The Philippines' Position Within ASEAN (By Indicator, With Raw Figures)

As of 2026-09-08 · Updated 2026-09-08 · Section: Foreign Relations & Security · 日本語版

A reference table showing where the Philippines ranks among the 10 ASEAN member states (Brunei / Cambodia / Indonesia / Lao PDR / Malaysia / Myanmar / the Philippines / Singapore / Thailand / Viet Nam) across a range of indicators — built to be pulled up and cited directly.

Looking only at rank is misleading. Always pair it with the raw figure. "5th-largest economy in ASEAN" and "4th from the bottom in GDP per capita" are simultaneously true.

0. Overall summary — the Philippines' rank across ASEAN at a glance

The sudden shift in 2026: the Philippines is losing, in 2025–26, the position it held through the 2010s as "ASEAN's high-growth country." Real growth in Q2 2026 was just 2.3% — the lowest since the pandemic, inflation in July 2026 hit 6.2%, and FDI is at a 5-year low. See §7 for details.

1. Scale: population and GDP

1-1. Population (2025, World Bank WDI)

注 The Philippine Statistics Authority (PSA)'s census-based (POPCEN) population figure comes in lower than World Bank / UN estimates. The simultaneous circulation of "116.79 million" and figures in the "112 million" range reflects the difference between projected estimates and an actual census count — neither one is simply "wrong." Always attach the source and reference date when citing either figure.

1-2. Total nominal GDP (current US$)

Source: World Bank WDI (NY.GDP.MKTP.CD, July 2026 update. Independently re-confirmed against the live API on 2026-08-26)

The Philippines ranks 5th in ASEAN. However, it earns almost the same total as Malaysia (population 35.98 million) with 3.2 times the population.

注 (Added following the 2026-08-26 verification pass) "5th in ASEAN" is source-dependent. Under IMF WEO figures, it ranks 4th. A live check of the IMF DataMapper API (NGDPD) on 2026-08-26 shows the following 2025 nominal GDP figures (US$ billion), with Viet Nam falling below the Philippines:

In other words, under WDI the order is "Indonesia → Singapore → Thailand → Viet Nam → the Philippines (5th)," while under IMF WEO it's "… → the Philippines (4th) → Malaysia → Viet Nam." The discrepancy is almost entirely attributable to Viet Nam alone (likely reflecting differences in when Viet Nam's GDP series was revised across the two sources, though the exact cause is unconfirmed). 注 Neither figure has been dropped. When writing "ASEAN's Nth-largest," always attach the source [World Bank WDI or IMF WEO] and the year.

1-3. Nominal GDP per capita

Source: 2024 figures from World Bank WDI (NY.GDP.PCAP.CD). 2025 figures are the author's calculation, dividing the World Bank's 2025 GDP by its 2025 population.

Viet Nam has now clearly overtaken the Philippines in GDP per capita (2024: Viet Nam $4,717 vs. the Philippines $3,985, a gap of $732). By 2025 the gap had widened to roughly $895. This was the reverse in the 1990s. Failing to register this reversal will lead to a serious misreading of the Philippines' current position.

注 (Added following the 2026-08-26 verification pass) The "$895 gap" figure is specific to the WDI series. Under IMF WEO figures (NGDPDPC, checked live 2026-08-26), 2025 figures are Viet Nam $4,281 vs. the Philippines $3,945, a gap of just about $336. Both series agree that the reversal has occurred, but the size of the gap differs by roughly 2.7 times. Always specify which series you're citing when writing "Viet Nam has pulled ahead by $X." 注 Neither figure has been dropped. 注 Additionally, the Philippines' own GDP-per-capita figure varies across three versions: $4,171 (dividing by the WDI population) / approx. $4,270 (dividing IMF's GDP by IMF's population of 114.086 million) / approx. $4,321 (dividing by the 2024 census population of 112,729,484) (see the article "Statistical Time Series" in this collection, §4-3).

Below the Philippines are only Cambodia, Lao PDR, and Myanmar. It is 4th from the bottom in ASEAN.

2. The Economy: growth, inflation, and employment

2-1. Real GDP growth (%)

Source: World Bank WDI (NY.GDP.MKTP.KD.ZG)

A fall from 3rd place in 2024 to 7th in 2025. The full-year 2025 rate of 4.4% was "the lowest in 5 years," coming in well below the government's target range of 5.5–6.5% (PSA, published 2026-01-29 / BusinessWorld, 2026-01-30, and others).

