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Region

Central Visayas

Central Visayas is a region of the Philippines in Visayas. Its population was 6,640,875 in the 2024 census, and it has 2 provinces, 10 cities and 91 municipalities.

  • Population: 2024 Census
  • Places: PSGC 2Q 2026
  • Checked by Scene: October 8, 2026
  • Page updated: October 2, 2026
Jagged green hills and rocky peaks above a calm sea with a low island and a far coastline, under a cloudy sky.
The jagged hills of Osmeña Peak, in Dalaguete, above the Tañon Strait.Photo: “Osmeña Peak, Cebu, Philippines” by Tyrll Adolf Itong, CC BY-SA 4.0, via Wikimedia Commons; resized by Scene. Scene's copy is shared under the same licence.

  • PeopleSources

    6,640,875

    people counted in the 2024 censusCensusA count of every person in the country, all on one day. The 2024 census counted people as they were on 1 July 2024.More in the glossary

    Up 22.5% from 2010 to 2024

  • Rank by peopleSources

    4th

    of the 18 regions of the Philippines by population, 2024Rank and shareWorked out by Scene from the PSA's counts: where a place stands among the places listed with it, and how many of every 100 of its parent's people live in it.More in the glossary

    About 6 of every 100 people in the Philippines lived in Central Visayas in 2024 (5.89%)

  • Inside itSources

    2

    provinces

    101 cities and municipalities, 2,312 barangays

  • LandSources

    8,975.04 km²

    of land, 2019 masterlistLand areaThe land inside the place's official boundary. A square kilometre is a square 1 km on each side, about the size of 140 football fields.Explained by Scene: Central Visayas's land would fill a square about 94.7 km on each side. That is only a way to picture its size: its real shape is on the map.More in the glossary

    Average density, 2024: 740 people per km²Population densityHow crowded a place is on average: its people divided by its land area. 1,000 people per square kilometre is 10 people per hectare, a square of 100 by 100 metres.Explained by Scene: About 7 people per hectare if everyone were spread evenly across the land. In fact people live closer together in towns and farther apart in the countryside.More in the glossary

  • HomesSources

    1,783,736

    households in 2024HouseholdA person living alone, or people who sleep in the same home and share their meals. A family may be one household or several.More in the glossary

    3.7 people in each, on average, in 2024

  • Town or countrySources

    58.3%

    About 58 of every 100 people lived in urban barangays in 2024Urban barangayThe PSA counts a barangay as urban when it has 5,000 people or more, or a big employer, or several businesses and public services close by. Every barangay in Metro Manila is urban.More in the glossary

PSGC codePSGC codeThe code the Philippine Statistics Authority gives every place, so each one is known exactly, even when two share a name.More in the glossary
0700000000[4]Formerly 070000000

People

Central Visayas had 6,640,875 people in the 2024 census, up 22.5% from 2010.
People at each census since 1960

Counts from 2000 on are on today’s borders; earlier counts are as the place was then, so the line may step where a border moved.

Central Visayas had the 4th most people of the 18 regions of the Philippines in 2024[1]
  1. 1CALABARZON16,933,234
  2. 2Metro Manila14,001,751
  3. 3Central Luzon12,989,074
  4. 4Central Visayas6,640,875
  5. 5Bicol Region6,064,426
  6. 6Davao Region5,389,422
  7. 7Ilocos Region5,342,453
Of every 100 people in Central Visayas in 2024[1]
Age structure · 2024 Census[5]People living in households, by age and sex
  • About 26 of every 100 are children under 15 (26%)
  • About 67 of every 100 are of working age, 15 to 64 (67.3%)
  • About 7 of every 100 are 65 or older (6.8%)
MenWomen

The figures by age

People by age group, men and women
AgePeopleMenWomen
Under 5495,538256,718238,820
5 - 9590,586306,397284,189
10 - 14627,348326,069301,279
15 - 19639,808329,591310,217
20 - 24627,981320,528307,453
25 - 29566,422287,832278,590
30 - 34541,883276,998264,885
35 - 39460,387236,745223,642
40 - 44416,743214,549202,194
45 - 49361,194183,891177,303
50 - 54317,833159,829158,004
55 - 59270,567133,339137,228
60 - 64235,580114,417121,163
65 - 69176,06682,17393,893
70 - 74125,82554,51571,310
75 - 7973,09028,96844,122
80 - 8443,57215,19028,382
85 and over29,0408,41520,625

