Western Visayas recorded the fastest economic growth among all 18 regions in the Philippines in 2025, posting a gross regional domestic product expansion of 6.4 percent, according to data released Thursday, April 23, by the Philippine Statistics Authority (PSA).
The PSA released its 2025 Regional Accounts of the Philippines on April 23, showing that Western Visayas topped all regional economies for the year, outpacing the national GDP growth rate of 4.4 percent — itself a slowdown from the 5.7 percent recorded in 2024.
Caraga ranked second at 5.704 percent, closely followed by Negros Island Region at 5.699 percent. Ten regions in total grew faster than the national average, including Davao Region at 5.15 percent, CALABARZON at 5.10 percent, BARMM at 5.0 percent, Northern Mindanao at 4.9 percent, SOCCSKSARGEN at 4.8 percent, Ilocos Region at 4.52 percent, and Central Luzon at 4.46 percent.
Western Visayas also led all regions in per capita GDP growth at 5.7 percent, ahead of Negros Island Region at 5.3 percent and Caraga at 4.6 percent. The national per capita GDP grew by 3.5 percent in 2025.
At the other end of the rankings, Bicol Region posted the weakest growth among all regions at 0.5 percent, followed by Eastern Visayas at 1.0 percent and Zamboanga Peninsula at 2.6 percent.
Despite its strong overall performance, Western Visayas recorded an 11.4-percent contraction in gross capital formation — the third-largest investment decline among all regions. At the national level, gross capital formation fell by 1.7 percent, with eight regions posting contractions. Caraga bucked the trend with the strongest investment growth at 8.5 percent.
At the national level, the fastest-growing industries in 2025 were human health and social work activities at 11.6 percent, education at 7.8 percent, and public administration and defense at 6.8 percent. On the expenditure side, government final consumption expenditure led growth at 8.4 percent, followed by exports of goods and services at 8.2 percent.
The 2025 regional accounts are consistent with revised annual estimates released by the PSA on April 8, 2026, according to National Statistician and Civil Registrar General Claire Dennis S. Mapa. Complete data on the Regional Accounts of the Philippines is available at the PSA website.