2026 has deteriorated further: 2.8% in Q1 (PSA, reported 2026-05-07), and 2.3% in Q2 — the lowest since the pandemic (PSA; 注the report date is given as "2026-08-09" in this article, but as "2026-08-07" in the article "Statistical Time Series" in this collection, §2-2 — both figures are presented here following a 2026-08-26 cross-check; the 2.3% figure itself is consistent across both articles). The ADB revised its Philippine 2026 growth forecast down to 4.4% in July 2026 (citing the global energy crisis and the situation in the Middle East). Around the same time, the ADB revised its forecast for developing Asia as a whole upward, to 4.9% — leaving the Philippines relatively behind within the region.

注 (Added following the 2026-08-26 verification pass) Accounts differ across articles in this collection as to what the ADB's "cut to 4.4%" was cut from. The article "Statistical Time Series," §2-3, says "the ADB cut it from a previous 5.3% to 4.4%," while the article "The Philippines' Relations with Other ASEAN Countries," §2-3, says "5.3% → 4.4% → 3.7% reflects two rounds of cuts by the World Bank." The primary sources (the ADB's Asian Development Outlook, July 2026 edition, and the World Bank's Philippines Economic Update) were not cross-checked in this verification pass either — this remains unconfirmed. Neither account has been dropped; do not cite either one as settled fact.

2-2. Inflation (CPI, annual average, %)

Source: World Bank WDI (FP.CPI.TOTL.ZG)

注 The 2025 figure of 1.66% is no longer the current picture. In July 2026, Philippine inflation hit 6.2% (6.4% in June), and the first-half-2026 average was 4.8% (PSA, reported 2026-08-05). Surging energy prices are the main driver. Using the 2025-era framing that "Philippine inflation is under control" without updating it would now be incorrect.

2-3. Unemployment

Source: World Bank WDI (SL.UEM.TOTL.ZS, ILO model estimate)

注 Do not read this table as "the Philippines' unemployment rate is 2.2%." The ILO's model-based estimate and each country's own official statistics use different definitions and survey methods. The official unemployment rate from the PSA's Labor Force Survey (LFS) is shown below — more than double the ILO estimate:

Source: PSA Labor Force Survey (monthly), reported by GMA / Philstar / BusinessWorld / SunStar (March–August 2026)

注 When making international comparisons, be sure to compare "ILO model estimates against each other" or "each country's official statistics against each other." Mixing the two produces a meaningless comparison.

3. Poverty and living standards

3-1. Poverty rate on the national poverty line (注 not internationally comparable)

Source: World Bank WDI (SI.POV.NAHC). The Philippines' 2025 figure is from the PSA (published 2026-08-21).

The Philippines' population-based poverty rate ran: 16.7% in 2018 → 18.1% in 2021 → 15.5% in 2023 → 9.7% in 2025. The family-based rate is 6.4%. The poverty line stands at roughly ₱96 a day (PSA, 2026-08-21; converted from a monthly figure of ₱14,634 for a family of five). Officials announced that "roughly 6.5 million people rose out of poverty."

注 (Added following the 2026-08-26 verification pass) The reported figures of "6.5 million people lifted out of poverty" and "8.8 million people remaining in poverty" do not reconcile with the 9.7% poverty rate. 9.7% of the 2024 census population of 112,729,484 works out to approximately 10.93 million people — about 2 million more than the reported figure of "8.8 million." The article "Statistical Time Series" in this collection, §6-1, notes the same inconsistency. It's safest to treat the actual headcount of people in poverty as [unconfirmed] and to cite only the rate. 注 Also, the 2025 figures of 9.7% / 6.4% are preliminary figures published by the PSA on 2026-08-21, not yet reflected in OpenSTAT — they are not final figures (see the article "Statistical Time Series," §6-1). Do not present "9.7%" as a confirmed, final number.

注 A drop from 15.5% to 9.7% in just two years is an extremely large swing. Reports indicate that the Department of Economy, Planning, and Development (DepDev) is conducting a review of poverty metrics (BusinessMirror, 2026-08-25), so caution is warranted in how these numbers are handled. Also, since each country's poverty line differs both in level and in when it was last updated, the international comparison in the table above is not valid.

3-2. Internationally comparable poverty rate: US$4.20/day (2021 PPP)

Source: World Bank WDI (SI.POV.LMIC, the lower-middle-income country line under the 2021 PPP basis)

注 (Corrected following the 2026-08-26 verification pass) The old draft's reference to "the 2017 PPP basis ($1.90/$3.20/$5.50)" was an error. $1.90/$3.20/$5.50 are the three lines under the 2011 PPP basis; the three lines under the 2017 PPP basis are $2.15/$3.65/$6.85. The correct lineage is set out below.

