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Region

Cordillera Administrative Region

Cordillera Administrative Region is a region of the Philippines in Luzon. Its population was 1,808,985 in the 2024 census, and it has 6 provinces, 2 cities and 75 municipalities.

  • Population: 2024 Census
  • Places: PSGC 2Q 2026
  • Checked by Scene: October 8, 2026
  • Page updated: October 2, 2026
A white church with twin pink spires and rose windows at the top of a stairway, seen through a red iron arch lettered with its name, under a clear blue sky.
Baguio Cathedral, the Cathedral of Our Lady of the Atonement, seen through its gate.Photo: “Baguio Cathedral - Our Lady of Atonement Cathedral” by Ranieljosecastaneda, CC BY-SA 4.0, via Wikimedia Commons; resized by Scene, which also blurred the faces of three people near the cathedral steps. Scene's copy is shared under the same licence.

  • PeopleSources

    1,808,985

    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 11.9% from 2010 to 2024

  • Rank by peopleSources

    18th

    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 2 of every 100 people in the Philippines lived in Cordillera Administrative Region in 2024 (1.6%)

  • Inside itSources

    6

    provinces

    77 cities and municipalities, 1,178 barangays

  • LandSources

    21,116.05 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: Cordillera Administrative Region's land would fill a square about 145.3 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: 86 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 1 person 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

    473,422

    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

    3.8 people in each, on average, in 2024

  • Town or countrySources

    35.1%

    About 35 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
1400000000[4]Formerly 140000000

People

Cordillera Administrative Region had 1,808,985 people in the 2024 census, up 11.9% 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.

Cordillera Administrative Region had the fewest people of the 18 regions of the Philippines in 2024[1]
  1. 12Eastern Visayas4,625,929
  2. 13Bangsamoro (BARMM)4,545,486
  3. 14SOCCSKSARGEN4,462,776
  4. 15Cagayan Valley3,777,608
  5. 16MIMAROPA3,245,446
  6. 17Caraga2,865,196
  7. 18Cordillera Administrative Region1,808,985
Of every 100 people in Cordillera Administrative Region in 2024[1]
Age structure · 2024 Census[5]People living in households, by age and sex
  • About 25 of every 100 are children under 15 (24.8%)
  • About 68 of every 100 are of working age, 15 to 64 (68.1%)
  • About 7 of every 100 are 65 or older (7.1%)
MenWomen

The figures by age

People by age group, men and women
AgePeopleMenWomen
Under 5134,35469,74764,607
5 - 9148,78077,57371,207
10 - 14164,47185,46179,010
15 - 19179,02091,24187,779
20 - 24183,86193,00490,857
25 - 29154,96180,68374,278
30 - 34148,26377,53170,732
35 - 39128,41767,64660,771
40 - 44114,58860,59553,993
45 - 4994,76249,76544,997
50 - 5483,56542,98840,577
55 - 5974,79037,90036,890
60 - 6465,22532,54232,683
65 - 6950,22924,01126,218
70 - 7434,93715,90519,032
75 - 7919,9008,29711,603
80 - 8411,9214,4107,511
85 and over10,8643,4127,452

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
1,808,985[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
473,422[1, 2]
People in each household, 2024
3.8 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
1.6%[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
35.1% (634,785 people)[6]
Men and women, 2024
922,711 men, 880,197 women[5]People living in households
Population at each census, with its source
CensusPopulationGrowth since the census beforeHouseholdsPeople per household
2024as of July 1, 20241,808,985[1, 2]0.15% a year473,4223.8
2020as of May 1, 20201,797,660[1]0.91% a year——
2015as of August 1, 20151,722,006[1]1.21% a year——
2010as of May 1, 20101,616,867[1]———
2007as of August 1, 2007; as it was then1,520,847[21]1.50% a year——
2000as of May 1, 2000; on today’s borders1,365,412[22]1.83% a year——
1995as of September 1, 1995; as it was then1,254,838[21]1.71% a year——
1990as of May 1, 1990; as it was then1,146,191[21]2.28% a year——
1980as of May 1, 1980; as it was then914,432[21]2.42% a year——
1975as of May 1, 1975; as it was then811,103[21]2.11% a year——
1970as of May 6, 1970; as it was then730,906[21]2.80% a year——
1960as of February 15, 1960; as it was then551,032[21]———

