Based on the 2018 National Migration Survey (NMS 2018), about 55 percent of Filipinos age 15 and over have ever moved to or resided in another city/municipality, province, region or country for three months or more since birth. Forty-nine percent (49%) moved within the country (internal migrants), three percent moved to/from another country (international migrants), and four percent were both internal and international migrants. For each type of migration, there are slightly more female than male migrants. Non-migrants, i.e., those who never moved is estimated at 45 percent (Figure 1 and Table 1). 

In terms of period migration, 15 percent of Filipinos changed their residence over the past five years, of which 13 percent were internal migrants. Moreover, over half of these internal migrants were less than 30 years old (Tables 2 and 3).

On average, recent migrants were better educated than non-migrants with more of them having reached college or tertiary level. Furthermore, international migrants were better educated than internal migrants, but those who have both internal and international migration experience in the last five years had the highest proportion with college education among all migrant types (Table 3).

Figure 1. Percent distribution of population age 15 and over by migration experience (ever moved), Philippines, 2018

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