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Region

Ilocos Region

Ilocos Region is a region of the Philippines in Luzon. Its population was 5,342,453 in the 2024 census, and it has 4 provinces, 9 cities and 116 municipalities.

  • Population: 2024 Census
  • Places: PSGC 2Q 2026
  • Checked by Scene: October 8, 2026
  • Page updated: October 2, 2026
A long row of white wind turbines along a dark-sand beach, with surf on the left and blue mountains under a cloudy sky behind.
The wind turbines of Bangui along the shore of Bangui Bay.Photo: “BANGUI WINDMILL,ILOCOS NORTE 2” by Obra19, CC BY-SA 3.0, via Wikimedia Commons; resized by Scene. Scene's copy is shared under the same licence.

  • PeopleSources

    5,342,453

    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 12.5% from 2010 to 2024

  • Rank by peopleSources

    7th

    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 5 of every 100 people in the Philippines lived in Ilocos Region in 2024 (4.74%)

  • Inside itSources

    4

    provinces

    125 cities and municipalities, 3,267 barangays

  • LandSources

    12,830.62 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: Ilocos Region's land would fill a square about 113.3 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: 416 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 4 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

    1,451,660

    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

    22.8%

    About 23 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
0100000000[4]Formerly 010000000

People

Ilocos Region had 5,342,453 people in the 2024 census, up 12.5% 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.

Ilocos Region had the 7th most people of the 18 regions of the Philippines in 2024[1]
  1. 4Central Visayas6,640,875
  2. 5Bicol Region6,064,426
  3. 6Davao Region5,389,422
  4. 7Ilocos Region5,342,453
  5. 8Northern Mindanao5,178,326
  6. 9Zamboanga Peninsula5,089,934
  7. 10Negros Island Region4,904,944
Of every 100 people in Ilocos Region in 2024[1]
Age structure · 2024 Census[5]People living in households, by age and sex
  • About 24 of every 100 are children under 15 (23.7%)
  • About 68 of every 100 are of working age, 15 to 64 (67.6%)
  • About 9 of every 100 are 65 or older (8.7%)
MenWomen

The figures by age

People by age group, men and women
AgePeopleMenWomen
Under 5349,386181,647167,739
5 - 9424,082220,963203,119
10 - 14489,817254,663235,154
15 - 19505,332262,654242,678
20 - 24475,792245,748230,044
25 - 29427,873220,767207,106
30 - 34411,824212,709199,115
35 - 39367,052188,990178,062
40 - 44355,707183,278172,429
45 - 49309,507159,348150,159
50 - 54285,300146,067139,233
55 - 59249,730124,298125,432
60 - 64218,808106,301112,507
65 - 69171,21979,43691,783
70 - 74124,13152,84671,285
75 - 7982,69830,80351,895
80 - 8447,97415,22832,746
85 and over38,38210,06328,319

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
5,342,453[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
1,451,660[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
4.74%[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
22.8% (1,216,888 people)[6]
Men and women, 2024
2,695,809 men, 2,638,805 women[5]People living in households
Population at each census, with its source
CensusPopulationGrowth since the census beforeHouseholdsPeople per household
2024as of July 1, 20245,342,453[1, 2]0.19% a year1,451,6603.7
2020as of May 1, 20205,301,139[1]1.13% a year——
2015as of August 1, 20155,026,128[1]1.09% a year——
2010as of May 1, 20104,748,372[1]———
2007as of August 1, 2007; as it was then4,546,789[21]1.10% a year——
2000as of May 1, 2000; on today’s borders4,200,478[21, 22]2.15% a year——
1995as of September 1, 1995; as it was then3,803,890[21]1.30% a year——
1990as of May 1, 1990; as it was then3,550,642[21]1.96% a year——
1980as of May 1, 1980; as it was then2,922,892[21]1.40% a year——
1975as of May 1, 1975; as it was then2,726,220[21]1.85% a year——
1970as of May 6, 1970; as it was then2,488,391[21]1.95% a year——
1960as of February 15, 1960; as it was then2,042,865[21]———

Provinces and cities

Ilocos Region is made up of 4 provinces, with 3,267 barangays in all.
Colour byColours the map of Ilocos Region by the figure chosen; the key beside it says what each colour means.
Cagayan ValleyCentral LuzonCordillera Administrative RegionIlocos Norte: 618,850 people, 187 per km², 0.36% a yearIlocos Sur: 709,991 people, 268 per km², 0.13% a yearLa Union: 825,072 people, 528 per km², 0.08% a yearPangasinan: 3,188,540 people, 601 per km², 0.19% 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 Ilocos Region. Each column heading sorts the table.
[1, 7]Share (2024)
Ilocos Norte618,85011.58%0.36% a year3,309.78 km²
Ilocos Sur709,99113.29%0.13% a year2,651.49 km²
La Union825,07215.44%0.08% a year1,562.16 km²
Pangasinan3,188,54059.68%0.19% a year5,307.19 km²

Land & Environment

Ilocos Region covers 12,830.62 km² of land, 416 people for every km² in 2024. Its land rises to 2,336 m above the sea and it has 934.8 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
12,830.62 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
416 people per km²[7]
Coordinates
18.16393° N, 120.74479° E[3]The point inside its border farthest from every edge, so it always falls within the place.
Height above the sea[17]
Lowest
Sea level
Average
227 m
Highest
2,336 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

934.8 km of coastline[18]

Rivers[18]

  1. Agno River158.9 of 279.2 km
  2. Abra River60.5 of 194.8 km
  3. Amburayan River54.8 of 75.2 km
  4. Balingcaging River50.3 of 50.7 km
  5. Alaminos River46.7 of 46.8 km
  6. Padsan River45.1 km
  7. Bulu River42.4 km
  8. Santa Maria River39.1 of 39.3 km

The longest inside it: 168 in all.

