SOCCSKSARGEN (Region XII): economy, jobs, health, schools, poverty and local government budgets

SOCCSKSARGEN (Region XII) is a region of the Philippines, number 12 of 17 by population. The 2024 census counted 4,462,776 people in SOCCSKSARGEN, 4.0% of the 112,729,484 people in the Philippines; it ranks 6th smallest of 17 regions by population.

In depth

• Economy, jobs and prices in SOCCSKSARGEN (Region XII): The economy of SOCCSKSARGEN produced ₱700.7 billion of goods and services in 2025 (gross regional domestic product, GRDP, at current prices), 2.5% of the Philippine total of ₱28.01 trillion; by size it ranks 8th smallest of 17 regions.
• Health in SOCCSKSARGEN (Region XII): In the five years before the 2022 National Demographic and Health Survey, 24 in every 1,000 babies born in SOCCSKSARGEN died before their first birthday and 29 in every 1,000 died before age five; the national figures are 22 and 26. It ranks 3rd highest of 17 regions for infant deaths. Regional survey estimates carry a margin of error.
• Education in SOCCSKSARGEN (Region XII): The median person aged 6 or over in SOCCSKSARGEN had 7.2 years of schooling in the 2022 National Demographic and Health Survey (national: 8.8 years); it ranks 3rd lowest of 17 regions.
• Poverty and living standards in SOCCSKSARGEN (Region XII): 17.0% of families in SOCCSKSARGEN lived below the poverty line in 2023 (official poverty statistics), against 10.9% of families nationally; it ranks 6th highest of 17 regions for poverty.
• Government budget and revenue in SOCCSKSARGEN (Region XII): Local governments in SOCCSKSARGEN had a combined current operating income of ₱38.1 billion in 2024 (final Statement of Receipts and Expenditures), 3.4% of the ₱1.13 trillion for all local governments; it ranks 4th smallest of 17 regions by income.

How regions are governed in the Philippines

Autonomous region: BARMM (Bangsamoro). Bangsamoro Transition Authority (80 members appointed by the President) pending the first parliamentary election; a Chief Minister leads the government. Own laws on many matters, including Shari'ah courts for Muslims, under the Bangsamoro Organic Law (2018).

Every tier of government in the Philippines

Other regions of the Philippines

• CALABARZON (Region IV-A) 16,933,234
• National Capital Region (NCR) 14,001,751
• Central Luzon (Region III) 12,989,074
• Central Visayas (Region VII) 6,640,875
• Bicol Region (Region V) 6,064,426
• Bangsamoro Autonomous Region in Muslim Mindanao (BARMM) 5,691,583
• Davao Region (Region XI) 5,389,422
• Ilocos Region (Region I) 5,342,453
• Northern Mindanao (Region X) 5,178,326
• Western Visayas (Region VI) 4,861,911
• Eastern Visayas (Region VIII) 4,625,929
• Zamboanga Peninsula (Region IX) 3,943,837
• Cagayan Valley (Region II) 3,777,608
• MIMAROPA Region (Region IV-B) 3,245,446
• Caraga (Region XIII) 2,865,196
• Cordillera Administrative Region (CAR) 1,808,985

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Sources

• Bureau of Local Government Finance, Department of Finance: Statement of Receipts and Expenditures (SRE) by Region, FY 2024 (Final), from the Local Finance Time Series Data, read 23 October 2026 · saved copy (SHA-256 09b48864ffcb…)
• Philippine Statistics Authority and ICF (The DHS Program): 2022 Philippines National Demographic and Health Survey: selected national and regional indicators (DHS Program API), read 23 October 2026 · saved copy (SHA-256 401a0e9d6912…)
• Philippine Statistics Authority: Gross Regional Domestic Product at Current Prices, by Region, Major Industry: 2018 to 2025 (OpenStat table 0052B5BGRP0, CSV export; values in thousand pesos), read 23 October 2026 · saved copy (SHA-256 0424b0ab102c…)
• Philippine Statistics Authority: Philippine Statistical Yearbook, Table 11.1: Total Population 15 Years Old and Over by Employment Status and Region, 2014 to 2023 (Labor Force Survey; OpenStat table, CSV export), read 23 October 2026 · saved copy (SHA-256 a991f0e2dc46…)
• Philippine Statistics Authority: Philippine Statistical Yearbook, Table 1.1: Population, Land Area, Density by Region and Province, census years 2000 to 2024 (OpenStat table, CSV export), read 23 October 2026 · saved copy (SHA-256 e1774f27f8ae…)
• Philippine Statistics Authority: Official poverty statistics, Table 1: Annual Per Capita Poverty Threshold and Poverty Incidence Among Families with Measures of Precision, by Region and Province: 2018, 2021 and 2023 (OpenStat table 0011F3DF010, CSV export), read 23 October 2026 · saved copy (SHA-256 5a5a465011bf…)

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