Registered Deaths in the Philippines, 2021

Date of Release: 22 February 2023

Reference No. 2023-59

Explanatory Notes

Data on deaths presented in this release were obtained from the Certificates of Death
(Municipal Form No. 103) that were registered at the Office of the City/Municipal Civil
Registrars all throughout the country and forwarded to the Philippine Statistics
Authority. This release shows an overview of the registered deaths which occurred
from January to December 2021, including the 10 leading causes of death. Deaths
of Filipinos that occurred abroad which were reported to the Philippine Foreign
Service Posts are presented in a separate report. Figures shown were not adjusted
for under registration.

An average of 2,409 deaths registered per day

In 2021, a total of 879,429 deaths were registered in the Philippines, an increase of

43.2 percent from 613,936 in 2020. This is equivalent to a crude death rate1 of 8.0, or
eight deaths per 1,000 population in 2021. This corresponds to an average of 2,409
deaths per day, which translates to 100 deaths per hour or about 2 deaths per minute.

Figure 1. Number and Percentage Change of Registered Deaths

in the Philippines: 2012 to 2021

43.2

4.4 3.8 5.0

3.4 0.9 2.0 -1.0
-0.5
514,745

532,176

536,999

560,605

582,183

579,237

590,709

620,414

613,936

879,429

2012-2013

2014-2015

2016-2017

2018-2019

2020-2021
2013-2014

2015-2016

2017-2018

2019-2020

2012 2013 2014 2015 2016 2017 2018 2019 2020 2021

(1a) Number of Registered Deaths (1b) Percentage Change of Registered Deaths

Source: Philippine Statistics Authority Source: Philippine Statistics Authority

1
Population estimate used was taken from the updated population projections based on the 2015 Census of Population available
at www.psa.gov.ph/statistics/census/projected-population

PSA Complex, East Avenue, Diliman, Quezon City, Philippines 1101

Telephone: (632) 8938-5267
www.psa.gov.ph
The number of registered deaths from 2012 to 2021 has trended upward except in the
years 2017 and 2020. The increase during the ten-year period was 70.8 percent, from
514,745 in 2012 to 879,429 in 2021. (Figure 1 and Table 1)

Highest number of deaths reported in CALABARZON

The highest number of registered deaths by usual residence occurred in

CALABARZON with 138,298 (15.7% share), followed by Central Luzon with 113,127
(12.9% share), and National Capital Region (NCR) with 105,178 (12.0% share). The
combined share of these three regions was 40.5 percent of the total registered deaths
in 2021.

On the other hand, the three regions which had the least number of registered deaths
were Bangsamoro Autonomous Region in Muslim Mindanao (BARMM) with 6,662
(0.8% share), Cordillera Administrative Region (CAR) with 13,241 (1.5% share), and
MIMAROPA Region with 22,934 (2.6% share). These regions accounted for only 4.9
percent of the overall registered deaths in the Philippines in the same year. (Figure 2
and Table 2)

Figure 2. Percent Distribution of Registered Deaths by

Usual Residence (Region) Philippines: 2021

12.0
1.5
6.1
3.7
12.9
Usual Residence

15.7
2.6
5.7
8.2
7.7
4.0
3.3
4.6
4.9
3.7
2.6
0.8
0.0

Source: Philippine Statistics Authority

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 September had the most
Figure 3. Daily Average of Registered Deaths by
Month of Occurrence number of deaths
Philippines: 2021
3,992 In 2021, the average number
3,157 of deaths registered per day
2,352 2,320 2,280 2,441
2,723
Annual was highest in September at
Average,
1,935 1,924 2,018 1,940 1,813
2,409
3,992 or about 166 deaths per
hour. The month of December
had the lowest number of deaths
registered per day at 1,813 or
Jan Feb Mar Apr May Jun Jul Aug Sep Oct Nov Dec
Month of Occurrence equivalent to 76 deaths per hour.
Source: Philippine Statistics Authority
Daily index refers to the
increase/decrease from the overall daily average of event occurrences. The months of
July to October surpassed the national daily index of 100.0 in 2021. In other words,
daily average deaths in these months were higher than the national daily average of
2,409 deaths. (Figure 3 and Table 3)

More male deaths than female deaths recorded

Figure 4 shows the age-sex structure of registered deaths in 2021. It shows an inverted
pyramid, with fewer deaths at the younger ages, except for children under one, and
progressively increasing as people grow older. In the Philippines, the number of male
deaths (491,053 or 55.8% share) was higher than female deaths (388,376 or 44.2%
share) in 2021. The proportion of males who died was highest at the age of 65 to 69
years old (58,883 or 12.0% of male deaths) while for females, the largest was at the
oldest age group, 85 years old and over (68,096 or 17.5% of female deaths).

