• The population of Region IX - Zamboanga Peninsula as of 01 May 2020 is 3,875,576 based on the 2020 Census of Population and Housing (2020 CPH). This accounts for about 3.55 percent of the Philippine population in 2020.
   

• The 2020 population of the region is higher by 245,793 from the population of 3.63 million in 2015, and 468,223 more than the population of 3.41 million in 2010. Moreover, it is higher by 1,044,164 compared with the population of 2.83 million in 2000. (Table 1)

• The population of Region IX increased by 1.39 percent annually from 2015 to 2020. By comparison, the rate at which the population of the region grew from 2010 to 2015 was lower at 1.21 percent. (Table 2)

• Among the three provinces comprising Region IX, Zamboanga del Sur had the biggest population in 2020 with 1,050,668 persons, followed closely by Zamboanga del Norte with 1,047,455 persons. Zamboanga Sibugay had the smallest population with 669,840 persons. (Table 3)
   

• The City of Zamboanga, the only highly urbanized city in the region, posted a population of 977,234 persons.
   

• The City of Isabela, on the other hand, had a population of 130,379 persons. This city is a component city in Region IX whose province, Basilan, is under the jurisdiction of the Bangsamoro Autonomous Region in Muslim Mindanao (BARMM).

• Zamboanga Sibugay was the fastest growing province in the region with an annual population growth rate (PGR) of 1.19 percent from 2015 to 2020. It was followed by Zamboanga del Sur with 0.82 percent, and Zamboanga del Norte with 0.74 percent. (Table 4)
   

• The City of Zamboanga posted a PGR of 2.68 percent.
   

• The City of Isabela, meanwhile, had a PGR of 3.10 percent.

• Region IX is composed of one highly urbanized city, four component cities (including the City of Isabela), 67 municipalities, and 1,904 barangays.
   

• Among the cities and municipalities in the region, the largest in terms of population size is the City of Pagadian, Zamboanga del Sur with 210,452 persons. It was followed by the City of Dipolog, Zamboanga del Norte with 138,141 persons, and the City of Isabela in Basilan with 130,379 persons. (Table 5)

• La Libertad in Zamboanga del Norte is the least populous city/ municipality in Region IX with 8,119 persons. It was followed by Mutia in Zamboanga del Norte with 11,726 persons, and Josefina in Zamboanga del Sur with 12,205 persons. (Table 6)

• Of the 1,904 barangays in Region IX, the largest in terms of population size is Talon-talon in the City of Zamboanga with 37,350 persons. It was followed by Calarian with 33,563 persons, and Tumaga with 33,399 persons, both in the City of Zamboanga. The rest of the top ten most populous barangays in the region are all located in the City of Zamboanga. (Table 7)

DENNIS S. MAPA, Ph.D.
Undersecretary
National Statistician and Civil Registrar General