The Atlas
Island groups
Luzon, the Visayas and Mindanao are the country's three island groups. They are not a level of government. The Constitution names the provinces, cities, municipalities and barangays as the country's territorial and political subdivisions; an island group has no officials or laws of its own.[1]
Scene groups the 18 regions where their islands lie, MIMAROPA with Luzon and the Negros Island Region with the Visayas, and adds up the regions' official figures for each. How Scene groups them
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At a glance
- 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 glossary
- 112,727,776[3]
- Of the 112,729,484 the census counted, 1,708 were in embassies abroad, in no region.
- 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
- 322,138.54 km²[4]
- Their regions' official areas, added up.
- Largest by landLand 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
- Luzon[4]
- 150,742.84 km²
- Most crowdedPopulation 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
- Luzon[3, 4]
- 426 people per km²
- Fastest growingGrowth 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 glossary
- Mindanao[3]
- 1.15% a year, 2020 to 2024
- Fewer people than in 2020Growth 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 glossary
- None of the 3[3]
- Every one had more people in 2024 than in 2020.
Sort: Most people
Each row is an island group, with its 2024 census figures. Choose a column heading or a sort button to order the list, and choose it again to turn the order round.
3 island groups, most people first.
| Rank | Name | People, 2024 | People per km² | Land area | Growth, 2020–2024 |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1 | LuzonPhilippines | 64,162,977 | 426 | 150,742.84 km² | 0.75% a year |
| 2 | MindanaoPhilippines | 27,531,140 | 239 | 115,208.21 km² | 1.15% a year |
| 3 | VisayasPhilippines | 21,033,659 | 374 | 56,187.49 km² | 0.52% a year |
How it fits
Luzon, the Visayas and Mindanao are how the country's regions are grouped, to help you find them. An island group is not a level of government: it has no officials of its own.
Sources
The list shows each place's own figures: people from the PSA's 2024 census, growth from its 2020 census, land areas from the Land Management Bureau's 2019 masterlist. Every figure's source is on its place's page; how Scene works out the rest.
- 1.1986 Constitutional Commission. The 1987 Constitution of the Republic of the Philippines. Published February 2, 1987. Read by Scene October 2, 2026. Philippine government work, no copyright (Republic Act No. 8293, Section 176.1). Open the source
- 2.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
- 3.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
- 4.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
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.