Provinces and cities

Cordillera Administrative Region is made up of 6 provinces and 1 city that governs itself, Baguio City, with 1,178 barangays in all.
Colour byColours the map of Cordillera Administrative Region by the figure chosen; the key beside it says what each colour means.
Cagayan ValleyIlocos RegionAbra: 246,948 people, 57 per km², −0.39% a yearApayao: 126,587 people, 27 per km², 0.43% a yearBenguet: 473,190 people, 148 per km², 0.64% a yearIfugao: 208,668 people, 76 per km², 0.13% a yearKalinga: 235,391 people, 73 per km², 0.60% a yearMountain Province: 149,775 people, 54 per km², −1.30% a yearBaguio City: 368,426 people, 6,405 per km², 0.14% a year

People · 2024 Census

  • Under 300,000
  • 300,000 to 640,000
  • 640,000 to 890,000
  • 890,000 to 1.6 million
  • 1.6 million and over

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

Density · people per km², 2024

  • Under 140
  • 140 to 220
  • 220 to 310
  • 310 to 440
  • 440 and over

The same steps colour every map of provinces 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 Cordillera Administrative Region. Each column heading sorts the table.
Kind[1, 7]Share (2024)
AbraProvince246,94813.65%−0.39% a year4,365.52 km²
ApayaoProvince126,5877%0.43% a year4,746.51 km²
BenguetProvince473,19026.16%0.64% a year3,200.20 km²
IfugaoProvince208,66811.54%0.13% a year2,757.25 km²
KalingaProvince235,39113.01%0.60% a year3,224.37 km²
Mountain ProvinceProvince149,7758.28%−1.30% a year2,764.68 km²
Baguio CityHighly urbanized city368,42620.37%0.14% a year57.52 km²

Land & Environment

Cordillera Administrative Region covers 21,116.05 km² of land, 86 people for every km² in 2024. Its land rises to 2,923 m above the sea and it lies inland.
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
21,116.05 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
86 people per km²[7]
Coordinates
17.53599° N, 121.00027° E[3]The point inside its border farthest from every edge, so it always falls within the place.
Height above the sea[18]
Lowest
3 m
Average
803 m
Highest
2,923 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

No coastline: it lies inland.

Rivers[19]

  1. Chico River187.9 of 252.3 km
  2. Apayao River138.3 km
  3. Abra River133.3 of 194.8 km
  4. Agno River120.2 of 279.2 km
  5. TIneg River97.2 km
  6. Tanudan River69.9 km
  7. Alimit River64.7 km
  8. Kadaclan-Siffu River62.8 of 69.3 km

The longest inside it: 134 in all.

Lakes[19]

  1. Magat Dam Reservoirreservoir16.7 km²
  2. Ambuklao Reservoir5.7 km²
  3. Binga Dam Reservoirreservoir3.4 km²
  4. Bakut Lake0.22 km²
  5. Lubo Lake0.10 km²
  6. Mount Kabuyao Dam Reservoirreservoir0.08 km²

Peaks[19]

  1. Mount Pulag2,928 m
  2. Mount Tabayoc2,820 m
  3. Mount Kalawitan2,714 m
  4. Mount Amuyao2,702 m
  5. Mount Kapiligan2,661 m
  6. Mount Panotoan2,657 m

The highest: 241 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 51 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.

Life & Economy

Cordillera Administrative Region's economy made ₱475.2 billion of goods and services in 2025, ₱249,740 for each person. About 7 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
₱475.2 billion[14]Its gross domestic product at current prices; ₱395.0 billion at 2018 prices.
Growth, 2024–2025
4.4%[15]How much more it made than the year before, at 2018 prices.
For each person, 2025
₱249,740[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
7.0% of people[17]Below the poverty line, by the PSA's survey.
About 7 of every 100 people in Cordillera Administrative Region lived below the poverty line in 2023 (7.0%)[17]

The PSA's survey puts it between 6.0% and 8.0%, with 95% confidence. The poverty line was ₱31,774 a person for the year.

