Metro Manila - Demographics

Demographics

Metro Manila has a registered population of 11,855,975 people. However, as of 2011, the greater urban area of Manila has a population at around 21,295,000. According to the census of 2000, there were 9,932,560 people and 2,132,989 households residing in Metro Manila. With a population density of 15,617/km², it is by far the most densely populated region of the Philippines. For the period 1995 to 2000, the annual population growth rate was 1.06 percent, lower than that of the 1990 to 1995 period (3.30 percent).

The indigenous people of the area now known as Metro Manila were the Tagalog. Other native ethnic groups of the Philippines also inhabit the metropolis as a result of migration. The include the Visayans, Bicolanos, Kapampangan, Ilocanos, Pangasinan, and Moro groups (mostly Maranao and Maguindanao). Tribal groups such as the Igorot and the Bajau have also settled. There are also numerous peoples of Chinese, Japanese, and Indian descent. Resident Spaniards, Americans, and Koreans are also present in large numbers. Metro Manila is classified as a social urban conglomerate, meaning, it is one of the most ethnically diverse cities in the world.

The most common language spoken in households is Tagalog (94.34%). English is widely used and understood, and is the main language of the middle and upper classes and in business. Chinese is taught in certain Chinese schools. Other languages of the Philippines are also spoken, mostly between family members, relatives, or neighbors belonging to the same ethnic group. Among these languages, the most spoken include Visayan languages, Bikol languages, and Kapampangan. The large majority of the population of Metro Manila is Roman Catholic which compromises 80% of the region's population. Other religions represented are Protestants, Evangelicals, Islam, Iglesia Ni Cristo and Members Church of God International also known by many as Ang Dating Daan are established and having large concentration of membership in the region. Other denominations such as Jesus Is Lord, Pentecostal Missionary Church of Christ, Jesus Miracle Crusadeand others also composing the region's population.