Teenage pregnancy in CAR increases by 2.6 percentage points

In 2022, there were 5.4 percent or 5,531 of women 15 to 19 years of age who have ever been pregnant in the country.

In the Cordillera Administrative Region (CAR), teenage pregnancy was at 6.1 percent in 2022, an increase of 2.6 percentage points from 3.5 percent in 2017.

Meanwhile, Northern Mindanao had the highest teenage pregnancy with 10.0 percent, followed by Davao Region with 8.2 percent, Central Luzon with 8.0 percent, and Caraga with 7.7 percent.

Both Ilocos Region and Bicol Region had the lowest rate of teenage pregnancy with 2.4 percent.

CAR ranks first among regions with highest increase in teenage pregnancy

In 2022, a decreasing trend in teenage pregnancy was recorded among 15 regions in the country. Ilocos Region (2.4 percent) recorded the highest decrease with 10.8 percentage points from 13.2 percent in 2017. SOCCSKSARGEN (3.8 percent) followed with 10.7 percentage points decrease from 14.5 percent in 2017. Davao Region (8.2 percent) came third with 9.7 percentage points decrease from 17.9 percent in 2017.

Only two regions, CAR and Western Visayas, recorded significant increases among women 15 to 19 years old who have ever been pregnant in 2022. CAR recorded 6.1 percent of teenage pregnancy of 15 to 19 years old, an increase of 2.6 percentage points from the 3.5 percent recorded in 2017. Meanwhile, teenage pregnancy in Western Visayas was at 6.6 percent in 2022, an increase of 1.3 percentage points from 5.3 percent in 2017.

Overall, teenage pregnancy in the country declined to 5.4 percent in 2022 from 8.6 percent in 2017.

Women 19 years of age had the highest number of teenage pregnancies

Among the age group 15 to 19 years old, women aged 19 recorded the highest incidence of teenage pregnancies in 2022 with 13.3 percent. This was a decrease of 9. 1 percentage points from the 22.4 percent in 2017.

Pregnancy among women aged 18 was at 5.9 percent, 17-year old women at 5.6 percent, and 16-year old women at 1.7 percent. Meanwhile, women 15 years of age had the least number of pregnancies at 1.4 percent.

In general, teenage pregnancies declined from 8.0 percent in 2003 to 5.4 percent in 2022.

Teenage pregnancy had high numbers in rural areas

By area of residence, women aged 15 to 19 years old in rural areas had a higher number of pregnancies in 2022 with 6.1 percent as compared to those in the urban areas with 4.8 percent.

Among the 17 regions of the country, Northern Mindanao had the highest percentage of women aged 15 to 19 years who have ever been pregnant at 10.9 percent. This was followed by Davao Region with 8.2 percent, and Caraga with 7.7 percent.

Meanwhile, the region with the lowest percentage of teenage pregnancy were Ilocos Region and Bicol Region, both with 2.4 percent.

In general, the percentage of teenage pregnancy was higher in rural areas as compared to urban areas.

Teenage pregnancy most common among those who reached or finished primary education

By educational attainment, teenage pregnancy was common (19.1 percent) among women aged 15 to 19 years who reached or finished primary education (Grade levels 1-6) in 2022. This decreased by 12.7 percentage points from 31.8 percent in 2017.

Junior high (Grades 7-10) decreased from 9.1 percent in 2017 to 5.3 percent in 2022. However, senior (Grades 11-12) high school levels recorded an increase from 2.6 percent to 4.8 percent. Same with the seniors, pregnant college women teenagers increased from 1.4 in 2017 to 1.9 in 2022.

In general, the incidence of teenage pregnancy decreases as educational level increases.

One in 10 women aged 15 to 19 years among the poorest quintile has ever been pregnant

About one in every 10 women aged 15 to 19 years in the lowest or poorest quintile (10.3 percent) has ever been pregnant. Across the wealth quintile, teenage pregnancy was most prevalent among those at the lowest (10. 3 percent) and middle quintile (7.5 percent) or the poorest based on the status of the household.

Only 1.8 percent of women in the highest or wealthiest quintile has ever been pregnant in 2022. Figure 6 shows that as the level of wealth quantile increases, the percentage of teenage pregnancy decreases.

VILLAFE P. ALIBUYOG
Regional Director

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TECHNICAL NOTES

Eligible women - All women 15-49 years old in the sample households including those visitors who stayed the night before the interview

Teenage Pregnancy- The percentage of women aged 15 to 19 years who have ever been pregnant.

Wealth Quintile - Households are given scores based on the number and kind of consumer goods they own, ranging from television to a bicycle or car, and housing characteristics such as source of drinking water, toilet facilities, and flooring materials. These scores are derived using principal component analysis. National wealth quintiles are compiles by assiggfning the household score to each usual (de jure) household member, ranking each person in the household population by her or his score, and then dividing the distribution into five population categories, each comprising 20% or the population.