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Region

Negros Island Region

Negros Island Region is a region of the Philippines in Visayas. Its population was 4,904,944 in the 2024 census, and it has 3 provinces, 19 cities and 44 municipalities.

  • Population: 2024 Census
  • Places: PSGC 2Q 2026
  • Checked by Scene: October 8, 2026
  • Page updated: October 2, 2026
A still green lake mirroring trees that stand at its edge, below steep forested slopes with low cloud drifting over them.
Lake Balinsasayao, in the Balinsasayao Twin Lakes Natural Park, Sibulan, under low cloud.Photo: “The lake in the clouds” by Vincent Lecolley, CC BY-SA 4.0, via Wikimedia Commons; resized by Scene. Scene's copy is shared under the same licence.

  • PeopleSources

    4,904,944

    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 14.5% from 2010 to 2024

  • Rank by peopleSources

    10th

    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 4 of every 100 people in the Philippines lived in Negros Island Region in 2024 (4.35%)

  • Inside itSources

    3

    provinces

    63 cities and municipalities, 1,353 barangays

  • LandSources

    13,553.48 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: Negros Island Region's land would fill a square about 116.4 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: 362 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

    1,321,004

    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

    61.5%

    About 62 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
1800000000[4]

People

Negros Island Region had 4,904,944 people in the 2024 census, up 14.5% 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.

Negros Island Region had the 10th most people of the 18 regions of the Philippines in 2024[1]
  1. 7Ilocos Region5,342,453
  2. 8Northern Mindanao5,178,326
  3. 9Zamboanga Peninsula5,089,934
  4. 10Negros Island Region4,904,944
  5. 11Western Visayas4,861,911
  6. 12Eastern Visayas4,625,929
  7. 13Bangsamoro (BARMM)4,545,486
Of every 100 people in Negros Island Region in 2024[1]
Age structure · 2024 Census[5]People living in households, by age and sex
  • About 27 of every 100 are children under 15 (26.8%)
  • About 65 of every 100 are of working age, 15 to 64 (65.4%)
  • About 8 of every 100 are 65 or older (7.8%)
MenWomen

The figures by age

People by age group, men and women
AgePeopleMenWomen
Under 5366,977190,283176,694
5 - 9453,990235,360218,630
10 - 14489,290253,978235,312
15 - 19475,188244,943230,245
20 - 24430,388220,673209,715
25 - 29380,499196,182184,317
30 - 34376,131195,927180,204
35 - 39321,896170,029151,867
40 - 44291,795154,325137,470
45 - 49261,946136,237125,709
50 - 54246,066124,575121,491
55 - 59218,860108,206110,654
60 - 64196,95495,486101,468
65 - 69149,49369,04480,449
70 - 74107,95847,21060,748
75 - 7958,93423,14835,786
80 - 8437,67112,90124,770
85 and over25,5907,30018,290

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
4,904,944[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
1,321,004[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
4.35%[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
61.5% (3,014,808 people)[6]
Men and women, 2024
2,485,807 men, 2,403,819 women[5]People living in households
Population at each census, with its source
CensusPopulationGrowth since the census beforeHouseholdsPeople per household
2024as of July 1, 20244,904,944[1, 2]0.72% a year1,321,0043.7
2020as of May 1, 20204,760,340[1]1.14% a year——
2015as of August 1, 20154,510,115[1]0.98% a year——
2010as of May 1, 20104,285,591[1]———
2007as of August 1, 2007; as it was then4,101,670[21]1.45% a year——
2000as of May 1, 2000; as it was then3,695,811[21]1.43% a year——
1995as of September 1, 1995; as it was then3,459,433[21]1.58% a year——
1990as of May 1, 1990; as it was then3,182,180[21]1.47% a year——
1980as of May 1, 1980; as it was then2,749,700[21]1.71% a year——
1975as of May 1, 1975; as it was then2,526,209[21]3.23% a year——
1970as of May 6, 1970; as it was then2,156,046[21]2.05% a year——
1960as of February 15, 1960; as it was then1,751,214[21]———

Provinces and cities

Negros Island Region is made up of 3 provinces and 1 city that governs itself, Bacolod City, with 1,353 barangays in all.
Colour byColours the map of Negros Island Region by the figure chosen; the key beside it says what each colour means.
Negros Occidental: 2,680,477 people, 347 per km², 0.52% a yearNegros Oriental: 1,492,038 people, 279 per km², 0.97% a yearSiquijor: 107,642 people, 335 per km², 0.97% a yearBacolod City: 624,787 people, 3,888 per km², 0.94% 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 Negros Island Region. Each column heading sorts the table.
Kind[1, 7]Share (2024)
Negros OccidentalProvince2,680,47754.65%0.52% a year7,723.65 km²
Negros OrientalProvince1,492,03830.42%0.97% a year5,348.15 km²
SiquijorProvince107,6422.19%0.97% a year321.00 km²
Bacolod CityHighly urbanized city624,78712.74%0.94% a year160.68 km²

Land & Environment

Negros Island Region covers 13,553.48 km² of land, 362 people for every km² in 2024. Its land rises to 2,463 m above the sea and it has 1,079.8 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
13,553.48 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
362 people per km²[7]
Coordinates
9.69235° N, 122.79626° 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
282 m
Highest
2,463 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

1,079.8 km of coastline[19]

Rivers[19]

  1. Ilog River95.1 of 95.6 km
  2. Binalbagan River87.5 of 89.1 km
  3. Tablas Valley River74.8 km
  4. Bayawan River73.9 km
  5. Tulong River62.2 of 62.4 km
  6. Hilabangan River56.9 km
  7. Bago River55.1 of 85.8 km
  8. Danao River49.4 of 49.5 km

The longest inside it: 218 in all.