(Source: the current three lines were confirmed on 2026-08-26 via a live check of the World Bank WDI API's indicator metadata for SI.POV.DDAY / SI.POV.LMIC / SI.POV.UMIC. The two older bases are per Our World in Data, "From $1.90 to $2.15 a day: the updated international poverty line") The 16.9% figure above (the Philippines, 2023) is the value under the current $4.20 line, and should not be conflated with the older "$3.20/day" or "$3.65/day" figures.

3-3. Human Development Index (HDI) and life expectancy

Source: UNDP, Human Development Report 2025, Statistical Annex Table 1 (reference year for the underlying data: 2023). As of 2026-08-26, the 2026 edition of the HDR has not yet been published.

注 (2026-08-26 verification pass) The figures for Singapore [13th, 0.946], Brunei [60th, 0.837], and Malaysia [67th, 0.819] matched an overseas secondary aggregator site (which had transcribed data from HDR 2025; Wikipedia is excluded from our sourcing policy and could not be cross-checked against a primary source). However, within that same aggregation, Thailand appears at 77th (76th in the table above), and Viet Nam appears at 94th, with an HDI of 0.761–0.765 (93rd and 0.766 in the table above) — a discrepancy. Neither figure has been dropped. The Philippines' 7th-place ranking within ASEAN holds under either version. A re-check against the original UNDP source (the statistical annex PDF at hdr.undp.org) is recommended.

At 69.8 years, life expectancy is 3rd-lowest in ASEAN (behind only Myanmar's 66.9 and Lao PDR's 69.0). While the Philippines ranks a relatively strong 4th in ASEAN for mean years of schooling, at 9.98 years, its HDI remains stuck at 7th, held down by its low life expectancy and income level.

注 "More years of schooling" does not mean "stronger academic achievement." The table below shows average scores on the OECD PISA math assessment (2018), where the Philippines ranks last among participating ASEAN countries:

Source: World Bank WDI (LO.PISA.MAT). Note: figures from the 2022 assessment are not yet included in this database.

This is the numerical basis for the Philippines' structural paradox of "strong English speakers, weak fundamentals." Relying on English proficiency alone (next section) to judge the quality of the workforce is risky.

4. The Philippines' relative strengths

4-1. English proficiency: EF EPI 2025

Source: EF English Proficiency Index 2025 (covering 123 countries/regions, based on results from 2.2 million adult test-takers, published November 2025). Global average: 488. (2026-08-26 verification) The coverage of 123 countries, the Philippines' 569 points, and Malaysia's 581 points were confirmed to match an overseas secondary aggregator site (which had transcribed EF EPI 2025 data; Wikipedia is excluded from our sourcing policy and could not be cross-checked against a primary source). 注 However, that same aggregation lists Malaysia's global rank as "23rd," against this table's "24th" — a one-place discrepancy. Neither figure has been dropped (the conclusion that the Philippines ranks below Malaysia, i.e. 2nd in ASEAN, holds in both cases). Re-checking against EF's own source (ef.com) is recommended.

The Philippines' skill breakdown: writing 603, reading (figure not obtained), speaking 539. Speaking is its weakest skill — the opposite of the common perception that "Filipinos speak English well," and worth remembering. The top-scoring region domestically is the Cordillera Administrative Region (CAR) at 606; the top city is Manila at 603.

注 The EF EPI is not a nationally representative sample. It aggregates scores from people who voluntarily took EF's free online test, so the pool of test-takers skews differently by country. Singapore and Brunei are not covered in the 2025 edition (meaning you cannot claim "the Philippines is #1 in English in ASEAN" on this basis). The phrase "the Philippines is #1 for English in ASEAN" is inaccurate unless the specific metric is stated.

That said, only two ASEAN countries — Malaysia and the Philippines — achieved a High rating in EF EPI 2025, and the gap to Thailand and Cambodia is 160–180 points. This gap is real.

4-2. Youth: median age and population structure

Source: median age from the UN World Population Prospects, 2024 revision, medium variant (via Our World in Data). Age structure from World Bank WDI (2024).

Of the three ASEAN countries with populations over 100 million — Indonesia, the Philippines, and Viet Nam — the Philippines is by far the youngest. Viet Nam's 33.42 years versus the Philippines' 26.14 is a 7.3-year gap; the gap with Thailand is 14.4 years. The Philippines' 65+ share, at 5.49%, is also 2nd-lowest in ASEAN.

