In the Philippines' 2020 census, which region was most populous?

In the Philippines’ 2020 census, CALABARZON was the most populous region, with 16,195,042 people.

CALABARZON is officially Region IV-A, a name formed from the first syllables of its provinces: Cavite, Laguna, Batangas, Rizal, and Quezon. Its location beside Metro Manila, combined with extensive industrial, residential, and commercial development, has driven rapid population growth.

The National Capital Region ranked second with 13,484,462 people, while Central Luzon followed with 12,422,172. A common mix-up is to assume Metro Manila must be largest because it is the country’s capital and major urban center; however, the census counted administrative regions, and CALABARZON’s five provinces together had more residents.

The 2020 census recorded 109,035,343 people nationwide. CALABARZON represented about 14.9% of that total, and Cavite was its largest province, with 4,344,829 residents.