Based on the 2010 Census of Population and Housing (CPH), the province of Tawi-Tawi posted a total population of 366,550 persons as of May 1, 2010.  This is larger by 44,233 persons compared to its total population of 322,317 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 1.29 percent.  This is lower than the 3.51 percent annual PGR of the province between the census years 1990 and 2000.

 

If the average annual PGR recorded at 1.29 percent during the period 2000 to 2010 continues, the population of Tawi-Tawi would double in 54 years.

 

Fifty years ago, the population of Tawi-Tawi was only 78,594 persons.  This population size is more than one fifth of the population of the province in the 2010 CPH.

 

 

 

 

Among the 11 municipalities comprising the province of Tawi-Tawi, the Bongao, the provincial capital, was the most populous with a population size making up 21.7 percent of the total provincial population.  The municipality of Languyan, was second with 11.6 percent share, followed by the municipalities of Panglima Sugala (Balimbing) with 10.6 percent, Simunul with 9.4 percent, Sitangkai with 8.3 percent, Sapa-Sapa with 7.9 percent, Sibutu with 7.8 percent, Tandubas and South Ubian with 7.6 percent each, Mapun (Cagayan de Tawi-Tawi) with 6.6 percent, and Turtle Islands with 1.0 percent.

 

In 2000, Turtle Islands was also the least populated municipality.

 

 

 

 

Of the 365,436 household populations in 2010, males accounted for 50.2 percent while females comprised 49.8 percent.  These figures resulted in a sex ratio of 101 males for every 100 females.  The recorded sex ratio in 2000 was 99 males per 100 females.

 

 

 

In 2010, the median age of the population of the province was 18.9 years, which means that half of the population was younger than 18.9 years. This is higher than the median age of 18.6 years that was recorded in 2000.

 

Moreover, 41.4 percent of the household population were under 15 years old.  Children aged 5 to 9 years (14.6 percent) comprised the largest age group, followed closely by those in the age groups 0 to 4 years (13.8 percent) and 10 to 14 years (13.0 percent).  Males outnumbered females in the age groups 0 to 15 years and 40 years and over. On the other hand, there were more females than males in the age group 20 to 39 years.

 

 

 

 

The voting-age population (18 years and over) accounted for 51.7 percent of the household population of the province in 2010, up from 51.5 percent in 2000.  There were more females (50.3 percent) than males (49.7 percent) among the voting-age population.

 

 

 

In 2010, the young dependents (0 to 14 years) comprised 41.4 percent of the household population while the old dependents (65 years and over) posted a share of 1.6 percent. The working-age population (15 to 64 years) accounted for the remaining 57.0 percent.

           

The overall dependency ratio was 75, which indicates that for every 100 working-age population, there were about 75 dependents (72 young dependents and three old dependents). This ratio is higher than the dependency ratio in 2000, which was recorded at 73 dependents per 100 working-age population (71 young dependents and two old dependents).

 

 

 

Of the household population 10 years old and over, 48.9 percent were married while 47.3 percent were never married. The rest of the population were categorized as follows: widowed (2.5 percent), divorced/separated (1.1 percent), and in common-law/live-in marital arrangement (less than 0.1 percent).

 

Among the never-married persons, 51.2 percent were males while 48.8 percent were females.  For the rest of the categories for marital status, the females outnumbered the males.

 

 

 

Of the household population aged five years and over, 40.0 percent had attended or completed elementary education, 22.4 percent had reached or finished high school, 7.4 percent were college undergraduates, and 4.6 percent were academic degree holders.  Among those with an academic degree, the males (50.7 percent) outnumbered the females (49.3 percent).  Similarly, more males (52.0 percent) than females (48.0 percent) had pursued post baccalaureate courses.

 

 

 

In 2010, around 3,700 persons or 1.0 percent of the 365,436 household populations had a disability.  This proportion of persons with disability (PWD) is higher than the proportion in 2000, which was 0.4 percent of the 322,066 household population of the province during that year.  The number of PWD for the same year was around 1,300.

 

 

Of the 314,995 household population five years and over, 1.6 percent (or 4,991 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 (52.0 percent) than females (48.0 percent) among those persons with at least one type of functional difficulty.

 

Moreover, of the total 4,991 persons aged five years and over with at least one type of functional difficulty, 56.4 percent reported difficulty in seeing, even if wearing eyeglasses.  There were 29.3 percent who had difficulty in hearing, even if using a hearing aid; 28.9 percent had difficulty in walking or climbing steps; 21.4 percent had difficulty in remembering or concentrating; 14.7 percent had difficulty in communicating; and 13.5 percent had difficulty in self-caring (bathing or dressing).

 

 

 

Of the 261,467 household population 10 years old and over in Tawi-Tawi, 1.6 percent (or 4,160 persons) were overseas workers.  Male overseas workers outnumbered their female counterparts as they comprised 60.6 percent of all overseas workers from this province.  Overseas workers aged 45 years and over made up the largest age group, comprising 22.6 percent of the total overseas workers from this province in 2010, followed by the age groups 25 to 29 years (16.5 percent), below 20 years (14.5 percent), and 30 to 34 years (13.4 percent).

 

 

 

The number of households in 2010 was recorded at 63,887, higher by 9,542 households compared with the 54,345 households posted in 2000.  The average household size in 2010 was 5.7 persons, lower than the average household size of 5.9 persons in 2000.

 

 

 

 

A total of 56,589 occupied housing units were recorded in the province of Tawi-Tawi in 2010.  This translates to a ratio of 113 households for every 100 occupied housing units, with 6.5 persons per occupied housing unit.  In 2000, there were 103 households per 100 occupied housing units and 6.1 persons per occupied housing unit.

 

 

 

In 2010, 78.7 percent of the occupied housing units in the province had outer walls made of wood, up from 67.5 percent in 2000.  The proportion of occupied housing units with outer walls made of bamboo/sawali/cogon decreased from 21.3 percent in 2000 to 11.1 percent in 2010.  Meanwhile, majority (63.3 percent) of the occupied housing units in 2010 had roofs made of galvanized iron/aluminum.  This is higher than the proportion of 52.2 percent recorded in 2000.

 

 

           

In 2010, of the total 63,887 households in the province, 80.2 percent owned or amortized the lots that they occupied. The corresponding figure in 2000 was lower at 74.5 percent.

 

Moreover, 13.2 percent of the households occupied lots which were rent-free but with consent of the owner, 1.7 percent occupied lots which were rent-free but without consent of the owner while 1.2 percent rented the lots that they occupied.

 

 

 

(Sgd) CARMELITA N. ERICTA

                 Administrator