The results of the 2020 Census of Population and Housing showed that Zamboanga Peninsula has a relatively young population as depicted by the broad bases of the pyramids representing the provinces of Zamboanga del Norte, Zamboanga del Sur (excluding Zamboanga City) and Zamboanga Sibugay, including the cities of Dapitan, Dipolog, Pagadian, Isabela and Zamboanga. The structures of these pyramids show that the bulk of the population is in the ages 15 years old and below, and as the age increases the population count decreases. (Figure 1)

The 2020 Census of Population and Housing (CPH) revealed that Zamboanga Peninsula had a total population of 3,875,576 persons. Of this count, the household population comprised of 3,862,588 persons or 99.7 percent of the total population of Region IX.

In 2020 CPH, the ratio of men to women was 103.7, which indicates that there were more men than women in the region. This is true among the ages under 1 to 59 years old. But the number of women was higher than men among 65 to 79 and 80 years old and over. It also portrayed that the highest population count was among the 5-9 years age group with 442,916 (11.6 percent of the total household population) persons and the lowest was among the 80 years age group with 31,010 (0.8 percent of the total household population.

Youth Household Population

The youth or household population aged 15 to 24 years old in Region IX in 2020 consisted of 368,537 women and 380,714 men. About 194,801 or 52.9 percent of female youths and 201,572 or 52.9 percent of the male youths were in the 15-19 year age bracket. (Figure 2)
 

Senior Citizens

In Zamboanga Peninsula, female senior citizens accounted for 8.8 percent of the total female household population of 1,896,387 and the senior men accounted for 7.3 percent of the total male household population of 1,966,201 in 2020. This translates to a total of 311,360 senior citizens who live in the region. Of this number, 53.6 percent or 166,885 were women and 46.4 percent or 144,475 were men. For the group of senior citizen, women outnumbered men. Senior Citizen is defined as any person aged Sixty (60) years and over. (Figure 3)

Workforce Statistics

The 2023 Annual Labor Force Survey in Zamboanga Peninsula recorded an estimated 1,691,000 individuals in the labor force. Among them, approximately 1,638,000 were employed, representing  a  high  employment  rate  of
96.9 percent of the overall count, while around 53,000  were  unemployed,  accounting  for
3.1 percent of the total workforce.

The data also indicated that more males were employed, with an estimated 985,000 individuals in the workforce, reflecting a 97.4 percent employment rate of the total male labor force. Meanwhile, females had a higher unemployment rate, comprising a 3.8 percent of the total women’s labor participation, or roughly 26,000 individuals. (Figure 4)
 

Workforce Composition by Sex and by Level of Position
As of 31 June 2024
 

2025 Statistical Data on the Distribution of Personnel by Sex and by Level of Position in Region IX revealed that males held the majority of first-level career positions, which involve non- professional or sub-professional work in a non- supervisory capacity requiring less than four (4) years of collegiate studies, totaling 9,571 employed. On the contrary, females dominated the second- level positions, which cover professional, technical, or scientific work requiring four (4) years of college, with 32,267. (Figure 5)

For the non-career positions, females had a higher representation only in contractual roles, employing 1,609 individuals, while all other non-career positions had more male employees.
(Figure 6)

Vital Statistics

Registered Live Births

As of September 2024, the Philippine Statistics Authority (PSA) reported that in Region IX, including Isabela City, more males were born than females. Of the 22,325 registered births, 11,467 (51.4 percent) were male, while 10,858
(48.6 percent) were female. (Figure 7)

Registered Deaths
 

As of August 2024, Zamboanga Peninsula, including the City of Isabela, recorded higher number of male deaths with 5,775, accounting for a 56.7 percent share. In comparison, female deaths were 4,412, constituting a 43.3 percent share. (Figure 8)

Marriage

From January to September 2024, the Region IX documented 5,806 registered marriages. Among the provinces, including the cities of Zamboanga and Isabela, Zamboanga del Norte had the highest number of marriages in the region with 2,409 registered marriages, while the least number of unions was recorded in the City of Isabela, consisting of 14 recognized marriages. (Figure 9)
 

Education

Elementary and Secondary Education

As of January 2024, Zamboanga Peninsula recorded a total of 965,040 enrollees across public and private elementary and secondary schools. Among the provinces and cities, including Zamboanga City, Dapitan City, Dipolog City, and the City of Isabela, Zamboanga City had the highest enrollment for the 2023 to 2024 academic year, with 247,983 students, while Dapitan City had the lowest enrollment with only 21,260 students. (Figure 10)

Grades 1 to 6, with Special Needs Education (SNEd)

The data also shows that elementary school enrollment, including students in SNEd, was higher among boys, with 272,663 enrollees, compared to 253,720 girls. (Figure 11)

Junior High School (JHS) and Senior High School (SHS), with Special Needs Education (SNEd)

In contrast, more females continued their education at higher levels, including students in SNEd, with 223,379 enrolled, or 50.9 percent of the total. Meanwhile, male students totaled 215,278, contributing 49.0 percent of the enrolled population. (Figure 12)

Tertiary Education

Tertiary  education  enrollment  across  private
and state universities in Zamboanga Peninsula reached a total of 26,936 students. Among the provinces and cities, including Zamboanga City, Dapitan City, Dipolog City, Pagadian City, and Isabela City, Zamboanga City recorded the highest number of enrollees at 10,346 scholars, while Isabela City had the lowest, with only 71 college students. (Figure 13)

The data also indicates that more females pursue tertiary education, with 16,240 enrollees, compared to 10,696 males. This translates to 60.3 percent of total college students being female, while males accounted for only 39.7 percent. (Figure 14) 

Mortality Rates

In 2024, Zamboanga Peninsula recorded a total of
12,201 fatalities across different ages, sexes, and causes. Among its provinces and cities, Zamboanga del Norte reported the highest number of deaths, reaching 5,749 cases, which accounted for
47.1 percent of the total. Conversely, the City of Isabela has the fewest fatalities, with only 395 cases, contributing 3.2 percent to the overall count. (Figure 15)

A breakdown by sex reveals that male fatalities were more frequent, with 6,883 cases, or 56.4 percent of all recorded deaths. Meanwhile, female fatalities stood at 5,318 cases, making up
43.6 percent of the total mortality figure. (Figure 16)
 

Fire Personnel
 

In 2024, the Bureau of Fire Protection (BFP) of Zamboanga Peninsula employed 1,835 personnel, with men comprising the majority of the workforce. Specifically, 1,416 male employees accounted for 77.2 percent, while 419 female employees made up 22.8 percent. (Figure 17)

Male dominance was evident in officer positions, where 36 male officers significantly outnumbered 12 female officers. Likewise, non-officer roles were greatly held by men, with 1,377 male non-officers compared to 402 female non-officers.

Legal Assistance

In 2024, the Public Attorney’s Office (PAO) of Zamboanga Peninsula assisted more female clients than male clients. In particular, 107,519 females sought legal assistance, compared to 89,438 males. This indicates that for every 100 clients, there were 54.6 percent females and 45.4 percent of males seeking legal assistance from PAO. (Figure 18)

In support of the celebration of Women’s Month every March, the Philippine Statistics Authority RSSO-IX issues a special release on Women and Men in Zamboanga Peninsula. This special release presents latest available data from latest census and various surveys of Philippine Statistics Authority (PSA) and other data sources from various government agencies.

MEWCHUN WS. PAMARAN
Regional Director PSA-RSSO IX