The Atlas

Municipalities in Mindanao

A municipality is a local government made up of barangays, led by a mayor, a vice mayor and the Sangguniang Bayan, the municipal council.^[1] Only Congress can create one, by law, approved in a plebiscite. The law asks for an income of ₱2.5 million a year, 25,000 people and 50 km² of land.^[1]

A municipality that grows can become a component city by law, once it earns ₱100 million a year and has 100 km² of land or 150,000 people.^{[1, 2]}

LuzonVisayasMindanao

Municipalities in Mindanao, at a glance

Municipalities: 430^[3]
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: 18,216,540^[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 glossary: 99,801.64 km²^[5]; Each municipality's official area, added up.
Most people: Polomolok^[4]; South Cotabato; 176,671 people
Fewest people: Burgos^[4]; Surigao del Norte; 4,399 people
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: Loreto^[5]; Agusan del Sur; 1,489.77 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: Jolo^[5]; Sulu; 6,711 people per km²
Fastest growing, 10,000 people or moreGrowth 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: Lantawan^[4]; Basilan; 11.45% 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: 58 municipalities^[4]; Of those with 10,000 people or more, the steepest fall: Talusan, −10.05% a year.

Island group: Mindanao

Region: All

Sort: Most people

Sort

Each row is a municipality, 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. Narrow it with the menus.

430 municipalities, 201 to 250 shown, most people first.

Municipalities in Mindanao, most people
Rank	Name	People, 2024	People per km²	Land area	Growth, 2020–2024
201	MunaiLanao del Norte	36,449	205	177.62 km²	0.96% a year
202	MalidegaoSpecial Geographic Area	36,427	715	50.96 km²	−0.01% a year
203	San LuisAgusan del Sur	36,264	28	1,288.33 km²	0.72% a year
204	Braulio E. DujaliDavao del Norte	36,092	363	99.39 km²	0.24% a year
205	MargosatubigZamboanga del Sur	36,025	416	86.60 km²	−1.68% a year
206	San IsidroDavao Oriental	35,984	117	307.25 km²	1.61% a year
207	ManukanZamboanga del Norte	35,669	251	142.22 km²	−0.80% a year
208	MidsalipZamboanga del Sur	35,643	126	281.77 km²	1.35% a year
209	SimunulTawi-Tawi	35,616	626	56.90 km²	0.95% a year
210	KadingilanBukidnon	35,432	198	178.57 km²	1.18% a year
211	LugusSulu	35,412	91	387.42 km²	4.87% a year
212	AlubijidMisamis Oriental	35,411	329	107.59 km²	2.33% a year
213	DinasZamboanga del Sur	35,409	205	172.67 km²	−0.59% a year
214	PandamiSulu	35,369	620	57.07 km²	1.55% a year
215	Datu Abdullah SangkiMaguindanao del Sur	35,274	315	111.99 km²	3.86% a year
216	Datu Anggal MidtimbangMaguindanao del Sur	35,243	632	55.78 km²	5.47% a year
217	LingigSurigao del Sur	35,203	77	455.32 km²	0.04% a year
218	BonifacioMisamis Occidental	34,942	225	155.02 km²	0.27% a year
219	TandubasTawi-Tawi	34,702	192	180.60 km²	0.27% a year
220	InitaoMisamis Oriental	34,445	340	101.33 km²	0.38% a year
221	CantilanSurigao del Sur	34,233	202	169.84 km²	0.12% a year
222	LiangaSurigao del Sur	34,213	131	261.07 km²	0.24% a year
223	DumalinaoZamboanga del Sur	34,188	291	117.64 km²	0.90% a year
224	OlutangaZamboanga Sibugay	34,124	532	64.14 km²	−2.81% a year
225	SalvadorLanao del Norte	34,053	344	98.99 km²	1.42% a year
226	GanassiLanao del Sur	33,897	1,456	23.28 km²	2.32% a year
227	SantiagoAgusan del Norte	33,877	116	291.16 km²	4.09% a year
228	TugunanSpecial Geographic Area	33,721	615	54.79 km²	0.40% a year
229	Gen. S.K. PendatunMaguindanao del Sur	33,710	118	286.72 km²	1.82% a year
230	MarogongLanao del Sur	33,595	185	181.28 km²	2.65% a year
231	Datu Saudi AmpatuanMaguindanao del Sur	33,374	560	59.61 km²	1.74% a year
232	ColumbioSultan Kudarat	33,337	37	911.67 km²	−0.14% a year
233	Poona BayabaoLanao del Sur	33,307	1,686	19.76 km²	1.63% a year
234	SibagatAgusan del Sur	33,271	59	567.81 km²	−0.49% a year
235	MalangasZamboanga Sibugay	33,194	275	120.61 km²	0.87% a year
236	DimatalingZamboanga del Sur	33,156	292	113.44 km²	1.36% a year
237	PayaoZamboanga Sibugay	33,156	172	192.33 km²	0.04% a year
238	SalugZamboanga del Norte	33,060	233	141.88 km²	0.68% a year
239	MamasapanoMaguindanao del Sur	32,831	699	47.00 km²	4.06% a year
240	Hadji Mohammad AjulBasilan	32,806	569	57.65 km²	7.12% a year
241	Tipo-TipoBasilan	32,734	695	47.07 km²	6.14% a year
242	BayogZamboanga del Sur	32,687	92	354.64 km²	−1.30% a year
243	Pantao RagatLanao del Norte	32,557	599	54.35 km²	1.78% a year
244	DiplahanZamboanga Sibugay	32,423	254	127.47 km²	−0.12% a year
245	Las NievesAgusan del Norte	32,402	89	365.22 km²	1.67% a year
246	Datu Blah T. SinsuatMaguindanao del Norte	32,088	146	219.35 km²	3.11% a year
247	South UbianTawi-Tawi	31,942	768	41.59 km²	1.86% a year
248	KabuntalanMaguindanao del Norte	31,863	314	101.48 km²	5.55% a year
249	AmpatuanMaguindanao del Sur	31,560	82	383.15 km²	2.10% a year
250	DapaSurigao del Norte	31,392	361	86.86 km²	1.91% a year

How it fits

Cities and municipalities are the local governments of the towns, each led by a mayor, a vice mayor and a council, and each made up of barangays. A municipality becomes a city by a law of Congress, once it earns enough and has enough people or land.

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.Congress of the Philippines. Republic Act No. 7160: the Local Government Code of 1991. Published October 10, 1991. Read by Scene October 2, 2026. Philippine government work, no copyright (Republic Act No. 8293, Section 176.1). Open the source
2.Congress of the Philippines. Republic Act No. 9009: amending Section 450 of the Local Government Code, raising the income a municipality needs to become a component city. Published February 24, 2001. Read by Scene October 3, 2026. Philippine government work, no copyright (Republic Act No. 8293, Section 176.1). Open the source
3.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
4.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
5.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.