Men lag in literacy, die younger in W. Visayas

By Francis Allan L. Angelo

Women in Western Visayas are not just reading more than men—they are significantly outperforming them in functional literacy, even as the region’s men die at a noticeably higher rate, with heart disease as the leading killer.

These are among the key findings in the 2024 demographic profile released on March 16, 2026, by the Philippine Statistics Authority (PSA) Regional Statistical Services Office VI.

The data excludes Negros Occidental following the enactment of Republic Act No. 12000, or the Negros Island Act.

Western Visayas recorded a total population of 4,861,911 in 2024, up from 4,730,768 in 2020, though its growth rate continued to decline to 2.8 percent.

The region’s population pyramid, based on the 2020 Census of Population and Housing, showed a shrinking base, indicating a declining proportion of young residents. The sex ratio stood at 107 males for every 100 females, with a median age of 24 years.

Iloilo contributed the largest population share at 43.4 percent or 2,048,039 residents, comprising 1,042,387 males and 1,005,652 females.

Capiz followed at 17 percent, Aklan and Antique each at 13 percent, and Guimaras at 4 percent.

More males were registered than females across all provinces and the highly urbanized city of Iloilo City.

While basic literacy remains high across the board—nine out of 10 individuals aged five years and over were basic literate in 2024—the divide widens dramatically in functional literacy, the ability to compute and comprehend.

Only 66.6 percent of males aged 10 to 64 were functionally literate, compared to 74.8 percent of females, an 8.2-percentage-point gap.

In basic literacy, females posted a rate of 90.8 percent against 88.4 percent for males. The 20 to 24 age group had the highest basic literacy rate at 96.5 percent, while those aged 60 and over recorded the lowest at 75.0 percent.

For functional literacy, the 20 to 24 age group again led at 78.8 percent, while those aged 60 to 64 recorded the lowest rate at 56.4 percent.

The health picture for men is equally concerning. Western Visayas registered 35,180 deaths in 2024, of which 19,582 were males and 15,598 were females. The sex ratio at death stood at 125.5, meaning roughly 126 men died for every 100 women. On average, 96 deaths were registered per day, equivalent to about four deaths per hour. The crude death rate was 7.2, or approximately seven deaths per 1,000 population.

The leading cause of death among males was acute myocardial infarction—heart attack—at 11.8 percent, followed by pneumonia, organism unspecified, at 10.3 percent, and other chronic obstructive pulmonary disease at 6.0 percent.

Among females, pneumonia led at 13.3 percent, followed by acute myocardial infarction at 11.0 percent and hypertensive heart disease at 6.4 percent.

Iloilo accounted for the largest share of deaths at 44 percent, while Guimaras had the smallest at 4 percent.

Male infants comprised a higher proportion of deaths at 53 percent compared to female infants at 47 percent. Fetal deaths were also higher among males at 53 percent.

Deaths were relatively low during childhood and early adolescence, particularly between ages 5 and 14, but rose gradually from young adulthood onward.

The increase became more pronounced after age 40 and rose sharply among those aged 60 and above. In most age groups, male deaths exceeded female deaths, especially during middle age.

In the oldest age group of 80 years and over, however, female deaths were significantly higher, likely because women tend to live longer and make up a larger proportion of the elderly population.

In births, the region registered 49,909 live births in 2024. Mothers aged 25 to 29 accounted for the highest share at 27.7 percent or 13,789 births, followed by those aged 30 to 34 at 23.8 percent, 20 to 24 at 21.0 percent, 35 to 39 at 13.1 percent, and 15 to 19 at 9.5 percent.

About 9.8 percent of registered births were to teenage or adolescent mothers, those below 15 and those aged 15 to 19.

The sex ratio at birth was 107.2, translating to about 107 males born for every 100 females across all provinces.

Over half of registered births—or 29,529 out of 49,909—were classified as non-marital, meaning the parents were not legally married at the time of birth. This accounted for 59 percent of all registered births.

Iloilo recorded the greatest number of non-marital births at 41.7 percent, followed by Capiz at 17.5 percent, Aklan at 15.1 percent, Antique at 12.2 percent, Iloilo City at 9.1 percent, and Guimaras at 4.3 percent.

The region registered 15,408 marriages in 2024, averaging about 42 marriages per day. The crude marriage rate was 3.1, or roughly three marriages per 1,000 population. Iloilo accounted for the largest share at 41 percent, while Guimaras had the smallest at 4 percent.

Marriages were most common among individuals aged 25 to 29 for both sexes. Among teenagers, more females than males were married, indicating that women tend to marry at younger ages.

From ages 15 to 19 up to 25 to 29, the number of married females exceeded that of males, but beginning in the 30 to 34 age group up to 60 years and over, married males outnumbered married females.

The vast majority of marriages—15,004 out of 15,408—were unions between Filipino nationals, while 404 marriages or 3 percent involved a Filipino and a foreign national. The intermarriage data reveals a striking geographical split between the sexes.

Among intermarriages involving Filipino women, American nationals accounted for the largest share at 121 cases or 32.4 percent, followed by British at 7 percent, Canadian at 6 percent, Australian at 5 percent, and Korean at 3 percent.

For intermarriages involving Filipino men, Canadian women topped the list at six cases or 24 percent, followed by American and Australian women each at 12 percent, and British and German women each at 8 percent.