Teenage pregnancy in the Davao Region has fallen to its lowest level in more than three decades, according to the 2025 National Demographic and Health Survey (NDHS). The survey reveals shifting reproductive health trends and a move toward smaller family sizes.
Data from the Philippine Statistics Authority (PSA) show that 4.1 percent of girls aged 15 to 19 in the region had ever been pregnant in 2025. This figure includes adolescents who had given birth, were pregnant at the time of the survey, or had experienced a pregnancy loss.
The PSA reported that adolescent childbearing has steadily declined since peaking at 17.9 percent in 2017, the highest level recorded since 1993. The rate has now fallen to its lowest recorded level of 3.6 percent in 2025.
“Since 1993, childbearing among teenage girls peaked at 17.9 percent in 2017 and declined to its lowest recorded level of 3.6 percent in 2025,” the PSA said.
The 2025 NDHS is the first midterm demographic and health survey under the Philippine Development Plan 2023–2028. It tracks health and population trends to guide policy and program decisions.
Despite the decline in the Davao Region, other areas recorded higher rates of teenage pregnancy. The Zamboanga Peninsula posted the highest rate at 9.3 percent, followed by Soccsksargen and Mimaropa at 8.2 percent each. The National Capital Region recorded the lowest at 1.8 percent.
The survey also showed a continued decline in fertility rates in the Davao Region. The Total Fertility Rate (TFR) stood at 1.6 children per woman in the three years preceding the survey, down from 4.2 in 1993.
The TFR measures the average number of children a woman is expected to have during her reproductive years based on current birth patterns. The decline indicates smaller families and a growing preference to delay or limit childbirth.
National comparisons showed Calabarzon had the lowest fertility rate at 1.3 children per woman, while the Bangsamoro Autonomous Region in Muslim Mindanao recorded the highest at 2.4.
The survey also found shifting family preferences among married women in the region. Nearly six in 10 said they no longer wanted additional children. About 11 percent said they wanted another child within two years, while 17.5 percent preferred to wait at least two years.
Among married women with two children, 67.1 percent said they wanted no more children or had undergone sterilization. The share rose to nearly 73 percent among women with three children.
The NDHS also found that 7 percent of married women with no children said they do not want to have children at all, reflecting changing attitudes toward family formation.
The PSA said the overall trends point to sustained declines in teenage pregnancy and fertility in the Davao Region, shaped by continued education efforts, family planning programs, and adolescent health interventions.
