The share of the urban population in the Philippines has continued to rise over the years. In 2022, the urban population accounted for roughly 48 percent of the entire population. In the Philippines, urbanized areas were primarily found in Metro Manila, located in the National Capital Region (NCR).

 Urban population growth in the Philippines

Urban areas in the Philippines have a high influx of people due to better infrastructure and employment opportunities available. From 2011 to 2015, the urban population growth rate was over two percent. However, from 2016 to 2020, the population growth rate decreased and has been at around 1.9 percent since the Philippine government introduced “Back to the Province” program to reduce overcrowding in Manila.

Lack of affordable housing in the urbanized areas in the Philippines

Poverty has been one of the reasons for slum dwellings in the Philippines. Despite better infrastructures in urban areas, there is also a lack of affordable housing for people living below the poverty level in urban areas. As a result, 43 percent of the urban population live in slums in the Philippines, one of the highest urban population living in slums across the Asia Pacific.

Urban population (% of total population) in Philippines was reported at 48.29 % in 2023, according to the World Bank collection of development indicators, compiled from officially recognized sources. Philippines - Urban population (% of total) - actual values, historical data, forecasts and projections were sourced from the World Bank on June of 2025.

Philippines PH: Urban Population data was reported at 48,977,863.000 Person in 2017. This records an increase from the previous number of 48,018,073.000 Person for 2016. Philippines PH: Urban Population data is updated yearly, averaging 27,236,081.000 Person from Dec 1960 (Median) to 2017, with 58 observations. The data reached an all-time high of 48,977,863.000 Person in 2017 and a record low of 7,959,938.000 Person in 1960. Philippines PH: Urban Population data remains active status in CEIC and is reported by World Bank. The data is categorized under Global Database’s Philippines – Table PH.World Bank.WDI: Population and Urbanization Statistics. Urban population refers to people living in urban areas as defined by national statistical offices. It is calculated using World Bank population estimates and urban ratios from the United Nations World Urbanization Prospects. Aggregation of urban and rural population may not add up to total population because of different country coverages.; ; World Bank staff estimates based on the United Nations Population Division's World Urbanization Prospects: 2018 Revision.; Sum;

Philippines PH: Urban Population Growth data was reported at 1.979 % in 2017. This records an increase from the previous number of 1.976 % for 2016. Philippines PH: Urban Population Growth data is updated yearly, averaging 3.731 % from Dec 1960 (Median) to 2017, with 58 observations. The data reached an all-time high of 5.218 % in 1981 and a record low of 1.421 % in 2009. Philippines PH: Urban Population Growth data remains active status in CEIC and is reported by World Bank. The data is categorized under Global Database’s Philippines – Table PH.World Bank.WDI: Population and Urbanization Statistics. Urban population refers to people living in urban areas as defined by national statistical offices. It is calculated using World Bank population estimates and urban ratios from the United Nations World Urbanization Prospects.; ; World Bank staff estimates based on the United Nations Population Division's World Urbanization Prospects: 2018 Revision.; Weighted average;

Urban population in Philippines was reported at 56316242 in 2024, according to the World Bank collection of development indicators, compiled from officially recognized sources. Philippines - Urban population - actual values, historical data, forecasts and projections were sourced from the World Bank on July of 2025.

Historical chart and dataset showing Philippines urban population by year from 1960 to 2023.

The share of urban population in the Philippines saw no significant changes in 2023 in comparison to the previous year 2022 and remained at around 48.29 percent. Nevertheless, 2023 still represents a peak in the share in the Philippines. A population may be defined as urban depending on the size (population or area) or population density of the village, town, or city. The urbanization rate then refers to the share of the total population who live in an urban setting. International comparisons may be inconsistent due to differing parameters for what constitutes an urban center.Find more key insights for the share of urban population in countries like Timor-Leste and Laos.

Philippines PH: Urban Land Area data was reported at 10,817.373 sq km in 2010. This stayed constant from the previous number of 10,817.373 sq km for 2000. Philippines PH: Urban Land Area data is updated yearly, averaging 10,817.373 sq km from Dec 1990 (Median) to 2010, with 3 observations. The data reached an all-time high of 10,817.373 sq km in 2010 and a record low of 10,817.373 sq km in 2010. Philippines PH: Urban Land Area data remains active status in CEIC and is reported by World Bank. The data is categorized under Global Database’s Philippines – Table PH.World Bank: Land Use, Protected Areas and National Wealth. Urban land area in square kilometers, based on a combination of population counts (persons), settlement points, and the presence of Nighttime Lights. Areas are defined as urban where contiguous lighted cells from the Nighttime Lights or approximated urban extents based on buffered settlement points for which the total population is greater than 5,000 persons.; ; Center for International Earth Science Information Network (CIESIN)/Columbia University. 2013. Urban-Rural Population and Land Area Estimates Version 2. Palisades, NY: NASA Socioeconomic Data and Applications Center (SEDAC). http://sedac.ciesin.columbia.edu/data/set/lecz-urban-rural-population-land-area-estimates-v2.; Sum;

Urban population growth (annual %) in Philippines was reported at 1.5005 % in 2024, according to the World Bank collection of development indicators, compiled from officially recognized sources. Philippines - Urban population growth (annual %) - actual values, historical data, forecasts and projections were sourced from the World Bank on July of 2025.