This reflects the difference in "remaining years of demographic dividend." Viet Nam and Thailand are aging faster, and on the single measure of labor-force supply in the 2030s, the Philippines is the large ASEAN economy with the most room to spare.

4-3. Remittances

Source: World Bank WDI (BX.TRF.PWKR.CD.DT / BX.TRF.PWKR.DT.GD.ZS)

The Philippines ranks highest, both in absolute terms and as a share of GDP, among the 6 countries for which WDI has data (the population being compared was clarified following the 2026-08-26 verification pass; the old draft's claim of "largest in ASEAN" had not accounted for missing data for Viet Nam, Singapore, Myanmar, and Brunei. 注 Viet Nam in particular is one of the world's major remittance-receiving countries, so this gap matters a great deal. The confirmed ranking including Viet Nam is unconfirmed). At the macro level this underpins the current account and the peso; at the micro level it supports household consumption, which makes up roughly three-quarters of GDP.

注 Do not conflate "cash remittances" with "personal remittances." BSP (the central bank)'s reported cash remittances came to US$35.63 billion for full-year 2025 — an all-time high (BSP, reported by BusinessWorld / Philstar / ABS-CBN, 2026-02-16 to 17). The World Bank's personal remittances figure (US$40.28 billion for 2024), by contrast, is a broader concept that includes in-kind transfers and others, and runs roughly 5–6% higher. Always specify the concept being used when citing either figure alongside the other.

4-4. IT-BPM (the BPO industry)

IT-BPM's revenue of over US$40 billion is comparable in scale to the Philippines' entire merchandise (goods) export total. An industrial structure in which services exports rival goods exports is distinctive to the Philippines within ASEAN.

注 (Corrected following the 2026-08-26 verification pass) The old draft's claim that this is "about 63% of the $63.4 billion merchandise export total" has been walked back, since the ratio depends entirely on which export series is used. There are 3 different series for "the Philippines' 2025 merchandise exports," and depending on which is used, the ratio moves anywhere from 47% to 63%.

The existence and divergence of these 3 series is discussed in detail in the article "Statistical Time Series" in this collection, §7-1 and §7-2. Always specify the indicator code or the publishing body when writing "X% of merchandise exports." (Source: live World Bank WDI API check on 2026-08-26. BoP: $63,411,405,144; WTO: $83,723,000,000)

注 In July 2026, the industry cut its own target citing the spread of AI and intensifying international competition (BusinessWorld, 2026-07-15). The assumption that "BPO is a sure bet" no longer holds as of 2026.

4-5. Press freedom (a relative strength)

Source: Reporters Without Borders (RSF), World Press Freedom Index 2026

The Philippines rose 2 places, from 116th in 2025 to 114th. Its global rank is low, but within ASEAN it sits 4th, above Singapore, Indonesia, and Viet Nam. By sub-indicator, the social indicator (57.05, 96th globally) is its highest, while the economic indicator (34.50, 131st globally) is its lowest — the economic independence of the media is its single biggest weakness.

注 This ASEAN 4th-place ranking does not contradict the widespread perception that "the Philippines is a dangerous country for journalists." RSF's index is a composite of 5 sub-indicators — political, economic, legal, social, and safety — and looking at the safety indicator alone, the Philippines scores a low 54.03 (117th globally).

5. The Philippines' relative weaknesses

5-1. A thin manufacturing base

Source: World Bank WDI (NV.IND.MANF.ZS)

At 15.67%, the Philippines' manufacturing share is 12 percentage points below Cambodia's (27.81%). It sits at roughly the same level as Singapore (16.26%), but Singapore's manufacturing is concentrated in ultra-high-value semiconductors and pharmaceuticals — a completely different kind of activity.

5-2. Small export volumes

Source: World Bank WDI (BX.GSR.MRCH.CD = balance-of-payments [BoP] basis merchandise exports / NE.EXP.GNFS.ZS). 2025 figures are unavailable for Malaysia, Viet Nam, and others, so rankings reflect "among the 6 countries with data."

