Population, GDP, natural resources, leaders and history of Philippines: the Magna Factbook country file, with its Magna grade (MCB, ranked #73 of 195).
Philippines is a presidential republic in Southeastern Asia, archipelago between the Philippine Sea and the South China Sea, east of Vietnam. The country's capital is Manila; it covers 300,000 sq km. Independence: 4 July 1946 (from the US). Terrain: mostly mountains with narrow to extensive coastal lowlands. Climate: tropical marine; northeast monsoon (November to April); southwest monsoon (May to October). Population: 118.3 million (2024 estimate). Population growth: +0.74% per year. Median age: 27.1 years. Life expectancy: 70.8 years (2024 est.). Languages: Tagalog 39.9%, Bisaya/Binisaya 16%, Hiligaynon/Ilonggo 7.3%, Ilocano 7.1%, Cebuano 6.5%, Bikol/Bicol 3.9%, Waray 2.6%, Kapampangan 2.…
| Capital | Manila |
|---|---|
| Population | 118,277,063 (2024 est.) |
| GDP (PPP) | $1.202 trillion (2024 est.) |
| GDP per capita (PPP) | $10,400 (2024 est.) |
| Real GDP growth | 5.7% (2024 est.) |
| Inflation | 3.2% |
| Unemployment | 2.2% |
| Public debt | 39.9% of GDP (2017 est.) |
| Exports | $106.99 billion (2024 est.) |
| Imports | $161.154 billion (2024 est.) |
| Life expectancy | 70.8 years (2024 est.) |
| Median age | 27.1 |
| Urbanization | 48.3% of total population (2023) |
| Government | presidential republic |
| Independence | 4 July 1946 (from the US) |
| Languages | Tagalog 39.9%, Bisaya/Binisaya 16%, Hiligaynon/Ilonggo 7.3%, Ilocano 7.1%, Cebuano 6.5%, Bikol/Bicol 3.9%, Waray 2.6%, Kapampangan 2.4%, Maguindanao 1.4%, Pangasinan/Panggalato 1.3%, other languages/dialects 11.2%, unspecified 0.4% (2020 est.) |
MCB · 53/100 — The Magna grade is our 0–100 composite of structural national power — five dimensions, 100+ indicators. It is the Bureau's own assessment, not a mirror of World Bank or CIA figures.
Momentum 0 — Quarterly momentum: the Bureau's read on the country's trajectory over the last quarter, from −10 (deteriorating fast) to +10 (accelerating).
Nothing in Jul–Sep 2026 moved the needle. The institutions functioned, the economy ran its course, and the world looked elsewhere.
That is the honest note: a quarter of normalcy, scored as such.
Timber, Oil, Nickel, Cobalt, Silver, Gold, Salt, Copper.
Ferdinand Marcos Jr. — President. President Ferdinand "BongBong" MARCOS, Jr. (since 30 June 2022)
Philippines maintains 67 embassies and 28 consulates abroad, hosts 73 foreign diplomatic missions, holds permanent missions to ASEAN Jakarta, UN New York, UN Geneva, WTO Geneva. The breadth of a diplomatic network is a direct measure of diplomatic power — it shows how far a country’s influence, alliances and interests reach.
| Embassies abroad | 67 |
|---|---|
| Consulates abroad | 28 |
| Foreign missions hosted | 73 |
| Multilateral missions | ASEAN Jakarta, UN New York, UN Geneva, WTO Geneva |
Source: Wikipedia 'List of diplomatic missions of the Philippines' (network as of May 2025); '... in the Philippines'
Transport networks are economic power made physical — ports, runways, railways and pipelines decide what a country can move, sell and defend.
| Sea access | Coastal — 36289 km of coastline. |
|---|---|
| Airports (total) | 256 + 416 heliports (registration prefix RP) |
| Major seaports | Batangas City, Cagayan de Oro, Cebu, Manila, San Fernando Harbor, Subic Bay |
| Railways | 77 km |
| Pipelines | 530 km gas, 138 km oil (non-operational), 185 km refined products (2017) |
| Top container ports (TEU) | Manila (4,976,014 TEU, 2021) |
Bacolod-Silay International Airport (BCD) — Bacolod City; Bicol International Airport (DRP) — Legazpi; Bohol-Panglao International Airport (TAG) — Panglao; Clark International Airport / Clark Air Base (CRK) — Mabalacat; Francisco Bangoy International Airport (DVO) — Davao; General Santos International Airport (GES) — General Santos; Iloilo International Airport (ILO) — Cabatuan; Kalibo International Airport (KLO) — Kalibo; Laguindingan International Airport (CGY) — Laguindingan; Laoag International Airport (LAO) — Laoag City.
Showing 10 of 15 major airports.
| LNG import terminals | Batangas |
|---|
Sources: OurAirports public-domain extract (2026-10-02); per-entry Wikipedia links included; CIA World Factbook via cia_factbook snapshot (2026-09-28); theodora.com CIA mirror (CIA World Factbook Transportation section), scraped 2026-10-02
| Political system | presidential republic |
|---|---|
| Next election | No election currently scheduled. |
MCB · 53 Ranked #73 of 195 countries in the Magna Country Rankings. Full ranking breakdown for Philippines.
Historical timeline of Philippines
