THE PHILIPPINES’ birth, death, and marriage rates declined by 22%, 16.5%, and 24.7%, respectively, in 2023 compared with the previous year, the Philippine Statistics Authority (PSA) reported on Thursday.
Preliminary data from the Vital Statistics Report of the PSA showed that births in 2023 dropped to 1,135,639 from the 1,455,393 in 2022.
Deaths declined to 567,840 last year from the 679,766 the other year, while marriages also fell to 338,210 in 2023 from the 449,428 who tied the knot from January to December, 2022, according to the same report.
The figures reported by the PSA took into account registered births, deaths, and marriages as of the cut-off date of Feb. 29.
In a separate report, the Philippine Statistics Authority said ischemic heart disease remained the leading cause of death in the country in 2023 with 107,767 cases.
This is equivalent to 19% of the 567,840 total deaths listed last year.
Neoplasms diseases were the second-highest cause of death with 60,906 (10.7% share), followed by cerebrovascular diseases with 57,288 (10.1% share). — Abigail Marie P. Yraola