Philippine births, deaths decline

PHILIPPINE registered births and deaths dropped by 2.8% and 25.6% year on year, the local statistics agency said on Monday.

Births last year reached 1.33 million, down from 1.36 million in 2021, while registered deaths dropped to 654,013 from 879,429.

Meanwhile, marriages rose by 18.2% to 421,875 from a year earlier.

In a separate report, the Philippine Statistics Authority said ischemic heart disease remained the leading cause of death in the Philippines at 119,966 last year from 155,775 in 2021. It accounted for 18.3% of total deaths. — Bernadette Therese M. Gadon