• The population of Region VI - Western Visayas as of 01 May 2020 is 7,954,723 based on the 2020 Census of Population and Housing (2020 CPH). This accounts for about 7.30 percent of the Philippine population in 2020.
   
• The 2020 total population of the region is higher by 418,340 from the population of 7.54 million in 2015, and 852,285 more than the population of 7.10 million in 2010. Moreover, it is higher by 1.74 million compared with the population of 6.21 million in 2000. (Table 1)

• The population of Region VI increased by 1.14 percent annually from 2015 to 2020. By comparison, the rate at which the population of the region grew from 2010 to 2015 was slightly lower at 1.13 percent. (Table 2)

• Among the six provinces comprising Region VI, Negros Occidental had the biggest population in 2020 with 2,623,172 persons, followed by Iloilo with 2,051,899 persons, Capiz with 804,952 persons, Aklan with 615,475 persons, and Antique with 612,974 persons. Guimaras had the smallest population with 187,842 persons. (Table 3)
   
• The region has two highly urbanized cities. The City of Bacolod posted a population of 600,783 persons, while the City of Iloilo had a population of 457,626 persons.

• Guimaras was the fastest growing province in the region with an annual population growth rate (PGR) of 1.55 percent from 2015 to 2020. It was followed by Aklan with a PGR of 1.45, Iloilo (1.23 percent), Capiz (1.18 percent), and Antique (1.10 percent). Negros Occidental posted the lowest PGR of 1.04 percent among the provinces. (Table 4)
   
• The City of Bacolod posted a PGR of 1.42 percent, while the population of the City of Iloilo grew by 0.45 percent.

• Region VI is composed of two highly urbanized cities, 14 component cities, 117 municipalities, and 4,051 barangays.
   
• Among the cities (excluding the City of Bacolod and the City of Iloilo) and municipalities in the region, the largest in terms of population size is the City of Kabankalan, Negros Occidental with 200,198 persons. It was followed by the City of Bago, Negros Occidental with 191,210 persons, and the City of Roxas, Capiz with 179,292 persons. The rest of the top ten most populous cities/municipalities in the region are all located in the Province of Negros Occidental. (Table 5)

• Belison in Antique is the least populous city/municipality in Region VI with 14,129 persons. It was followed by Lezo in Aklan with 15,639 persons, and Bingawan in Iloilo with 16,164 persons. (Table 6)

• Of the 4,051 barangays in Region VI, the largest in terms of population size is Mansilingan in the City of Bacolod, Negros Occidental with 51,863 persons. It was followed by Estefania with 48,323 persons and Tangub with 44,742 persons, both in the City of Bacolod. The rest of the top ten most populous barangays in the region are all located in the City of Bacolod. (Table 7)

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