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Region

SOCCSKSARGEN

SOCCSKSARGEN is a region of the Philippines in Mindanao. Its population was 4,462,776 in the 2024 census, and it has 4 provinces, 4 cities and 45 municipalities.

  • Population: 2024 Census
  • Places: PSGC 2Q 2026
  • Checked by Scene: October 8, 2026
  • Page updated: October 2, 2026
Colour byColours the map of SOCCSKSARGEN by the figure chosen; the key beside it says what each colour means.
Bangsamoro (BARMM)Davao RegionNorthern MindanaoCotabato: 1,286,142 people, 209 per km², 0.21% a yearSarangani: 580,915 people, 150 per km², 0.93% a yearSouth Cotabato: 1,010,009 people, 249 per km², 0.84% a yearSultan Kudarat: 863,651 people, 152 per km², 0.27% a yearGeneral Santos City: 722,059 people, 1,436 per km², 0.84% 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, 4]Open in OpenStreetMap

  • PeopleSources

    4,462,776

    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 20.9% from 2010 to 2024

  • Rank by peopleSources

    14th

    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 SOCCSKSARGEN in 2024 (3.96%)

  • Inside itSources

    4

    provinces

    49 cities and municipalities, 1,097 barangays

  • LandSources

    20,262.71 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: SOCCSKSARGEN's land would fill a square about 142.3 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: 220 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 2 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

    1,174,715

    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

    56.1%

    About 56 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
1200000000[5]Formerly 120000000

People

SOCCSKSARGEN had 4,462,776 people in the 2024 census, up 20.9% 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.

SOCCSKSARGEN had the 14th most people of the 18 regions of the Philippines in 2024[1]
  1. 11Western Visayas4,861,911
  2. 12Eastern Visayas4,625,929
  3. 13Bangsamoro (BARMM)4,545,486
  4. 14SOCCSKSARGEN4,462,776
  5. 15Cagayan Valley3,777,608
  6. 16MIMAROPA3,245,446
  7. 17Caraga2,865,196
Of every 100 people in SOCCSKSARGEN in 2024[1]
Age structure · 2024 Census[6]People living in households, by age and sex
  • About 29 of every 100 are children under 15 (29.2%)
  • About 65 of every 100 are of working age, 15 to 64 (65.2%)
  • About 6 of every 100 are 65 or older (5.6%)
MenWomen

The figures by age

People by age group, men and women
AgePeopleMenWomen
Under 5387,573199,993187,580
5 - 9438,430226,830211,600
10 - 14473,499244,182229,317
15 - 19448,685229,181219,504
20 - 24406,123206,602199,521
25 - 29356,921183,681173,240
30 - 34343,839177,243166,596
35 - 39308,073161,878146,195
40 - 44269,616141,647127,969
45 - 49243,790127,907115,883
50 - 54212,126109,538102,588
55 - 59172,95187,30485,647
60 - 64141,14769,23471,913
65 - 69104,38148,91555,466
70 - 7470,65231,19339,459
75 - 7938,67615,31323,363
80 - 8422,2227,84614,376
85 and over15,5274,73610,791

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
4,462,776[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
1,174,715[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
3.96%[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
56.1% (2,504,898 people)[7]
Men and women, 2024
2,273,223 men, 2,181,008 women[6]People living in households
Population at each census, with its source
CensusPopulationGrowth since the census beforeHouseholdsPeople per household
2024as of July 1, 20244,462,776[1, 2]0.55% a year1,174,7153.8
2020as of May 1, 20204,360,974[1]1.55% a year——
2015as of August 1, 20154,053,514[1]1.80% a year——
2010as of May 1, 20103,690,174[1]———
2007as of August 1, 2007; as it was then3,830,500[20]2.41% a year——
2000as of May 1, 2000; on today’s borders3,222,169[20, 21]2.69% a year——
1995as of September 1, 1995; as it was then2,846,966[20]3.25% a year——
1990as of May 1, 1990; as it was then2,399,953[20]3.37% a year——
1980as of May 1, 1980; as it was then1,722,727[20]4.76% a year——
1975as of May 1, 1975; as it was then1,365,078[20]2.84% a year——
1970as of May 6, 1970; as it was then1,186,963[20]6.03% a year——
1960as of February 15, 1960; as it was then652,020[20]———

