As of May 1, 2000, the total population of Central Mindanao which covers the provinces of Lanao del Norte, North Cotabato, and Sultan Kudarat; and the cities of Iligan, Marawi and Cotabato, was 2,598,210 persons. This implied an increase of 238,402 persons over the 1995 census figure or an average annual population growth rate of 2.08 percent, slightly lower than the annual population growth rate recorded during the 1990 to 1995 period (2.83 percent). If the average annual growth rate continues at 2.08 percent, the population of the region is expected to double in 33 years, increasing on the average, by 54,043 persons a year or about 6 persons per hour.

As of May 1, 2000, the total population of Northern Mindanao, which covers the provinces of Bukidnon, Camiguin, Misamis Occidental, and Misamis Oriental; and the city of Cagayan de Oro, was 2,747,585 persons. This implied an increase of 264,313 persons over the 1995 census figure or an average annual population growth rate of 2.19 percent, lower than the annual population growth rate recorded during the 1990 to 1995 period (2.32 percent). If the average annual growth rate continues at 2.19 percent, the population of the region is expected to double in 32 years, increasing on the average, by 60,172 persons a year or about seven persons per hour.

Southern Tagalog which covered the provinces of Batangas, Cavite, Laguna, Marinduque, Occidental Mindoro, Oriental Mindoro, Palawan, Quezon, Rizal, Romblon and Aurora and the highly urbanized City of Lucena, had steadily grown to 11,793,655 persons based on the 2000 Census of Population and Housing (Census 2000). This was up by more than two million persons as compared to the 1995 Census of Population (POPCEN). For the period 1995 to 2000, the annual population growth rate of Southern Tagalog was 4.12 percent, higher than that of the 1990 to 1995 period (3.18 percent), and even surpassing the national annual population growth rate of 2.36 percent. If the current annual population growth rate of the region continues, the population is expected to double in 17 years, increasing on the average, by almost 500 thousand persons a year or about 56 persons per hour.