Every figure, census by census

People, 2024 CensusCensusA count of every person in the country, all on one day. The 2024 census counted people as they were on 1 July 2024.More in the glossary
6,640,875[1, 2]
Households, 2024HouseholdA person living alone, or people who sleep in the same home and share their meals. A family may be one household or several.More in the glossary
1,783,736[1, 2]
People in each household, 2024
3.7 on average[1, 2]
Share of the Philippines, 2024Rank and shareWorked out by Scene from the PSA's counts: where a place stands among the places listed with it, and how many of every 100 of its parent's people live in it.More in the glossary
5.89%[1]
In urban barangays, 2024Urban barangayThe PSA counts a barangay as urban when it has 5,000 people or more, or a big employer, or several businesses and public services close by. Every barangay in Metro Manila is urban.More in the glossary
58.3% (3,870,426 people)[6]
Men and women, 2024
3,336,164 men, 3,263,299 women[5]People living in households
Population at each census, with its source
CensusPopulationGrowth since the census beforeHouseholdsPeople per household
2024as of July 1, 20246,640,875[1, 2]0.35% a year1,783,7363.7
2020as of May 1, 20206,545,603[1]2.04% a year——
2015as of August 1, 20155,945,919[1]1.77% a year——
2010as of May 1, 20105,422,448[1]———
2007as of August 1, 2007; as it was then5,168,794[22]−1.36% a year——
2000as of May 1, 2000; on today’s borders5,706,953[23]7.97% a year——
1995as of September 1, 1995; as it was then3,989,341[22]1.58% a year——
1990as of May 1, 1990; as it was then3,668,852[22]2.14% a year——
1980as of May 1, 1980; as it was then2,967,975[22]2.31% a year——
1975as of May 1, 1975; as it was then2,646,857[22]2.15% a year——
1970as of May 6, 1970; as it was then2,380,455[22]1.79% a year——
1960as of February 15, 1960; as it was then1,984,596[22]———

Provinces and cities

Central Visayas is made up of 2 provinces and 3 cities that govern themselves, Cebu City, Lapu-Lapu City and Mandaue City, with 2,312 barangays in all.
Colour byColours the map of Central Visayas by the figure chosen; the key beside it says what each colour means.
Bohol: 1,412,726 people, 336 per km², 0.31% a yearCebu: 3,400,522 people, 775 per km², 0.54% a yearCebu City: 965,332 people, 3,293 per km², 0.03% a yearLapu-Lapu City: 497,813 people, 8,453 per km², 0.01% a yearMandaue City: 364,482 people, 14,133 per km², 0.02% a year

People · 2024 Census

  • Under 20,000
  • 20,000 to 31,000
  • 31,000 to 45,000
  • 45,000 to 76,000
  • 76,000 and over

The same steps colour every map of cities and municipalities in the Atlas, so a colour means the same range everywhere.

Density · people per km², 2024

  • Under 140
  • 140 to 250
  • 250 to 390
  • 390 to 750
  • 750 and over

The same steps colour every map of cities and municipalities in the Atlas, so a colour means the same range everywhere.

Growth a year · 2020–2024

  • Fell by more than 1% a year
  • Fell, by up to 1% a year
  • Grew, by under 1% a year
  • Grew by 1 to 2% a year
  • Grew by 2% a year or more

Each place's yearly change between the 2020 and 2024 censuses, on the same steps as every map in the Atlas.

Borders from UN OCHA (PSA and NAMRIA), a guide and not the legal boundary[3]Open in OpenStreetMap
Provinces and cities of Central Visayas. Each column heading sorts the table.
Kind[1, 7]Share (2024)
BoholProvince1,412,72621.27%0.31% a year4,207.96 km²
CebuProvince3,400,52251.21%0.54% a year4,389.23 km²
Cebu CityHighly urbanized city965,33214.54%0.03% a year293.17 km²
Lapu-Lapu CityHighly urbanized city497,8137.5%0.01% a year58.89 km²
Mandaue CityHighly urbanized city364,4825.49%0.02% a year25.79 km²