The sex ratio of 126 indicates

Figure 4. Percent Distribution of Deaths by Age Group
that there were about 126 and Sex, Philippines: 2021
male deaths for every 100 85 and over
80-84
female deaths. Moreover, sex 75-79
70-74
ratio of over a hundred means 65-69
60-64
that more male deaths were 55-59
Age group

50-54
registered compared to their 45-49
40-44
female counterparts at every 35-39 Male Female
30-34
age group spanning 0 to 79 25-29
20-24
years. Further, higher 15-19
10-14
proportions of female deaths 5-9
1-4
were observed in the older age Under 1
groups (80 years old and over) 8 6 4 2 0 2 4 6 8 10
compared to its male Percent
Source: Philippine Statistics Authority
counterparts. (Figure 4 and
Table 4)

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Five out of ten deaths were
Figure 5. Percent Distribution of Attended and
attended by health care provider Unattended Deaths, Philippines: 2021
Not stated
Attendant refers to a private physician, 2.8%

public health officer, hospital authority,

or any other allied health care provider
who provided medical attendance to
the deceased at the time of death.
Unattended
45.3% Attended
Out of 879,429 registered deaths, 51.9 51.9%

percent or 456,784 deaths were

attended. In 2021, 9 of the 17 regions
had more unattended deaths compared
to its attended deaths. (Figure 5 and Source: Philippine Statistics Authority
Table 5)

Figure 6. Percent Distribution of Registered

Deaths by Site of Occurrence
Three fifths of the total registered
Philippines: 2021 deaths occurred at home
Others Not stated
0.7% 0.0 (<0.05) In 2021, 546,038 or 62.1 percent of the
total deaths occurred at home while
327,136 or 37.2 percent died in any
Health health facilities. Some (0.7% share) died
Facilities
37.2% in places other than home and health
facilities, such as on the street, in public
places, on board a vehicle, airplane or
Home vessel while in transit, among others.
62.1%
However, a small proportion of deaths
have undetermined or unspecified sites
because of the missing information in the
place of death or usual residence of the
Source: Philippine Statistics Authority
deceased.

Among the 17 regions, only NCR had more deaths that occurred in health facilities
than any other site of occurrence at 61.2 percent. (Figure 6 and Table 6)

Highest number of infant deaths recorded in CALABARZON

Infant deaths are deaths that occurred before reaching age 1. At the national level,
18,607 infant deaths were registered in 2021. Six out of ten deaths were males (10,678
or 57.4%). The three regions with the highest number of infant deaths recorded were
CALABARZON (3,232 or 17.4% share), NCR (2,839 or 15.3% share), and Central
Luzon (2,259 or 12.1% share).

On the other hand, BARMM (223 or 1.2% share), CAR (245 or 1.3% share) and Caraga
(405 or 2.2% share) had the least number of registered infant deaths. (Figure 7 and
Table 7)

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 Figure 7. Percent Distribution of Registered Infant Deaths by Sex and by
Usual Residence (Region) Philippines: 2021
12.0

10.0
Male Female
8.0
Percent

6.0

4.0

2.0

0.0
Cagayan Valley

Western Visayas

BARMM
Caraga
CAR

Central Luzon
Ilocos Region
NCR

Bicol Region

SOCCSKSARGEN
Northern Mindanao

Davao Region
CALABARZON

MIMAROPA Region

Central Visayas

Zamboanga Peninsula
Eastern Visayas
Usual Residence
Source: Philippine Statistics Authority

Highest number of maternal deaths recorded in CALABARZON

A maternal death is defined by the World Health Organization as, “the death of a
woman while pregnant or within 42 days of termination of pregnancy, irrespective of
the duration and the site of the pregnancy, from any cause related to or aggravated by
the pregnancy or its management, but not from accidental or incidental causes.’’ In
2021, a total of 2,478 women were identified as having died of maternal causes in the
country.

Figure 8. Percent Distribution of Registered Maternal Deaths by

Usual Residence (Region), Philippines: 2021
18.0
15.8
16.0
14.0 12.7 12.3
12.0
10.0 8.3
8.0 6.5
5.5 5.7
6.0 4.4 4.2 4.7
3.9 3.6
3.1 2.8 3.2
Percent

4.0
1.3 1.8
2.0
0.0
Cagayan Valley

Western Visayas

SOCCSKSARGEN

BARMM
CAR

Caraga
Ilocos Region

Central Luzon

MIMAROPA Region
NCR

Northern Mindanao
Bicol Region

Davao Region
CALABARZON

Central Visayas

Zamboanga Peninsula
Eastern Visayas

Usual Residence
Source: Philippine Statistics Authority

Among all regions, CALABARZON recorded the highest number of maternal deaths
with 392 (15.8% share), followed by NCR with 314 (12.7% share), and Central Luzon
with 304 or 12.3 percent share. On the other hand, CAR (32 or 1.3% share) and

