01
Physical geography
Mostly mountains with narrow to extensive coastal lowlands.
Local timeManila ·
Asia / South-Eastern Asia · Card 035
Philippines
Philippines is a country in South-Eastern Asia. Its capital is Manila.
Find Philippines
● Capital · Gold highlights this card’s area.
Map: Natural Earth. Boundaries show geographic context, not a position on sovereignty. Small islands may use enlarged markers.
Map: Natural Earth. Boundaries show geographic context, not a position on sovereignty. Small islands may use enlarged markers.
At a glance
- Capital
- Manila
- Languages
- English & Filipino
- Currency
- Philippine peso (PHP)
- Population
- 116.8 million2025 · World Bank
- Area
- 342,353 km²132,183 square miles
- Independence
- 1946from the US
Philippines in context
Asia and its surrounding regions. The dot marks Manila; the mapped territory is highlighted in gold.
Natural Earth · locator mapGeography & languages
02
Languages
Languages used in public life include English, Filipino.
03
Location
Southeastern Asia, archipelago between the Philippine Sea and the South China Sea, east of Vietnam.
Flag
Two equal horizontal bands of blue (top) and red; a white equilateral triangle is based on the left side; the center of the triangle has a yellow sun with eight rays, each split into smaller rays; the triangle's corners each have a small five-pointed yellow star
History & independence
The Philippines declared independence from Spain in 1898 but subsequently came under US rule after war. Following Japanese occupation during the Second World War, it achieved recognized independence from the United States in 1946. The 1986 People Power movement ended Ferdinand Marcos’s presidency.
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Independence declared from Spain
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Independence from the United States
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People Power movement
Economy
Main activities
Services, electronics manufacturing, agriculture and business-process outsourcing are major activities. Remittances from Filipinos working abroad support many households.
Industry and production
semiconductors and electronics assembly, business process outsourcing, food and beverage manufacturing, construction, electric/gas/water supply, chemical products, radio/television/communications equipment and apparatus, petroleum and fuel, textile and garments, non-metallic minerals, basic metal industries, transport equipment
Population & economic trends
Dated World Bank observations. Population uses selected years; real GDP uses all available annual observations.
Population, 1970–2025
Millions of people116.82025 · millions of people
Population estimates may be revised. Selected years are shown.
Sources: World Bank · Population
View data table
| Year | People | Millions of people |
|---|---|---|
| 1970 | 37,622,204 | 37.622 |
| 1980 | 48,043,740 | 48.044 |
| 1990 | 62,854,666 | 62.855 |
| 2000 | 79,625,397 | 79.625 |
| 2010 | 96,337,125 | 96.337 |
| 2020 | 112,081,264 | 112.081 |
| 2025 | 116,786,962 | 116.787 |
Real GDP, 1990–2025
Billions of constant 2015 US dollars474.82025 · billions of constant 2015 US dollars
Constant prices adjust for inflation. This is total economic output, not current-dollar GDP or income per person. Missing years are left as gaps.
Sources: World Bank · Real GDP
View data table
| Year | Constant 2015 US$ | Billions of constant 2015 US dollars |
|---|---|---|
| 1990 | 107,109,108,270 | 107.109 |
| 1991 | 106,641,694,746 | 106.642 |
| 1992 | 107,087,061,460 | 107.087 |
| 1993 | 109,423,583,330 | 109.424 |
| 1994 | 114,209,405,301 | 114.209 |
| 1995 | 119,491,847,401 | 119.492 |
| 1996 | 126,494,485,337 | 126.494 |
| 1997 | 133,055,010,092 | 133.055 |
| 1998 | 132,370,986,793 | 132.371 |
| 1999 | 136,800,717,247 | 136.801 |
| 2000 | 142,796,015,522 | 142.796 |
| 2001 | 147,150,196,386 | 147.150 |
| 2002 | 152,618,672,919 | 152.619 |
| 2003 | 160,382,249,186 | 160.382 |
| 2004 | 170,918,125,627 | 170.918 |
| 2005 | 179,365,762,736 | 179.366 |
| 2006 | 188,901,594,317 | 188.902 |
| 2007 | 201,216,639,994 | 201.217 |
| 2008 | 209,958,471,374 | 209.958 |
| 2009 | 212,999,348,337 | 212.999 |
| 2010 | 228,621,785,457 | 228.622 |
| 2011 | 237,442,546,235 | 237.443 |
| 2012 | 253,818,843,989 | 253.819 |
| 2013 | 270,952,964,501 | 270.953 |
| 2014 | 288,153,024,772 | 288.153 |
| 2015 | 306,445,871,242 | 306.446 |
| 2016 | 328,355,086,269 | 328.355 |
| 2017 | 351,113,338,966 | 351.113 |
| 2018 | 373,379,140,696 | 373.379 |
| 2019 | 396,224,439,237 | 396.224 |
| 2020 | 358,510,629,276 | 358.511 |
| 2021 | 378,998,554,989 | 378.999 |
| 2022 | 407,730,367,707 | 407.730 |
| 2023 | 430,232,801,525 | 430.233 |
| 2024 | 454,819,510,163 | 454.820 |
| 2025 | 474,842,491,497 | 474.842 |
Human development
The Human Development Index combines health, education and income. Scores range from 0 to 1.
HDI · 20230.720High human developmentRank 117 of 193 · 2025 report
Human Development Index over time
19900.593
20000.632
20100.669
20200.699
20230.720
69.8 yearsLife expectancy at birth
10.0 yearsMean schooling, adults aged 25+
The latest values refer to 2023. All historical scores use the same report edition. HDI does not describe every aspect of inequality or quality of life.
Sources: UNDP · Human Development Report 2025
Government
Presidential republic. Congress (Kongreso) has two chambers (a bicameral legislature).
Knowledge check
Three questions about Philippines.
QUESTION 1 OF 3
Which currency is listed for Philippines?
Sources & notes
Sources: CIA World Factbook · archived profile
Prepared 24 September 2026. World Bank series: SP.POP.TOTL (persons) and NY.GDP.MKTP.KD (constant 2015 US dollars); downloaded 24 September 2026, provider update 13 July 2026. UNDP values use the 2025 report and 2023 observation year. These are dated statistical snapshots, not live population or economic counters.
Maps use Natural Earth geographic data. Background geography, flag descriptions and selected historical facts use archived public-domain CIA World Factbook profiles, supplemented by the sources linked above. The Factbook is no longer updated; dated statistics here come from the separately named providers.