ILOILO — Registered marriages in Western Visayas fell to their lowest level in years, plunging by 24.7 percent in 2024 — a drop that population officials say signals a dramatic shift in how young Filipinos now view relationships, family life, and economic survival.
Latest data from the Commission on Population and Development (CPD) show total registered marriages in Region 6 dropping from 32,230 in 2023 to just 24,273 in 2024, a decline officials describe as both culturally significant and economically revealing.
“This decline raises questions about the shifting cultural landscape and economic realities that are redefining personal relationships,” the report noted.
Women delaying marriage as priorities shift
CPD regional director Harold Alfred Marshall pointed to major behavioral and economic factors behind the steep decline.
“More women are choosing to pursue higher education and establish fulfilling careers instead of adhering to traditional timelines that prioritize marriage,” Marshall said. “With a growing number of women entering the workforce and increasingly participating in career-oriented paths, many are opting to invest in their personal development rather than entering potentially unstable or failed relationships.”
He added that inflation continues to discourage couples from marrying.
“Mahal ang magpakasal, they said, which is true,” Marshall noted.
Marshall also cited the rise of “hook-up culture”, growing acceptance of same-sex partnerships, and the increasing choice to cohabit or remain single — even opting to become “fur parents” — as factors that pull people away from traditional marital unions.
Numbers tell a deeper story
The decline is consistent across all provinces and cities in the region, but some urban areas saw particularly sharp drops.
* Bacolod City – down 39.7%
* Iloilo City – down 32.1%
* Negros Occidental – highest total at 8,567
* Iloilo Province – 5,668
* Aklan – 1,894
* Antique – 1,925
* Capiz – 2,372
* Guimaras – 546
CPD-6 said marriage registrations took “the most significant decline among essential vital statistics” this year.
Future risks: fewer babies, shrinking workforce
Experts warn that the steep drop in marriages could lead to long-term demographic and economic consequences, including lower birth rates and a future smaller labor force.
The 24.7% reduction in marriages across Western Visayas reflects a deep-rooted cultural and demographic transformation, CPD-6 said.
It emphasized that while career and educational pursuits empower individuals, they also pose “significant challenges… particularly concerning demographic stability.”
A weakening marriage trend “may point to an evolving societal landscape where prioritizing education, career development, and financial stability increasingly takes precedence over forming marital unions.”
Policies supporting families, couples
To slow the downward trend and cushion its impact, CPD-6 recommends family-oriented policies: incentives for newly married couples, programs aiding job stability, and accessible counselling and relationship education.
Such efforts, it said, “could significantly influence younger generations” and help strengthen family cohesion in a region where economic pressures and shifting cultural norms increasingly shape life decisions./PN
