Chart and table of Philippines population from 1950 to 2025. United Nations projections are also included through the year 2100.

In 2022, the total population of all ASEAN states amounted to an estimated 673.02 million inhabitants. The ASEAN (Association of Southeast Asian Nations) member countries are Brunei, Cambodia, Indonesia, Laos, Malaysia, Myanmar, Philippines, Singapore, Thailand, and Vietnam.

ASEAN opportunity

The Association of Southeast Asian Nations was founded by five states (Thailand, Indonesia, the Philippines, Malaysia, and Singapore) in 1967 to improve economic and political stability and social progress among the member states. It was originally modelled after the European Union. Nowadays, after accepting more members, their agenda also includes an improvement of cultural and environmental conditions. ASEAN is now an important player on the global stage with numerous alliances and business partners, as well as more contenders wanting to join.

The major player in the South

Indonesia is not only a founding member of ASEAN, it is also its biggest contributor in terms of gross domestic product and is also one of the member states with a positive trade balance. In addition, it has the highest number of inhabitants by far. About a third of all people in the ASEAN live in Indonesia – and it is also one of the most populous countries worldwide. Among the ASEAN members, it is certainly the most powerful one, not just in numbers, but mostly due to its stable and thriving economy.

In 2020, Brunei had the highest vehicle to population ratio among Southeast Asian countries, with around 997.8 vehicles per 1,000 population. In contrast, there were approximately 27.9 vehicles per 1,000 population in Cambodia that year.

Main motor vehicles markets in Southeast Asia

Indonesia leads the motor vehicle sales in Southeast Asia with more than one million vehicles sold in a year, closely followed by Thailand. However, in terms of production the opposite is true. Thailand leads the motor vehicle production in the region with under two million vehicles. And Indonesia follows with almost one and a half million vehicles produced in a year. In 2022, Southeast Asian countries were characterized by significant growth in annual motor vehicle sales, led by Malaysia, Vietnam, and the Philippines, with over 30 percent increase each.

What purchase aspects do Southeast Asian vehicle buyers value?

Almost half of the consumers in Southeast Asia believe that striking a good deal is an important aspect of the vehicle purchasing experience. When it comes to choosing a car brand, consumers in Southeast Asia appreciate quality, with 71 percent of the consumers treasuring product quality as an important factor driving brand choice. Nevertheless, a shift towards more sustainable preferences is present among the consumers in the region. Even though there are many concerns regarding battery electric vehicles in the region, consumers think that there are several reasons to switch to electric cars as the number of charging stations increases and EV performance equals or surpasses that of combustible-engine or hybrid cars.

In 2022, the estimated total GDP of all ASEAN states amounted to approximately 3.67 trillion U.S. dollars, a significant increase from the previous years. In fact, the GDP of the ASEAN region has been skyrocketing for a few years now, reflecting the region’s thriving economy. Power in the EastThe Association of Southeast Asian Nations (ASEAN) comprises Brunei, Cambodia, Indonesia, Laos, Malaysia, Myanmar, the Philippines, Singapore, Thailand, and Vietnam. It was established in 1967 among five of these countries (Indonesia, Malaysia, Thailand, Singapore, and the Philippines) to facilitate trade and economic growth, as well as promote cultural development and social structures in the region. To date, they have been joined by another five nations. The ASEAN marketThe founding of the ASEAN organization provides the collaborating nations with more autonomy and influence on the global economy than they would have had by themselves. Additionally, struggling participating countries, such as Laos, are given an opportunity to grow on an ASEAN single market.

In 2019, the unemployment rate in the Philippines was at approximately 2.24 percent and on a steady downward trend from 3.6 percent in 2014.

Souvenirs from overseas

The Philippines’ economy relies heavily on remittances from overseas, i.e. money sent home by Filipino emigrants and workers in other countries. In 2016 alone, approximately 30 billion U.S. dollars were received as remittances in the Philippines, and the amount seems to increase significantly every year. This makes the Philippines one of the leading countries worldwide when it comes to receiving remittances, only surpassed by India and China.

Visitors from overseas

The Philippines’ economy is stable, not only because of remittances, but also because of a flourishing services sector, which is now the main generator of GDP in the country; tourism and IT in particular contribute to economic growth. More than half of the Philippines workforce is employed in services.

In 2023, there were roughly about 35,000 employers registered under the PESO Employment Information System (PEIS) of the labor department in the Philippines. This was 5,000 more than in the previous year. The number of registered employers peaked in the same year.