Lakes[18]

  1. Paoay Lake3.3 km²

Peaks[18]

  1. Mount Namandiraan2,310 m
  2. Mount Namogoian2,009 m
  3. Mount Malaya2,000 m
  4. Mount Libo Libo1,785 m
  5. Mount Monserrat1,763 m
  6. Mount Aganmala1,760 m

The highest: 96 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 I[19]

Two seasons: dry from November to April, wet for the rest of the year, with the heaviest rain from June to September.

Read by Scene off PAGASA's climate map, so approximate: the type that covers most of the place's land.

At Laoag City, the nearest PAGASA station, 22 km away[20]Averages for 1991 to 2020: 2,187 mm of rain on 86 days a year; 27.6 °C on average

Rain each month Average temperature

The figures by month

Climate at Laoag City, 1991 to 2020, by month
MonthRainRainy daysAverageHighLow
January6 mm225.2 °C30.6 °C19.8 °C
February3 mm225.8 °C31.2 °C20.4 °C
March5 mm127.2 °C32.5 °C21.9 °C
April22 mm228.6 °C33.6 °C23.6 °C
May219 mm829.2 °C33.7 °C24.7 °C
June287 mm1228.9 °C33.1 °C24.8 °C
July479 mm1628.4 °C32.2 °C24.5 °C
August594 mm1728.0 °C31.6 °C24.4 °C
September413 mm1327.9 °C31.8 °C24.1 °C
October117 mm727.8 °C32.1 °C23.5 °C
November37 mm427.4 °C32.0 °C22.8 °C
December6 mm226.3 °C31.1 °C21.4 °C
The year2,187 mm8627.6 °C32.1 °C23.0 °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 5 m above the sea.

Life & Economy

Ilocos Region's economy made ₱925.0 billion of goods and services in 2025, ₱172,668 for each person. About 12 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
₱925.0 billion[13]Its gross domestic product at current prices; ₱768.6 billion at 2018 prices.
Growth, 2024–2025
4.5%[14]How much more it made than the year before, at 2018 prices.
For each person, 2025
₱172,668[15]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
11.9% of people[16]Below the poverty line, by the PSA's survey.
About 12 of every 100 people in Ilocos Region lived below the poverty line in 2023 (11.9%)[16]

The PSA's survey puts it between 9.7% and 14.1%, with 95% confidence. The poverty line was ₱34,454 a person for the year.

History & Identity

Official name
Region I (Ilocos Region)[4]
Created
Region I, called the Ilocos Region, was one of the eleven uniform regions of the Integrated Reorganization Plan, which Presidential Decree No. 1 adopted on 24 September 1972. Presidential Decree No. 224 of 22 June 1973 restated its provinces and cities.[8, 9, 10]

Its story

Presidential Decree No. 224 of 22 June 1973 defined Region No. 1 as the Ilocos Region, with its regional center at San Fernando, La Union.[10]

At that time its area took in Pangasinan, Mountain Province, Benguet, La Union, Abra, Ilocos Sur and Ilocos Norte, plus the cities of San Carlos, Dagupan, Laoag and Baguio.[10]

A 1975 decree on the Bureau of Internal Revenue still listed the same provinces under the Ilocos Region.[11]

In 1987 Abra, Benguet, Mt. Province and Baguio left Region I to form the Cordillera Administrative Region.[12]

Timeline

  1. 24 September 1972

    Presidential Decree No. 1 adopts the Integrated Reorganization Plan, which sets up uniform regions including Region I.[8, 9]

  2. 22 June 1973

    Presidential Decree No. 224 defines Region No. 1 as the Ilocos Region with its center at San Fernando, La Union.[10]

  3. 15 July 1987

    Executive Order No. 220 takes Abra, Benguet, Mt. Province and Baguio out of Region I into the new Cordillera Administrative Region.[12]

Nearby

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

How it compares

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

Ilocos Region beside Luzon
FigureIlocos 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 glossary5,342,453[1, 2, 23]64,162,9775th 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 glossary0.19% a year[1, 2, 23]slower0.75% a year5th 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 glossary416[1, 7, 23]less crowded4264th 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 glossary12,830.62 km²[7]150,742.84 km²7th 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 glossary3.7[1, 2, 23]about the same3.7not 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 glossary22.8%[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: Ilocos Region (OpenSTAT table 0011A6DTPH0). Published August 4, 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. 268, Splitting Region 4 into Region 4 and Region 4-A for the Bureau of Posts. Published August 4, 1973. Read by Scene October 3, 2026. Philippine government work, no copyright (Republic Act No. 8293, Section 176.1). Open the source
  10. 10.Malacañang / LawPhil Project. Presidential Decree No. 224, Amending Certain Parts of the Integrated Organization Plan. Published June 22, 1973. 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. 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
  12. 12.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
  13. 13.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
  14. 14.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
  15. 15.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
  16. 16.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
  17. 17.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
  18. 18.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
  19. 19.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
  20. 20.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
  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. “Ilocos Region.” Scene Atlas. Updated October 2, 2026. https://scene.ph/atlas/ilocos-region