注 (Added following the 2026-08-26 verification pass) The "merchandise exports" figure in this table is on a BoP basis, which is a different concept from the Philippines' own customs statistics. For the same year 2025, the WTO original-statistics basis (TX.VAL.MRCH.CD.WT) gives US$83.72 billion, and the PSA's published figure gives US$84.41 billion (an all-time high, reported 2026-01-27) — both roughly US$20 billion (about 30%) higher than this table's US$63.4 billion. Because the other countries' figures in this table use the same BoP basis, the comparison within this table is valid, but the Philippines' export figure should never be cited on its own as "the Philippines exports $X billion." See the article "Statistical Time Series" in this collection, §7-1 and §7-2, for the details of the 3 series.

Comparing 2024 figures, Viet Nam's merchandise exports of $406.5 billion are roughly 7.4 times the Philippines' $55.1 billion, despite the two countries having roughly similar populations (Viet Nam 102 million, the Philippines 117 million). This single pair of figures speaks more eloquently than almost anything else to the Philippines' position within ASEAN.

At 25.74%, the Philippines' exports-to-GDP ratio is the 2nd-lowest among the 8 countries with data, ahead of only Indonesia (22.31%) (the population being compared was clarified following the 2026-08-26 verification pass; Lao PDR and Myanmar lack data for the relevant year, so a definitive ranking among all 10 ASEAN countries cannot be established). The Philippines runs a "domestic-demand-driven" economy — an exception to ASEAN's typical export-led growth model. This gives it relatively more resilience against tariff shocks, but it also means external demand does little to boost growth.

5-3. Foreign direct investment (FDI)

Source: World Bank WDI (BX.KLT.DINV.CD.WD, BoP basis)

On a 2024 basis, the Philippines ranks 6th (Singapore → Indonesia → Viet Nam → Malaysia → Thailand → the Philippines). A country that ranks 2nd in population and 5th in GDP ranks only 6th in FDI.

2025's $7.79 billion is the lowest in 5 years (BusinessWorld / Philstar / GMA, 2026-03-11 to 12). Monthly FDI in May 2026 hit an 11-year low, and cumulative FDI for January–April was down 26.5% year-on-year, at $2.0 billion (Manila Bulletin, 2026-08-10; SunStar, 2026-07-12). UNCTAD's World Investment Report 2026 (published 2026-07-07) found that Southeast Asia led FDI growth among developing regions — the Philippines is the outlier moving in the opposite direction within the region.

5-4. Electricity prices

Source: GlobalPetrolPrices.com (Q2 2026 listing, average of 2023–2026)

Household rates are 2.7 times Viet Nam's and 4.2 times Malaysia's. Industrial rates are also double Viet Nam's. This is the single heaviest disadvantage weighing on manufacturing-location decisions.

注 Whether "the Philippines has the highest electricity prices in ASEAN" or "the 2nd-highest, after Singapore" depends on the time period and the metric. The multi-year average above puts Singapore on top, but the Department of Energy (DOE) reportedly stated that the Philippines exceeded Singapore in the monthly figures for June 2026, becoming ASEAN's highest — a finding reported by multiple outlets (GMA, 2026-07-20; Asian Power, 2026-07-09). The World Bank reportedly also flagged, in August 2026, that the Philippines has the highest electricity prices in ASEAN (GMA, 2026-08-06). One research institute concluded, as of May 2026, that "the Philippines' household electricity price is the highest in Southeast Asia" (BusinessMirror, 2026-05-28). Note: the specific per-kWh figures behind these various reports were not obtained at the primary source in this research.

High electricity prices are driving a rapid shift toward rooftop solar; in June 2026 Reuters reported that "the Philippines is leading the world in solar adoption" (2026-06-28). It's worth noting that a weakness is turning into a separate industrial opportunity.

5-5. Logistics (LPI)

Source: World Bank Logistics Performance Index 2023 (scores from World Bank WDI, "LP.LPI.OVRL.XQ"; rankings per Philippine News Agency, 2023-04-24, and The Star, 2023-04-26, among others)

43rd is the Philippines' best-ever ranking (up 17 places from 60th in 2018; PNA, 2023-04-24). Tied with Viet Nam.

注 The 2023 edition of the LPI is the most recent; as of 2026-08-26, no newer edition could be confirmed. Use this while noting it reflects data now 3 years old.

5-6. Internet speed and penetration

Speed (Ookla Speedtest Global Index, July 2026)

On mobile, the Philippines is clearly behind — 7th in ASEAN and 78th globally. Viet Nam ranks 6th globally, at 3.3 times the Philippines' speed. On fixed broadband, however, 187.77 Mbps ranks 5th in ASEAN — faster than Cambodia, Indonesia, and Lao PDR. "The Philippines' internet is slow" is already an outdated take for fixed broadband, but it still holds true for mobile.