Land & Environment

Central Visayas covers 8,975.04 km² of land, 740 people for every km² in 2024. Its land rises to 1,054 m above the sea and it has 2,102.4 km of coast.
Land areaLand areaThe land inside the place's official boundary. A square kilometre is a square 1 km on each side, about the size of 140 football fields.More in the glossary
8,975.04 km²[7]As listed in the 2019 Masterlist of Land Areas (LMB, DENR)
Average density, 2024Population densityHow crowded a place is on average: its people divided by its land area. 1,000 people per square kilometre is 10 people per hectare, a square of 100 by 100 metres.More in the glossary
740 people per km²[7]
Coordinates
10.50927° N, 123.86904° E[3]The point inside its border farthest from every edge, so it always falls within the place.
Height above the sea[18]
Lowest
Sea level
Average
191 m
Highest
1,054 m

Heights from the Copernicus DEM, a 30 m model of the surface: it reads the tops of trees and roofs, not the bare ground, over the land inside the border, the sea left out. Produced using Copernicus WorldDEM-30 © DLR e.V. 2010-2014 and © Airbus Defence and Space GmbH 2014-2018 provided under COPERNICUS by the European Union and ESA; all rights reserved.

Water, coast and peaks

2,102.4 km of coastline[19]

Rivers[19]

  1. Inabanga River96.7 of 97.2 km
  2. Lusaran River57.7 km
  3. Abatan River39.2 of 39.5 km
  4. Kotkot River36.5 km
  5. Ginabasan River35.7 km
  6. Loboc River34.7 of 65.5 km
  7. Argao River31.0 km
  8. Loboc River30.5 of 65.5 km

The longest inside it: 116 in all.

Lakes[19]

  1. Lake Danao5.7 km²
  2. Lake Bayonganreservoir2.5 km²
  3. Malubog Lakereservoir1.5 km²
  4. Malinao Reservoirreservoir1.0 km²
  5. Mother Dam Ilaya Reservoirreservoir0.49 km²
  6. Can-asujan Reservoirreservoir0.27 km²

The largest: 12 in all.

Peaks[19]

  1. Osmeña Peak1,037 m
  2. Rocking Peak1,037 m
  3. Mount Labalasan1,013 m
  4. Lugsangan Peak1,007 m
  5. Mount Manunggal980 m
  6. Kandungaw Peak930 m

The highest: 80 in all.

Named rivers, lakes and peaks as OpenStreetMap mapped them on 30 September 2026, and the coast within 150 m of the border. Map data © OpenStreetMap contributors, under the Open Database License.

Climate

Climate typeClimate typePAGASA sorts the country's climate into four types by when the rain falls. Type I has a dry season from November to April and a wet one for the rest of the year; Type II has no dry season, with the most rain from December to February; Type III has a short dry season; Type IV has rain spread through the year.More in the glossary

Type III[20]

No clear rainiest time of year, and a short dry season of one to three months, in December to February or in March to May.

Covers about 54 of every 100 parts of its land. Read by Scene off PAGASA's climate map, so approximate: the type that covers most of the place's land.

At Mactan International Airport, the nearest PAGASA station, 24 km away[21]Averages for 1991 to 2020: 1,685 mm of rain on 138 days a year; 28.1 °C on average

Rain each month Average temperature

The figures by month

Climate at Mactan International Airport, 1991 to 2020, by month
MonthRainRainy daysAverageHighLow
January135 mm1226.8 °C29.7 °C24.0 °C
February89 mm927.0 °C30.0 °C24.0 °C
March61 mm727.8 °C31.0 °C24.6 °C
April56 mm528.8 °C32.2 °C25.5 °C
May94 mm929.4 °C32.8 °C26.0 °C
June181 mm1328.9 °C32.3 °C25.5 °C
July211 mm1528.3 °C31.6 °C25.1 °C
August158 mm1328.5 °C31.9 °C25.2 °C
September190 mm1428.4 °C31.9 °C25.0 °C
October208 mm1528.2 °C31.4 °C24.9 °C
November131 mm1228.0 °C31.0 °C25.0 °C
December172 mm1427.4 °C30.3 °C24.6 °C
The year1,685 mm13828.1 °C31.3 °C24.9 °C

A station's figures describe the place around it only roughly: inland and in the hills it may be cooler and wetter. The station stands 26 m above the sea.

