Population increased to 390,847 persons

The total population of Southern Leyte was 390,847 persons as of August 1, 2007, based on the 2007 Census of Population. This figure is higher by 30,687 persons over the total population count of 360,160 persons in 2000. These population figures translated to an annual growth rate of 1.13 percent for the period 2000 to 2007, lower than the 2.73 percent annual growth rate registered for the period 1995 to 2000.

Likewise, the household population of Southern Leyte increased from 359,738 persons in 2000 to 389,928 persons in 2007. The number of households, meanwhile, reached 82,538, or 9,644 households more than the number reported in 2000. The average household size in 2007 was 4.7 persons, slightly lower than the average household size of 4.9 persons recorded in 2000.

City of Maasin led in terms of population size

Among the lone city and 18 municipalities in Southern Leyte, the City of Maasin, the provincial capital, was the most populous with 20.4 percent of the province's total population. It was followed by the municipalities of Sogod (10.2 percent), Bontoc (7.3 percent), Hinunangan (7.1 percent), Saint Bernard (6.5 percent), and Macrohon (6.3 percent). The rest of the municipalities had a share of less than 6 percent each.

Males continued to outnumber females

Of the 389,928 household population of Southern Leyte, 51.4 percent were males while 48.6 percent were females, or a sex ratio of 106 males for every 100 females. The sex ratio posted in 2000 was 104 males per 100 females.

Median age increased to 22 years

The household population of Southern Leyte had a median age of 22 years, which means that half of the household population of the province was below 22 years old. This median age is one year higher than the median age of 21 years recorded in 2000.

Children aged 5 to 9 years had the highest share to total household population at 12.4 percent, followed closely by those in age groups 10 to 14 years (12.3 percent) and 0 to 4 years (11.3 percent).

There were more males than females in age groups 0 to 54 years. On the other hand, females outnumbered males in the older age groups (55 years old and over).

Proportion of voting-age population remained at 57 percent

In 2007, about 57 percent of the household population was in the voting age group (18 years old and over). This is equal to the proportion of voting-age population recorded in 2000. The distribution of voting-age population by sex was almost even, with males sharing 50.8 percent and females, 49.2 percent.

Overall dependency ratio remained at 75 dependents for every 100 persons in the working age group

The household population in the working age group (15 to 64 years) was 57.0 percent of the total household population; young dependents (0 to 14 years) comprised 36.0 percent, and old dependents (65 years and over), 7.0 percent.

The overall dependency ratio in 2007 was 75, which implies that there were 75 dependents (63 young dependents and 12 old dependents) for every 100 persons in the working age group. The same overall dependency ratio was reported in 2000.

More never-married males than females

Of the household population 10 years old and over in 2007, 43.8 percent were married while 45.2 percent were never married. The rest of the population was categorized as follows: widowed (5.3 percent), divorced/separated (0.9 percent), had common law/live-in marital arrangement (4.5 percent), and had no report on marital status (0.3 percent). Among never-married persons, males accounted for 55.9 percent while females comprised 44.1 percent. Females outnumbered males in the rest of the categories for marital status.

More females pursued higher levels of education

Of the household population 5 years old and over, 42.6 percent had attended or finished elementary education, 30.4 percent reached or completed high school, while 6.0 percent were college undergraduates. The proportion of academic degree holders, meanwhile, was 7.0 percent, which is higher than that recorded in 2000 (3.6 percent).

More females than males pursued higher levels of education as 56.2 percent of those reported to have academic degrees and 54.6 percent of those who had taken post baccalaureate courses were females.

Among household population 5 to 24 years old, about seven in every ten (68.2 percent) attended school at anytime during School Year 2007 to 2008. Of the total females aged 5 to 24 years, 70.0 percent attended school at anytime during the said school year, while school attendance for males was 66.6 percent of the total males aged 5 to 24 years.

Ratio of households to occupied housing units was 1:1

From a total of 72,400 occupied housing units in 2000, the number of occupied housing units reached 82,281 in 2007, or an increase of 13.6 percent. A ratio of 100 households per 100 occupied housing units, or 1:1, was reported in 2007. In 2000, a ratio of 101 households per 100 housing units was reported. In terms of the number of occupants per occupied housing unit, a ratio of 4.7 persons per occupied housing unit was reported in 2007. This is lower compared to the ratio of 5.0 persons per occupied housing unit in 2000.

Occupied housing units made of strong materials increased

The proportion of occupied housing units with outer walls made of concrete/brick/stone increased from 22.8 percent in 2000 to 32.3 percent in 2007. On the other hand, the proportion of occupied housing units with outer walls made of bamboo/sawali/cogon/nipa dropped from 31.2 percent in 2000 to 26.3 percent in 2007, or a difference of 4.9 percentage points.

Meanwhile, about 8 in every 10 (78.2 percent) occupied housing units in 2007 had roofs made of galvanized iron/aluminum. The use of cogon/nipa/anahaw as roofing materials decreased from 33.7 percent in 2000 to only 17.8 percent in 2007.

  Source:  Household Statistics Department
                   National Statistics Office
                   Manila, Philippines