注 The Ookla data cited by DataReportal's Digital 2026 Philippines (as of October 2025) puts mobile at 59.64 Mbps and fixed at 105.17 Mbps — very different from the figures above (July 2026). Always attach the reference date.

Penetration

Source: World Bank WDI (IT.NET.USER.ZS, ITU-based)

注 The Philippines' penetration rate varies by nearly 20 percentage points depending on the source. - World Bank / ITU: 67.26% (2024). Note that the apparent "decline" from 77.87% in 2023 is likely a break in the series from a change in methodology, not an actual deterioration. - DataReportal's Digital 2026 Philippines (Kepios estimate, synthesizing ITU, GSMA, national regulators, and major tech-company planning tools): 98 million people, or 83.8% (as of early 2026). - Other figures from the same report: 137 million mobile connections (117% of the population), and 95.8 million social media users (81.9% of the population).

Either figure can be used, but never mix sources within the same table.

5-7. Corruption Perceptions Index (CPI)

Source: Transparency International, Corruption Perceptions Index 2025 (published 2026-02-10, covering 182 countries/regions)

The Philippines ranks 8th in ASEAN, with a score of 32 and a global rank of 120th. Both its score and rank worsened from 33 points/114th in 2024. It trails Viet Nam (41 points) by 9 points, and sits below Indonesia, Lao PDR, and Thailand alike. The only ASEAN countries below the Philippines are Cambodia and Myanmar.

注 The CPI is a composite index of the perceptions of experts and business people, not "actual levels of corruption." The Philippines' score is derived from 9 sources, with a 95% confidence interval of 28.5–35.5. Don't read too much into a 1–2 point swing.

In July 2026 the ADB flagged corruption risk as an "elevated risk" to the Philippines' growth outlook (ADO, July 2026).

6. Business environment: note that no unified index exists anymore

注 A single, official index ranking "the business environment across ASEAN countries" does not exist as of 2026.

注 B-READY does not publish an overall ranking (only scores across 3 pillars — regulatory framework, public services, and operational efficiency — and 10 topics). The phrase "the Philippines ranks Nth under B-READY" is fundamentally incorrect.

IMD World Competitiveness Ranking 2026 (70 economies, published June 2026)

Source: IMD World Competitiveness Center (the total of 70 economies and the June 2026 publication date confirmed against the primary source). Individual country rankings per reporting by BusinessWorld (2026-06-19), Manila Bulletin (2026-06-18), Philstar (2026-06-20), Free Malaysia Today (2026-06-18), Nation Thailand (2026-06-18), and Jakarta Globe (2026-06-24). The Philippines' 2025 rank of 51st is per BusinessWorld (2025-06-17).

注 Because the Philippines' 2026 rank is inconsistent across multiple secondary sources, this article does not present it as a confirmed figure. Only the reported fact of "up 4 places from 51st in 2025" is treated as established. Confirm against IMD's own primary source before using it.

7. Tourism: a clear weak point for the Philippines

About 1/6.5 of Malaysia's figure, and about 1/3.3 of Viet Nam's (corrected following the 2026-08-26 verification pass. The old draft's claim of "1/15 of Malaysia" was a calculation error: 42,200,000 ÷ 6,484,060 = 6.51. For Viet Nam, 21,200,000 ÷ 6,484,060 = 3.27, so the old draft's "about 1/3" was roughly correct). For a country with 7,641 islands, widespread English proficiency, and low labor costs, this figure stands out as strikingly low. The Philippines' tourism revenue in 2025 was ₱694.0 billion (PNA, 2026-01-20).

Cumulative arrivals for January–July 2026 came to 3.70 million (DOT/BusinessWorld, 2026-08-10), suggesting the full-year figure is likely to remain in the 6-million range.

注 The definition of "visitor" differs by country (the Philippines' figure includes balikbayan — Filipinos returning from residence abroad). Be cautious about simple comparisons.

8. A one-page digest of "strengths" and "weaknesses," by the numbers

The Philippines' strengths (what the numbers show)

The Philippines' weaknesses (what the numbers show)

9. 注 A checklist of points that are easy to get wrong

10. Key sources

注 In preparing this article, the domains of DENR, EMB, NSWMC, and DOTr were not accessed at all (in keeping with those sites' the site's automated-access policy restrictions on AI use).

日本語の詳細版: 分野「経済・統計」「ASEAN内でのフィリピンの位置（指標別・実数併記）」（本サイト日本語版）。