Teenage pregnancy among girls aged 15 to 19 in the Philippines declined to 5.4 per cent in 2022 from 8.6 per cent in 2017.

Philippine Statistics Authority (PSA) data released at the weekend showed that teenage pregnancy was lower in urban areas at 4.8 per cent than in rural areas at 6.1 per cent.

Nineteen-year-olds had the highest pregnancy percentage, said the report.

In terms of educational attainment, teenage pregnancy was most common among those with primary education, standing at 19.1 per cent.

The percentage of teenage pregnancy decreased as educational attainment increased.

The Philippines has been grappling with teenage pregnancy over the past decade, which was a national social emergency.

Some officials had warned that adolescent birth rates had hovered at a level that merited national concern.

According to official data, teenage pregnancy has a two to five times higher mortality rate than adults.

The neonatal death rate of babies born to young mothers was three times higher than that of mothers aged 25 to 29.

Meanwhile, officials warned that this social problem could also trap a large cross-section of families in a perpetual cycle of intergenerational poverty. 

(Xinhua/NAN)