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BARMM (45 or 1.8% share), recorded the least number of maternal deaths. (Figure 8
and Table 8)

Ischaemic heart diseases, cerebrovascular diseases, and COVID-19 led causes

of deaths

Deaths due to ischaemic heart diseases were the biggest contributors among the total
deaths in 2021, making up some 17.7 percent (155,775) of the total registered deaths.
This was followed by deaths due to cerebrovascular diseases (including stroke) at
some 9.8 percent (85,904). Mortality due to Coronavirus disease 2019 (COVID-19),
virus identified ranked third at 9.0 percent (79,423). Neoplasms were behind
accounting for 7.9 percent (69,541) of the total deaths. By sex, similar trend with some
deviations in the ranking among the leading causes of deaths was observed.

Deaths due to COVID-19 virus identified and COVID-19 virus not identified, when
combined, accounted for 112,772 or 12.8 percent of total deaths, making it the second
leading cause of death in 2021. (Figure 9 and Table 9)

Figure 9. Ten Leading Causes of Death, Philippines: 2021

1–086 Remainder of diseases of the genitourinary

23,309
system
1–076 Chronic lower respiratory diseases 24,976

COVID-19 Virus not identified 33,349

1–074 Pneumonia 38,152

1–066 Hypertensive diseases 48,647

1–052 Diabetes mellitus 55,636

1–026 Neoplasms 69,541

COVID-19 Virus identified 79,423

1–069 Cerebrovascular diseases 85,904

1–067 Ischaemic heart diseases 155,775

0 50,000 100,000 150,000 200,000

Number of Deaths
Source: Philippine Statistics Authority

CALABARZON recorded the highest number of fetal deaths

Fetal death refers to the death of a fetus irrespective of the duration of pregnancy prior
to complete expulsion or extraction of a product of conception from the mother's womb.
In 2021, a total of 9,524 fetal deaths were reported. By usual residence of mother,
CALABARZON had the highest number with 1,789 cases or 18.8 percent of the total,
followed by NCR (1,573 or 16.5% share) and Central Luzon (951 or 10.0% share).
(Figure 10 and Table 10)

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 Figure 10. Percent Distribution of Registered Fetal Deaths by
Usual Residence of Mother (Region), Philippines: 2021
20.0 18.8
18.0 16.5
16.0
14.0
12.0 10.0 9.4
10.0 8.5
8.0 5.7 6.4
5.4
6.0
Percent

4.0
4.0 2.9 2.6 2.9
1.3 2.0 1.7 1.5
2.0 0.1 0.5
0.0
Cagayan Valley

Western Visayas

BARMM

Foreign Countries
CAR

Caraga
Ilocos Region

Central Luzon
NCR

Bicol Region

SOCCSKSARGEN
Northern Mindanao

Davao Region
MIMAROPA Region

Central Visayas
CALABARZON

Zamboanga Peninsula
Eastern Visayas
Usual Residence
Source: Philippine Statistics Authority

Digitally signed by Mapa

Claire Dennis Sioson
Date: 2023.02.23
21:43:01 +08'00'
DENNIS S. MAPA, Ph.D.
Undersecretary
National Statistician and Civil Registrar General
Attachments:

MBG/EFC/MBV/NEP

Attachments:
1. Table 1. Number and Percentage Change of Registered Deaths, Philippines: 2012-2021
2. Table 2. Number and Percent Share of Registered Deaths by Sex and by Usual Residence (Region),
Philippines: 2021
3. Table 3. Number and Percent Share of Registered Deaths, Daily Average and Daily Index, by Month,
Philippines: 2021
4. Table 4. Number and Percent Share of Registered Deaths by Sex, Age Group and Sex Ratio, Philippines:
2021
5. Table 5. Number and Percent Share of Registered Deaths by Attendant and Usual Residence (Region),
Philippines: 2021
6. Table 6. Number and Percent Share of Registered Deaths by Site and Place of Occurrence (Region),
Philippines: 2021
7. Table 7. Number and Percent Share of Registered Infant Deaths by Sex and Usual Residence (Region),
Philippines: 2021
8. Table 8. Number and Percent Share of Maternal Deaths by Usual Residence (Region), Philippines: 2021
9. Table 9. Ten Leading Causes of Death by Sex, Philippines: 2021
10. Table 10. Number and Percent Share of Fetal Deaths by Usual Residence of Mother (Region), Philippines:
2021

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