Provinces and cities

SOCCSKSARGEN is made up of 4 provinces and 1 city that governs itself, General Santos City, with 1,097 barangays in all.
Provinces and cities of SOCCSKSARGEN. Each column heading sorts the table.
Kind[1, 8]Share (2024)
CotabatoProvince1,286,14228.82%0.21% a year6,155.62 km²
SaranganiProvince580,91513.02%0.93% a year3,862.92 km²
South CotabatoProvince1,010,00922.63%0.84% a year4,052.29 km²
Sultan KudaratProvince863,65119.35%0.27% a year5,689.08 km²
General Santos CityHighly urbanized city722,05916.18%0.84% a year502.80 km²

Land & Environment

SOCCSKSARGEN covers 20,262.71 km² of land, 220 people for every km² in 2024. Its land rises to 2,431 m above the sea and it has 371.1 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
20,262.71 km²[8]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
220 people per km²[8]
Coordinates
6.26719° N, 124.81902° E[3]The point inside its border farthest from every edge, so it always falls within the place.
Height above the sea[16]
Lowest
Sea level
Average
436 m
Highest
2,431 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

371.1 km of coastline[17]

Rivers[17]

  1. Tran River82.7 of 112.1 km
  2. Kabacan River80.5 of 82.7 km
  3. Allah River66.9 of 129.0 km
  4. Kulaman River66.9 km
  5. Malitubog River65.0 of 86.1 km
  6. Kabulnan River62.9 of 182.7 km
  7. Arakan River62.9 km
  8. Buayan River62.1 km

The longest inside it: 148 in all.

Lakes[17]

  1. Lake Buluan73.7 km²
  2. Lake Sebu3.6 km²
  3. Lake Holon3.2 km²
  4. Mal-Mar Reservoirreservoir2.2 km²
  5. Lake Seloton0.48 km²
  6. Tinagacan Lake0.14 km²

The largest: 11 in all.

Peaks[17]

  1. Mount Matutumvolcano2,286 m
  2. Mount Busavolcano2,083 m
  3. Mount Tinanan1,810 m
  4. Datu Dumalao Altut Tuna Peak1,687 m
  5. Horse Mountain1,660 m
  6. Mount Malibato1,530 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 IV[18]

Rain spread fairly evenly through the year, with no dry season.

Covers about 54 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.

At General Santos, the nearest PAGASA station, 39 km away[19]Averages for 1991 to 2020: 958 mm of rain on 106 days a year; 27.9 °C on average

Rain each month Average temperature

The figures by month

Climate at General Santos, 1991 to 2020, by month
MonthRainRainy daysAverageHighLow
January97 mm927.5 °C32.3 °C22.6 °C
February53 mm727.9 °C32.9 °C22.8 °C
March55 mm628.5 °C34.0 °C23.0 °C
April54 mm628.9 °C34.3 °C23.5 °C
May72 mm828.5 °C33.5 °C23.6 °C
June102 mm1227.7 °C32.2 °C23.1 °C
July98 mm1127.2 °C31.7 °C22.8 °C
August91 mm1127.3 °C31.7 °C22.8 °C
September83 mm1027.5 °C32.2 °C22.8 °C
October100 mm1027.7 °C32.6 °C22.8 °C
November78 mm827.9 °C32.8 °C23.0 °C
December75 mm827.8 °C32.6 °C23.0 °C
The year958 mm10627.9 °C32.7 °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 132 m above the sea.