Life & Economy

Central Visayas's economy made ₱1.58 trillion of goods and services in 2025, ₱229,518 for each person. About 17 of every 100 people lived below the poverty line in 2023.
Economy, 2025Gross domestic productThe value of all the goods and services made in a place in a year: the size of its economy. The PSA measures it for every region, province and highly urbanized city. Counted at 2018 prices, it leaves out the rise in prices, so one year can be set beside another.More in the glossary
₱1.58 trillion[14]Its gross domestic product at current prices; ₱1.32 trillion at 2018 prices.
Growth, 2024–2025
3.7%[15]How much more it made than the year before, at 2018 prices.
For each person, 2025
₱229,518[16]Its economy divided by its projected population, at current prices, as the PSA works it out.
Poverty, 2023Poverty incidenceHow many of every 100 people live in families whose income is below the poverty line: what a person needs in a year for food and other basic needs, as the PSA sets it for each province. It is an estimate, from a survey or, for a town, a statistical model, so the PSA gives a range it is likely to fall in.More in the glossary
17.3% of people[17]Below the poverty line, by the PSA's survey.
About 17 of every 100 people in Central Visayas lived below the poverty line in 2023 (17.3%)[17]

The PSA's survey puts it between 15.3% and 19.4%, with 95% confidence. The poverty line was ₱34,553 a person for the year.

History & Identity

Official name
Region VII (Central Visayas)[4]
Created
Central Visayas (Region VII) was one of the administrative regions set up when Presidential Decree No. 1 of 24 September 1972 adopted the Integrated Reorganization Plan, which divided the country into regions.[8]

Its story

Presidential Decree No. 1 of 24 September 1972 adopted the Integrated Reorganization Plan that divided the country into administrative regions, among them Region VII.[8]

A 1975 decree on the Bureau of Internal Revenue named its Revenue Region No. 7 the Central Visayas Region, covering Cebu and Bohol and centred at Cebu City.[9]

Executive Order No. 183 of 2015 gathered Negros Oriental into a new Negros Island Region and Executive Order No. 38 of 2017 returned it to Region VII.[10, 11]

Timeline

  1. 24 September 1972

    Presidential Decree No. 1 adopted the Integrated Reorganization Plan that divided the country into regions.[8]

  2. 29 May 2015

    Executive Order No. 183 created the Negros Island Region from Negros Oriental and Negros Occidental.[10]

  3. 7 August 2017

    Executive Order No. 38 revoked Executive Order No. 183; Negros Oriental was to revert to Region VII.[11]

  4. 11 June 2024

    Republic Act No. 12000 created the Negros Island Region; the PSA then listed Central Visayas as Bohol, Cebu, and the cities of Cebu, Lapu-Lapu and Mandaue.[12, 13]

Nearby

Central Visayas shares no land border with another region. Nearest across the water are Negros Island Region, Eastern Visayas, Bicol Region and Western Visayas.

How it compares

Central Visayas beside Visayas, and where it stands among the regions of the Philippines.

Central Visayas beside Visayas
FigureCentral VisayasVisayasRank among the regions of the Philippines
People, 2024CensusA count of every person in the country, all on one day. The 2024 census counted people as they were on 1 July 2024.More in the glossary6,640,875[1, 2, 24]21,033,6591st of 4
Growth a year, 2020–2024Growth a yearHow fast the number of people changed each year between two censuses. 1% a year means about 1 more person for every 100 people, each year.More in the glossary0.35% a year[1, 2, 24]slower0.52% a year4th of 4
People per km², 2024Population densityHow crowded a place is on average: its people divided by its land area. 1,000 people per square kilometre is 10 people per hectare, a square of 100 by 100 metres.More in the glossary740[1, 7, 24]more crowded3741st of 4
Land areaLand areaThe land inside the place's official boundary. A square kilometre is a square 1 km on each side, about the size of 140 football fields.More in the glossary8,975.04 km²[7]56,187.49 km²4th of 4
People in each household, 2024HouseholdA person living alone, or people who sleep in the same home and share their meals. A family may be one household or several.More in the glossary3.7[1, 2, 24]lower3.8not ranked
In urban barangays, 2024Urban barangayThe PSA counts a barangay as urban when it has 5,000 people or more, or a big employer, or several businesses and public services close by. Every barangay in Metro Manila is urban.More in the glossary58.3%[6]not publishednot ranked

The nearest regions across the water[3]

  1. Negros Island RegionVisayas5.4 km southwest
  2. Eastern VisayasVisayas7.5 km northeast
  3. Bicol RegionLuzon21.9 km north
  4. Western VisayasVisayas32.6 km northwest

Measured between the two borders where they come closest, on the Earth's surface, across the water. Not a boat or ferry route.