Lakes[19]

  1. Cansibit Lake1.5 km²
  2. Lake Balinsasayao0.76 km²
  3. Lake Danao0.28 km²
  4. Lake Balanan0.25 km²
  5. Lake Nailig0.11 km²

Peaks[19]

  1. Kanlaon2,465 m
  2. Makawiwili Peak2,390 m
  3. Mount Kanlaonvolcano2,280 m
  4. Mount Talinisvolcano1,903 m
  5. Mount Guinsayawan1,750 m
  6. Yagumyum Peak1,702 m

The highest: 64 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.

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

Life & Economy

Negros Island Region's economy made ₱853.0 billion of goods and services in 2025, ₱176,179 for each person. About 29 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
₱853.0 billion[14]Its gross domestic product at current prices; ₱671.7 billion at 2018 prices.
Growth, 2024–2025
5.7%[15]How much more it made than the year before, at 2018 prices.
For each person, 2025
₱176,179[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
28.9% of people[17]Below the poverty line, by the PSA's survey.
About 29 of every 100 people in Negros Island Region lived below the poverty line in 2023 (28.9%)[17]

The PSA's survey puts it between 25.5% and 32.3%, with 95% confidence. The poverty line was ₱34,044 a person for the year.

History & Identity

Official name
Negros Island Region (NIR)[4]
Created
Republic Act No. 12000 (the Negros Island Region Act), approved 11 June 2024, established the Negros Island Region of Negros Occidental including Bacolod City, Negros Oriental and Siquijor.[8]

How it got its name

Local traditionThe Negros Occidental provincial government says the island was first called Buglas, an old word thought to mean cut-off, before the Spaniards called it Negros after the dark-skinned people they saw there in April 1565.[9]

Its story

Executive Order No. 183 of 29 May 2015 made it from Negros Oriental and Negros Occidental.[10]

Executive Order No. 38 of 7 August 2017 revoked that order and returned the two provinces to Regions VI and VII.[11]

Republic Act No. 12000 brought it back in 2024 and added Siquijor, which had been in Central Visayas.[8, 12]

A 1975 decree on the Bureau of Internal Revenue had already used the name Negros Island Region for a revenue region of Siquijor and both Negros provinces.[13]

Timeline

  1. 21 January 1975

    Presidential Decree No. 640 named a Bureau of Internal Revenue region the Negros Island Region, covering Siquijor and both Negros provinces.[13]

  2. 29 May 2015

    Executive Order No. 183 created a Negros Island Region out of Negros Oriental and Negros Occidental.[10]

  3. 7 August 2017

    Executive Order No. 38 revoked Executive Order No. 183 and said Negros Occidental and Negros Oriental would revert to Region VI and Region VII.[11]

  4. 11 June 2024

    Republic Act No. 12000 established the Negros Island Region again, this time with Negros Occidental, Negros Oriental and Siquijor.[8]

Changes since 1977

As the Philippine Statistics Authority recorded them in its list of places.

  1. May to June 2024

    Created, out of Region VI (Western Visayas) Region VII (Central) Visayas), by RA 12000.[22]

Nearby

Negros Island Region shares no land border with another region. Nearest across the water are Central Visayas, Western Visayas, Zamboanga Peninsula and Northern Mindanao.

How it compares

Negros Island Region beside Visayas, and where it stands among the regions of the Philippines.

Negros Island Region beside Visayas
FigureNegros Island RegionVisayasRank 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 glossary4,904,944[1, 2, 23]21,033,6592nd 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 glossary0.72% a year[1, 2, 23]faster0.52% a year1st 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 glossary362[1, 7, 23]less crowded3743rd 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 glossary13,553.48 km²[7]56,187.49 km²2nd 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, 23]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 glossary61.5%[6]not publishednot ranked

The nearest regions across the water[3]

  1. Central VisayasVisayas5.4 km northeast
  2. Western VisayasVisayas5.5 km north
  3. Zamboanga PeninsulaMindanao28.3 km south
  4. Northern MindanaoMindanao47.0 km southeast

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: Negros Island Region (NIR) (OpenSTAT table 0181A6DTHP7). Published August 7, 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.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
  9. 9.Provincial Government of Negros Occidental. Negros History. 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.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
  13. 13.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
  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. Philippine Standard Geographic Code (PSGC), 2nd Quarter 2026: Summary of Changes, every change to a place since 1977. Published June 30, 2026. 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. “Negros Island Region.” Scene Atlas. Updated October 2, 2026. https://scene.ph/atlas/negros-island-region