Philippines PH: Population in Largest City: as % of Urban Population data was reported at 27.097 % in 2017. This records a decrease from the previous number of 27.207 % for 2016. Philippines PH: Population in Largest City: as % of Urban Population data is updated yearly, averaging 28.598 % from Dec 1960 (Median) to 2017, with 58 observations. The data reached an all-time high of 34.045 % in 1975 and a record low of 27.097 % in 2017. Philippines PH: Population in Largest City: as % of Urban Population data remains active status in CEIC and is reported by World Bank. The data is categorized under Global Database’s Philippines – Table PH.World Bank.WDI: Population and Urbanization Statistics. Population in largest city is the percentage of a country's urban population living in that country's largest metropolitan area.; ; United Nations, World Urbanization Prospects.; Weighted average;

Philippines PH: Population Living in Slums: % of Urban Population data was reported at 38.300 % in 2014. This records a decrease from the previous number of 40.900 % for 2009. Philippines PH: Population Living in Slums: % of Urban Population data is updated yearly, averaging 43.700 % from Dec 1990 (Median) to 2014, with 7 observations. The data reached an all-time high of 54.300 % in 1990 and a record low of 38.300 % in 2014. Philippines PH: Population Living in Slums: % of Urban Population data remains active status in CEIC and is reported by World Bank. The data is categorized under Global Database’s Philippines – Table PH.World Bank: Population and Urbanization Statistics. Population living in slums is the proportion of the urban population living in slum households. A slum household is defined as a group of individuals living under the same roof lacking one or more of the following conditions: access to improved water, access to improved sanitation, sufficient living area, and durability of housing.; ; UN HABITAT, retrieved from the United Nation's Millennium Development Goals database. Data are available at : http://mdgs.un.org/; Weighted Average;

Access to electricity, urban (% of urban population) in Philippines was reported at 98.4 % in 2023, according to the World Bank collection of development indicators, compiled from officially recognized sources. Philippines - Access to electricity, urban - actual values, historical data, forecasts and projections were sourced from the World Bank on July of 2025.

Philippines PH: Urban Population: % of Total Population data was reported at 46.682 % in 2017. This records an increase from the previous number of 46.475 % for 2016. Philippines PH: Urban Population: % of Total Population data is updated yearly, averaging 45.258 % from Dec 1960 (Median) to 2017, with 58 observations. The data reached an all-time high of 46.986 % in 1990 and a record low of 30.297 % in 1960. Philippines PH: Urban Population: % of Total Population data remains active status in CEIC and is reported by World Bank. The data is categorized under Global Database’s Philippines – Table PH.World Bank.WDI: Population and Urbanization Statistics. Urban population refers to people living in urban areas as defined by national statistical offices. The data are collected and smoothed by United Nations Population Division.; ; United Nations Population Division. World Urbanization Prospects: 2018 Revision.; Weighted average;

This horizontal bar chart displays urban population (people) by capital city using the aggregation sum in Philippines. The data is about countries per year.

In 2018, the share of the urban population living in slums in the Philippines was almost ** percent. The urban population living in slums remained at approximately ** percent level since 2005.

This dataset is about countries per year in Philippines. It has 64 rows. It features 3 columns: country, and urban population.

The Philippines: Percent urban population with access to drinking water: The latest value from 2022 is 61.9 percent, an increase from 61.8 percent in 2021. In comparison, the world average is 69.9 percent, based on data from 93 countries. Historically, the average for the Philippines from 2000 to 2022 is 60.8 percent. The minimum value, 59.8 percent, was reached in 2000 while the maximum of 61.9 percent was recorded in 2022.

Historical dataset showing Philippines urban population by year from 1960 to 2023.

Rural population (% of total population) in Philippines was reported at 51.71 % in 2023, according to the World Bank collection of development indicators, compiled from officially recognized sources. Philippines - Rural population - actual values, historical data, forecasts and projections were sourced from the World Bank on June of 2025.

Population in urban agglomerations of more than 1 million in Philippines was reported at 16933410 in 2024, according to the World Bank collection of development indicators, compiled from officially recognized sources. Philippines - Population in urban agglomerations of more than 1 million - actual values, historical data, forecasts and projections were sourced from the World Bank on July of 2025.