Based on the 2010 Census of Population and Housing (2010 CPH), the province of Basilan posted a total population of 293,322 persons as of May 1, 2010.  This is larger by 33,526 persons compared to its total population of 259,796 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 1.22 percent.  This is lower than the 3.78 percent annual PGR of the province between the census years 1990 and 2000.

 

If the average annual PGR recorded at 1.22 percent during the period 2000 to 2010 continues, the population of Basilan would double in 57 years.

 

Fifty years ago, the population of Basilan was only 123,103 persons.  This population size is more than two fifths of the population of the province in the 2010 CPH.

 

 

 

 

Among the lone city and 11 municipalities comprising the province of Basilan, the City of Lamitan was the most populous area with a population size making up 23.5 percent of the total provincial population. It was followed by the municipalities of Sumisip (12.6 percent) Maluso (11.5 percent), Lantawan (6.8 percent), Al-Barka (6.7 percent), Tuburan (6.5 percent), Tabuan-Lasa (6.4 percent), and Ungkaya Pukan (6.0 percent). The rest of the municipalities contributed less than 6.0 percent each.

 

The least populated area was the municipality of Hadji Muhtamad with a share of 4.2 percent to the total population of the province. In 2000, it was also the least populated area.

 

 

 

 

Of the 293,204 household population in 2010, males accounted for 50.1 percent while females comprised 49.9 percent.  These figures resulted in a sex ratio of 100 males for every 100 females.  In 2000, the recorded sex ratio was the same as that in 2010.

 

 

 

In 2010, the median age of the population of the province was 17.4 years, which means that half of the population was younger than 17.4 years. This is lower than the median age of 18.1 years that was recorded in 2000.

 

Moreover, 44.6 percent of the household population were under 15 years old.  Children aged 5 to 9 years (15.8 percent) comprised the largest age group, followed by those in the age groups 0 to 4 years (14.6 percent) and 10 to 14 years (14.3 percent).  Males outnumbered females in the age groups 0 to 14 years, 40 to 64 years, and 70 to 74 years.  On the other hand, there were more females than males in the age groups 15 to 39 years, 65 to 69 years, and 75 years and over.

 

 

 

 

The voting-age population (18 years and over) accounted for 48.3 percent of the household population of the province in 2010, down from 50.3 percent in 2000.  There were more females (51.1 percent) than males (48.9 percent) among the voting-age population.

 

 

 

In 2010, the young dependents (0 to 14 years) comprised 44.6 percent of the household population while the old dependents (65 years and over) posted a share of 2.1 percent. The working-age population (15 to 64 years) accounted for the remaining 53.3 percent.

           

The overall dependency ratio was 88, which indicates that for every 100 working-age population, there were about 88 dependents (84 young dependents and four old dependents).  This ratio is higher than the dependency ratio in 2000, which was recorded at 84 dependents per 100 working-age population (80 young dependents and four old dependents).

 

 

 

Of the household population 10 years old and over, 47.3 percent were married while 45.9 percent were never married. The rest of the population were categorized as follows: widowed (3.8 percent), divorced/separated (2.0 percent), and in common-law/live-in marital arrangement (0.7 percent).

 

Among the never-married persons, 51.7 percent were males while 48.3 percent were females. For the rest of the categories for marital status, the females outnumbered the males.

 

 

 

Of the household population aged five years and over, 49.0 percent had attended or completed elementary education, 18.7 percent had reached or finished high school, 4.6 percent were college undergraduates, and 2.4 percent were academic degree holders.  Among those with an academic degree, the females (50.2 percent) outnumbered the males (49.8 percent).  Similarly, more females (50.4 percent) than males (49.6 percent) had pursued post baccalaureate courses.

 

 

 

In 2010, around 2,800 persons or 0.9 percent of the 293,204 household population had a disability.  This proportion of persons with disability (PWD) is the same proportion recorded in 2000, which was 0.9 percent of the 259,703 household population of the province during that year.  The number of PWD for the same year was around 2,200.

 

 

 

Of the 250,542 household population five years old and over, 2.0 percent (or 4,998 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 (50.3 percent) than males (49.7 percent) among those persons with at least one type of functional difficulty.

 

Moreover, of the total 4,998 persons aged five years and over with at least one type of functional difficulty, 62.4 percent reported difficulty in seeing, even if wearing eyeglasses.  There were 28.8 percent who had difficulty in hearing, even if using a hearing aid; 27.3 percent had difficulty in walking or climbing steps; 19.9 percent had difficulty in remembering or concentrating; 16.8 percent had difficulty in self-caring (bathing or dressing); and 12.0 percent had difficulty in communicating.

 

 

Of the 204,312 household population 10 years old and over in Basilan, 2.7 percent (or 5,552 persons) were overseas workers.  Female overseas workers outnumbered their male counterparts as they comprised 54.9 percent of all overseas workers from this province.  Overseas workers aged 25 to 29 years made up the largest age group, comprising 18.6 percent of the total overseas workers from this province in 2010, followed by those in age groups 20 to 24 years with 17.5 percent, 30 to 34 years with 15.2 percent, and in the younger ages (below 20 years) with 14.3 percent.

 

 

 

The number of households in 2010 was recorded at 51,552, higher by 3,759 households compared with the 47,793 households posted in 2000.  The average household size in 2010 was 5.7 persons, higher than the average household size of 5.4 persons in 2000.

 

 

 

 

A total of 50,874 occupied housing units were recorded in the province of Basilan in 2010.  This translates to a ratio of 101 households for every 100 occupied housing units, with 5.8 persons per occupied housing unit.  In 2000, there were 101 households per 100 occupied housing units and 5.5 persons per occupied housing unit.

 

 

 

In 2010, about six in every 10 (57.3 percent) occupied housing units in the province had outer walls made of wood, up from 51.3 percent in 2000.  The proportion of occupied housing units with outer walls made of bamboo/sawali/cogon/nipa, on the other hand, decreased from 34.9 percent in 2000 to 23.3 percent in 2010.  Meanwhile, almost half (48.8 percent) of the occupied housing units in 2010 had roofs made of galvanized iron/aluminum.  This is higher than the proportion of 37.8 percent recorded in 2000.  Those with roofs made of cogon/nipa/anahaw decreased from 54.6 percent in 2000 to 42.1 percent in 2010.

 

 

           

In 2010, of the 51,552 households in the province, 69.3 percent lived in lots that they owned or amortized. The corresponding figure in 2000 was lower at 56.4 percent.

 

Moreover, 22.7 percent of the households occupied lots which were rent-free but with consent of the owner, 2.1 percent rented the lots that they occupied while 1.4 percent occupied lots which were rent-free but without consent of the owner.