More Education Leads to Less Teenage Pregnancies Here

Over the last five years, the number of teenage pregnancies has decreased in the Philippines, linking education to this shift in adolescent birth rates as there are fewer pregnancies as educational attainment increases.

According to the Philippine Statistics Authority, the number of teenage pregnancies among girls between 15 and 19 years of age went from 8.6% in 2017 to 5.4% in 2022.

The Philippines authorities have deemed teenage pregnancy a “national social emergency” to tackle, and for some officials, it has reached a “national concern” level. Indeed, official data show that the mortality rate among teenage mothers and babies is three times higher than among adult moms aged 25 to 29. The highest pregnancy percentage is among 19-year-olds. In urban areas, the teenage pregnancy rate is 4.8% whereas, in rural areas, it is 6.1%. Among the girls who are pregnant, 19.1% only have primary education.