Life & Economy

SOCCSKSARGEN's economy made ₱700.7 billion of goods and services in 2025, ₱152,350 for each person. About 23 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
₱700.7 billion[12]Its gross domestic product at current prices; ₱577.0 billion at 2018 prices.
Growth, 2024–2025
4.8%[13]How much more it made than the year before, at 2018 prices.
For each person, 2025
₱152,350[14]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
23.1% of people[15]Below the poverty line, by the PSA's survey.
About 23 of every 100 people in SOCCSKSARGEN lived below the poverty line in 2023 (23.1%)[15]

The PSA's survey puts it between 20.4% and 25.9%, with 95% confidence. The poverty line was ₱29,379 a person for the year.

History & Identity

Official name
Region XII (SOCCSKSARGEN)[5]
Created
Presidential Decree No. 742 of 7 July 1975 set out Region XII as one of the regional groupings first established under Presidential Decree No. 1, which the decree amended, naming its provinces and cities with Cotabato City as regional center.[9]

How it got its name

Executive Order No. 36 of 19 September 2001 reorganized Region XII, until then Central Mindanao, to be known as SOCCSKSARGEN.[10]

Its story

Presidential Decree No. 742 of 1975 made up Region XII of Sultan Kudarat, North Cotabato, Maguindanao, Lanao del Sur and Lanao del Norte, with Cotabato City as regional center.[9]

Executive Order No. 429 of 1990 renamed it Central Mindanao and made the municipality of Koronadal in South Cotabato its regional center.[11]

That order brought South Cotabato in from Region XI and sent the cities of Iligan and Marawi to Region IX.[11]

Executive Order No. 36 of 2001 renamed it SOCCSKSARGEN.[10]

Timeline

  1. 7 July 1975

    Presidential Decree No. 742 defined Region XII with Cotabato City as regional center.[9]

  2. 12 October 1990

    Executive Order No. 429 named it Central Mindanao and moved its regional center to Koronadal.[11]

  3. 19 September 2001

    Executive Order No. 36 renamed Region XII SOCCSKSARGEN.[10]

Changes since 1977

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

  1. July to December 2001

    Renamed; it was Region XII (Central Mindanao).[22]

Nearby

SOCCSKSARGEN shares a border with Bangsamoro (BARMM), Davao Region and Northern Mindanao.

How it compares

SOCCSKSARGEN beside Mindanao, and where it stands among the regions of the Philippines.

SOCCSKSARGEN beside Mindanao
FigureSOCCSKSARGENMindanaoRank 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 glossary4,462,776[1, 2, 23]27,531,1405th of 6
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 glossary0.55% a year[1, 2, 23]slower1.15% a year5th of 6
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 glossary220[1, 8, 23]less crowded2395th of 6
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 glossary20,262.71 km²[8]115,208.21 km²3rd of 6
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]lower4.0not 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 glossary56.1%[7]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 : Region XII (SOCCSKSARGEN) (OpenSTAT table 0121A6DTHP1). 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.OpenStreetMap contributors. Barangay boundaries from OpenStreetMap, where UN OCHA's layer has none. Published September 25, 2026. Read by Scene September 25, 2026. ODbL 1.0. Open the source
  5. 5.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
  6. 6.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
  7. 7.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
  8. 8.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
  9. 9.Office of the President (LawPhil). Presidential Decree No. 742, Restructuring the Regional Organization of Mindanao, Basilan, Sulu and Tawi-Tawi. Published July 7, 1975. Read by Scene October 3, 2026. Philippine government work, no copyright (Republic Act No. 8293, Section 176.1). Open the source
  10. 10.Office of the President (LawPhil). Executive Order No. 36, Providing for the Reorganization of the Administrative Regions in Mindanao. Published September 19, 2001. Read by Scene October 3, 2026. Philippine government work, no copyright (Republic Act No. 8293, Section 176.1). Open the source
  11. 11.Office of the President (LawPhil). Executive Order No. 429, Providing for the Reorganization of the Administrative Regions in Mindanao. Published October 12, 1990. 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 (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
  13. 13.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
  14. 14.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
  15. 15.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
  16. 16.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
  17. 17.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
  18. 18.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
  19. 19.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
  20. 20.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
  21. 21.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
  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. “SOCCSKSARGEN.” Scene Atlas. Updated October 2, 2026. https://scene.ph/atlas/soccsksargen