PH to become aging society by 2027 due to low fertility
- The Forum
- Apr 10
- 2 min read
April 10, 2026
By BNC staff
The Philippines is on the brink of becoming an aging society by 2027 as its fertility rate fell to historic lows, a demographic shift that experts warned could strain the country’s healthcare, the workforce, and social protection systems.
Dr. Juan Antonio Perez III, former executive director of the Commission on Population and Development, on Friday said that the transition reflected both long-term demographic trends and economic pressures shaping Filipino families.
“The UP Population Institute is pretty sure we will become an aging society next year,” Perez said in an interview on Bilyonaryo News Channel’s “The Spokes” program.
He explained that a country is considered an aging society when at least 10 percent of its population was aged 60 and above, a threshold the Philippines was expected to reach in 2027.
“It’s in the early period, but it begins in 2027 because we will hit 10 percent next year. Of the 10 percent who are 60, 7.5 percent are over 65,” he said, adding that this figure could rise to around 15 percent by 2035, with a larger elderly population and fewer young children.
Data from the Philippine Statistics Authority showed that the country’s total fertility rate has dropped to 1.7 children per woman from 4.1 in 1993, falling below the 2.1 replacement level.
Perez said the decline has been driven by delayed marriage, improved access to family planning and rising costs of raising children.
While the population was still growing by around 800,000 to one million annually, its composition was shifting toward fewer young children and more elderly dependents.
Perez warned that this trend could put pressure on public services, particularly healthcare and pensions.
“Population is still growing. But in terms of dependency, the number of older people who depend on the working population and children who depend on them…That’s a problem in terms of health financing,” he said.
The Philippine Health Insurance Corp. was already allocating about 30 percent of its resources to older patients, a share expected to rise as the population ages.
Perez also flagged limited social security coverage, noting that many Filipinos remained outside formal pension systems.
The demographic shift comes as the government continued its efforts to improve income, education and health services, raising concerns that it could “grow old before becoming rich.”
“We have to really think about what this demographic dividend is offering us because we are on the brink of growing old before we become rich as a country. So what we want to do is become rich before we start aging,” he said.
Perez said the current demographic window still offered an opportunity for policymakers to invest in human capital, including boosting women’s participation in the workforce, before the full effects of aging take hold. Original article: https://bnc.bilyonaryo.com/ph-to-become-aging-society-by-2027-due-to-low-fertility/news/
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