  The corresponding figure in 2000 was 61.9 percent.

Moreover, 16.1 percent of the households occupied lots which were rent-free but with consent of the owner, 5.1 percent rented the lots that they occupied while 1.1 percent occupied lots which were rent-free but without consent of the owner.

Table 1.