Based on the 2010 Census of Population and Housing (CPH), the province of Sulu posted a total population of 718,290 persons as of May 1, 2010.  This is larger by 98,622 persons compared to its total population of 619,668 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 1.49 percent. This is lower than the 2.80 percent annual PGR of the province between the census years 1990 and 2000.

 

If the average annual PGR recorded at 1.49 percent during the period 2000 to 2010 continues, the population of Sulu would double in 47 years.

 

Fifty years ago, the population of Sulu was only 248,304 persons.  This population size is more than one third of the population of the province in the 2010 CPH.

 

 

 

 

Among the 19 municipalities comprising the province of Sulu, Jolo, the provincial capital, was the most populous with a population size making up 16.5 percent of the total provincial population.  The municipality of Talipao was second with 10.5 percent share, followed by Indanan (9.2 percent), Siasi (9.0 percent), Parang (8.1 percent), Patikul (5.9 percent), and Old Panamao (5.3 percent). The rest of the municipalities contributed less than 5.0 percent each.

 

The least populated area was the municipality of Hadji Panglima Tahil (Marunggas) with 0.8 percent share to the total population of the province.  It was also the least populated municipality in 2000.

 

 

 

 

Of the 718,277 household population in 2010, females accounted for 51.0 percent while males comprised 49.0 percent.  These figures resulted in a sex ratio of 96 males for every 100 females.  In 2000, the sex ratio recorded was the same as that in 2000.

 

 

Median age decreased to 19.1 years

 

In 2010, the median age of the population of the province was 19.1 years, which means that half of the population was younger than 19.1 years. This is higher than the median age of 19.4 years that was recorded in 2000.

 

Moreover, 39.7 percent of the household population were under 15 years old.  Children aged 10 to 14 years (14.4 percent) comprised the largest age group, followed closely by those in the age groups 5 to 9 years (14.3 percent) and 15 to 19 years (12.5 percent). Females outnumbered males in the age groups 0 to 44 years. On the other hand, there were more males than females in the older age groups (45 years and over).

 

 

 

 

The voting-age population (18 years and over) accounted for 52.5 percent of the household population of the province in 2010, down from 54.1 percent in 2000.  There were more females (51.4 percent) than males (48.6 percent) among the voting-age population.

 

 

Dependency ratio increased to 70 dependents per 100 persons in the working age group

 

In 2010, the young dependents (0 to 14 years) comprised 39.7 percent of the household population while the old dependents (65 years and over) posted a share of 1.5 percent. The working-age population (15 to 64 years) accounted for the remaining 58.8 percent.

           

The overall dependency ratio was 70, which indicates that for every 100 working-age population, there were about 70 dependents (67 young dependents and three old dependents). This ratio is higher than the dependency ratio in 2000, which was recorded at 64 dependents per 100 working-age population (61 young dependents and three old dependents).

 

 

 

Of the household population 10 years old and over, 50.7 percent were never married while 45.3 percent were married. The rest of the population were categorized as follows: widowed (2.7 percent), divorced/separated (1.0 percent), and in common-law/live-in marital arrangement (less than 0.1 percent).

 

Females outnumbered males in all the categories for marital status: single (50.9 percent), married (50.1 percent), widowed (71.3 percent), divorced/separated (53.4 percent), and common-law/live-in marital arrangement (59.7 percent).

 

 

 

Of the household population aged five years and over, 39.8 percent had attended or completed elementary education, 20.0 percent had reached or finished high school, 7.2 percent were college undergraduates, and 4.4 percent were academic degree holders.  Among those with an academic degree, the females (53.1 percent) outnumbered the males (46.9 percent).  On the other hand, more males (51.8 percent) than females (48.2 percent) had pursued post baccalaureate courses.

 

 

 

In 2010, around 7,500 persons or 1.1 percent of the 718,277 household population had a disability.  The proportion of persons with disability (PWD) in 2000 was 0.9 percent of the 619,550 household population of the province during that year.  The number of PWD for the same year was around 5,600.

 

 

 

Of the 639,513 household population five years and over, 1.3 percent (8,484 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 males (51.2 percent) than females (48.8 percent) among those persons with at least one type of functional difficulty.

 

Moreover, of the total 8,484 persons aged five years and over with at least one type of functional difficulty, 61.1 percent reported difficulty in seeing, even if wearing eyeglasses.  There were 35.3 percent who had difficulty in hearing, even if using a hearing aid; 29.8 percent had difficulty in walking or climbing steps; 18.8 percent had difficulty in remembering or concentrating; 14.1 percent had difficulty in self-caring (bathing or dressing); and 13.5 percent had difficulty in communicating.

 

 

Of the 536,771 household population 10 years old and over in Sulu, 1.3 percent (or 7,009 persons) were overseas workers.  Female overseas workers outnumbered their male counterparts as they comprised 56.1 percent of all the overseas workers from this province.  Overseas workers in the younger age groups (below 20 years) made up the largest age group, comprising 20.9 percent of the total overseas workers from this province in 2010, followed by the age groups 25 to 29 years (17.5 percent), 20 to 24 years (15.1 percent), and 45 years and over (14.9 percent).

 

 

 

The number of households in 2010 was recorded at 122,001, higher by 23,850 households compared with the 98,151 households posted in 2000.  The average household size in 2010 was 5.9 persons, lower than the average household size of 6.3 persons in 2000.

 

 

 

 

A total of 119,369 occupied housing units were recorded in the province of Sulu in 2010.  This translates to a ratio of 102 households for every 100 occupied housing units, with 6.0 persons per occupied housing unit.  In 2000, there were 103 households per 100 occupied housing units, and 6.5 persons per occupied housing unit.

 

 

 

In 2010, 50.4 percent occupied housing units in the province had outer walls made of bamboo/sawali/cogon/nipa, down from 53.4 percent in 2000.  The proportion of occupied housing units with outer walls made of wood, on the other hand, increased from 32.3 percent in 2000 to 38.9 percent in 2010.  Meanwhile, 50.4 percent of the occupied housing units in 2010 had roofs made of cogon/nipa/anahaw.  The corresponding figure recorded in 2000 was 56.7 percent.

 

 

           

In 2010, of the total 122,001 households in the province, 80.1 percent owned or amortized the lots that they occupied. The corresponding figure in 2000 was lower at 68.2 percent.

 

Moreover, 13.0 percent of the households occupied lots which were rent-free but with consent of the owner, 2.0 percent occupied lots which were rent-free but without consent of the owner while 0.7 percent rented the lots that they occupied.