Sources

Page updated October 2, 2026. Sources checked by Scene October 8, 2026.
  1. 1.Philippine Statistics Authority. Population and Annual Population Growth Rate of the Philippines and its Regions, Provinces, and Highly Urbanized Cities Based on the 2010, 2015, 2020 and 2024 Population Census (OpenSTAT table 0211A6DAPG0). Published August 7, 2026. Read by Scene October 2, 2026. CC BY (PSA Terms of Use). Open the source
  2. 2.Philippine Statistics Authority. Total Population, Household Population, and Number of Households by Province, City, Municipality, and Barangay as of 01 July 2024: Central Visayas (OpenSTAT table 0071A6DTPH6). Published August 5, 2026. Read by Scene October 2, 2026. CC BY (PSA Terms of Use). Open the source
  3. 3.UN OCHA, from the PSA and NAMRIA. Philippines: Subnational Administrative Boundaries (COD-AB), barangay layer. Published February 13, 2025. Read by Scene September 25, 2026. CC BY-IGO 3.0. Open the source
  4. 4.Philippine Statistics Authority. Philippine Standard Geographic Code (PSGC), 2nd Quarter 2026: Publication Datafile. Published June 30, 2026. Read by Scene September 24, 2026. CC BY (PSA Terms of Use). Open the source
  5. 5.Philippine Statistics Authority. Household Population by Age-Group Region, Province, and Highly Urbanized City: Philippines, 2024 Census of Population (OpenSTAT table 0201A6DPAG0). Published August 7, 2026. Read by Scene October 2, 2026. CC BY (PSA Terms of Use). Open the source
  6. 6.Philippine Statistics Authority. Total Population and Urban Population by Urban Classification and Region, Province, Highly Urbanized City, City/Municipality and Barangay: Philippines, 2024 (OpenSTAT table 0231A6DPUP0). Published August 7, 2026. Read by Scene October 2, 2026. CC BY (PSA Terms of Use). Open the source
  7. 7.Philippine Statistics Authority, from the Land Management Bureau (DENR). Population, Land Area, Population Density, and Percent Change in Population Density by Region, Province/Highly Urbanized City, and City/Municipality: 2015, 2020, and 2024 (OpenSTAT table 0221A6DLPD0). Published August 7, 2026. Read by Scene October 2, 2026. CC BY (PSA Terms of Use). Open the source
  8. 8.Malacañang / LawPhil Project. Presidential Decree No. 1, Reorganizing the Executive Branch of the National Government. Published September 24, 1972. Read by Scene October 3, 2026. Philippine government work, no copyright (Republic Act No. 8293, Section 176.1). Open the source
  9. 9.Malacañang / LawPhil Project. Presidential Decree No. 640, Revising the Staffing Pattern of the Bureau of Internal Revenue. Published January 21, 1975. Read by Scene October 3, 2026. Philippine government work, no copyright (Republic Act No. 8293, Section 176.1). Open the source
  10. 10.Arellano Law Foundation (LawPhil). Executive Order No. 183, s. 2015. Published May 29, 2015. Read by Scene October 3, 2026. Philippine government work, no copyright (Republic Act No. 8293, Section 176.1). Open the source
  11. 11.Arellano Law Foundation (LawPhil). Executive Order No. 38, s. 2017. Published August 7, 2017. Read by Scene October 3, 2026. Philippine government work, no copyright (Republic Act No. 8293, Section 176.1). Open the source
  12. 12.Arellano Law Foundation (LawPhil). Republic Act No. 12000 (Negros Island Region Act). Published June 11, 2024. Read by Scene October 3, 2026. Philippine government work, no copyright (Republic Act No. 8293, Section 176.1). Open the source
  13. 13.Philippine Statistics Authority. Second Quarter 2024 PSGC Updates: Creation of the Negros Island Region and Correction of the Names of Two Barangays. Published July 12, 2024. Read by Scene October 3, 2026. Philippine government work, no copyright (Republic Act No. 8293, Section 176.1). Open the source