History & Identity

Official name
Cordillera Administrative Region (CAR)[4]
Created
The Cordillera Administrative Region was created by Executive Order No. 220, signed by President Corazon Aquino on 15 July 1987.[8]

Its story

Executive Order No. 220 of 15 July 1987 set up the Cordillera Administrative Region, made up of the chartered city of Baguio, its seat, and the provinces of Mt. Province, Kalinga-Apayao, Ifugao, Benguet and Abra.[8]

Before this, Abra, Benguet, Mt. Province and Baguio belonged to Region I, while Ifugao and Kalinga-Apayao belonged to Region II.[9]

The order was meant as a stopgap: the new region and its bodies were to last only until an autonomous regional government was organized under an organic act passed by Congress.[8]

Congress passed Republic Act No. 6766, the Cordillera organic act, which was signed on 23 October 1989.[10]

In the plebiscite of 30 January 1990 the Commission on Elections declared the organic act ratified only in Ifugao, so the administrative region stayed in place under Administrative Order No. 160 of 30 March 1990.[11]

A second organic act, Republic Act No. 8438, was approved on 22 December 1997.[12]

Timeline

  1. 15 July 1987

    Executive Order No. 220 creates the Cordillera Administrative Region.[8]

  2. 23 September 1987

    Administrative Order No. 36 directs national agencies to set up regional offices in the Cordillera Administrative Region.[9]

  3. 23 October 1989

    Republic Act No. 6766, which serves as the organic act of an autonomous Cordillera region, is signed into law.[10]

  4. 30 January 1990

    A plebiscite on the organic act is held in the provinces and city of the region; the Commission on Elections declares it ratified only in Ifugao.[11]

  5. 30 March 1990

    Administrative Order No. 160 sets guidelines for government operations in the Cordillera Administrative Region pending a regional autonomous government.[11]

  6. 14 February 1995

    Republic Act No. 7878 turns Kalinga and Apayao, until then sub-provinces, into regular provinces, so the single province of Kalinga-Apayao ends once a plebiscite ratifies it.[13]

  7. 22 December 1997

    Republic Act No. 8438, a second organic act for the Cordillera Autonomous Region, is approved.[12]

Nearby

Cordillera Administrative Region shares a border with Cagayan Valley and Ilocos Region.

How it compares

Cordillera Administrative Region beside Luzon, and where it stands among the regions of the Philippines.

Cordillera Administrative Region beside Luzon
FigureCordillera Administrative RegionLuzonRank 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 glossary1,808,985[1, 2, 23]64,162,9778th of 8
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 glossary0.15% a year[1, 2, 23]slower0.75% a year6th of 8
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 glossary86[1, 7, 23]less crowded4268th of 8
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 glossary21,116.05 km²[7]150,742.84 km²4th of 8
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 glossary3.8[1, 2, 23]higher3.7not 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 glossary35.1%[6]not publishednot ranked

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: Cordillera Administrative Region (CAR) (OpenSTAT table 0151A6DTHP4). Published August 3, 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. Executive Order No. 220, Creating a Cordillera Administrative Region. Published July 15, 1987. 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. Administrative Order No. 36, Establishment of Regional Offices in the Cordillera Administrative Region. Published September 23, 1987. Read by Scene October 3, 2026. Philippine government work, no copyright (Republic Act No. 8293, Section 176.1). Open the source
  10. 10.Supreme Court / LawPhil Project. Cordillera Broad Coalition v. Commission on Audit, G.R. No. 79956. Published January 29, 1990. Read by Scene October 3, 2026. Philippine government work, no copyright (Republic Act No. 8293, Section 176.1). Open the source
  11. 11.Malacañang / LawPhil Project. Administrative Order No. 160, Guidelines for Governmental Operations in the Cordillera Administrative Region. Published March 30, 1990. Read by Scene October 3, 2026. Philippine government work, no copyright (Republic Act No. 8293, Section 176.1). Open the source
  12. 12.Congress of the Philippines / LawPhil Project. Republic Act No. 8438, Organic Act for the Cordillera Autonomous Region. Published December 22, 1997. Read by Scene October 3, 2026. Philippine government work, no copyright (Republic Act No. 8293, Section 176.1). Open the source
  13. 13.Congress of the Philippines / LawPhil Project. Republic Act No. 7878, Converting the Sub-Provinces of Kalinga and Apayao into Regular Provinces. Published February 14, 1995. 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 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
  22. 22.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
  23. 23.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.

See something wrong on this page? Write to hello@scene.ph with the page address. We check every report against the source.

Cite this page

Scene.ph. “Cordillera Administrative Region.” Scene Atlas. Updated October 2, 2026. https://scene.ph/atlas/cordillera