  14. 14.Philippine Statistics Authority (PSA). Gross Regional Domestic Product, by Region (OpenSTAT table 0012B5BPGD1). Published April 23, 2026. Read by Scene October 2, 2026. CC BY (PSA Terms of Use). Open the source
  15. 15.Philippine Statistics Authority (PSA). Gross Regional Domestic Product, by Region, Growth Rates (OpenSTAT table 0022B5BPGD2). Published April 23, 2026. Read by Scene October 2, 2026. CC BY (PSA Terms of Use). Open the source
  16. 16.Philippine Statistics Authority (PSA). Per Capita Gross Regional Domestic Product, by Region (OpenSTAT table 0772B5BPCP1). Published April 23, 2026. Read by Scene October 2, 2026. CC BY (PSA Terms of Use). Open the source
  17. 17.Philippine Statistics Authority (PSA). Table 2a. Annual Per Capita Poverty Threshold and Poverty Incidence Among Population with Measures of Precision, by Region, Province and Highly Urbanized Cities: 2018, 2021, and 2023 (OpenSTAT table 0041F3DF02A). Published August 15, 2024. Read by Scene October 2, 2026. CC BY (PSA Terms of Use). Open the source
  18. 18.European Union and the European Space Agency (Copernicus), from DLR and Airbus Defence and Space (WorldDEM). Copernicus DEM GLO-30: global digital surface model at 30 m, one-degree tiles (2021 release). Published 2021. Read by Scene October 2, 2026. Copernicus DEM GLO-30 licence: free, any use including commercial, with the Copernicus notice. Open the source
  19. 19.OpenStreetMap contributors, extract by Geofabrik. Named rivers, lakes, reservoirs, peaks and the coastline of the Philippines in OpenStreetMap (Geofabrik extract, cut by osmium). Published September 30, 2026. Read by Scene October 2, 2026. ODbL 1.0. Open the source
  20. 20.Philippine Atmospheric, Geophysical and Astronomical Services Administration (PAGASA), Climatology and Agrometeorology Division. Climate Map of the Philippines (1951-2010), Modified Coronas Climate Classification. Published August 2014. Read by Scene October 2, 2026. A work of the Government of the Philippines: no copyright (RA 8293 s.176.1); PAGASA's approval is needed to use it for profit. Open the source
  21. 21.Philippine Atmospheric, Geophysical and Astronomical Services Administration (PAGASA), Climatology and Agrometeorology Division. Climatological Normals, 1991-2020, by synoptic station (one PDF each). Published January 2022. Read by Scene October 2, 2026. A work of the Government of the Philippines: no copyright (RA 8293 s.176.1); PAGASA's approval is needed to use it for profit. Open the source
  22. 22.Philippine Statistics Authority. 2015 Census of Population, Statistical Tables, Table 1: Population Enumerated in Various Censuses by City/Municipality, 1960-2015 (one workbook for each province, highly urbanized city and region). Published 2017. Read by Scene October 2, 2026. CC BY (PSA Terms of Use). Open the source
  23. 23.Philippine Statistics Authority. 2020 Census of Population and Housing: Table A (Population and Annual Growth Rate for the Philippines and its Regions, Provinces and Highly Urbanized Cities) and Table B (Population and Annual Growth Rates by Province, City and Municipality, by Region). Published July 2021. Read by Scene October 2, 2026. CC BY (PSA Terms of Use). Open the source
  24. 24.Philippine Statistics Authority. Total Population, Household Population, Number of Households and Average Household Size by Region, Province, and Highly Urbanized City: Philippines, 2024 (OpenSTAT table 0191A6DTHP8). Published August 7, 2026. Read by Scene October 2, 2026. CC BY (PSA Terms of Use). Open the source

Scene adds what the sources do not print themselves: growth rates, shares, barangay areas and densities, coordinates, neighbours and distances, each computed from the figures and borders above. How each is made.

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Cite this page

Scene.ph. “Central Visayas.” Scene Atlas. Updated October 2, 2026. https://scene.ph/atlas/central-visayas