By Dominique Gabriel G. Bañaga

The Philippine Statistics Authority (PSA) Region VI yesterday announced that the total population of Western Visayas is at 7,954,723, based on their 2020 Census of Population and Housing.

According to records by the PSA, Western Visayas has a 1.14 population growth rate (PGR), higher compared to 7.5 million recorded in 2015 with a 1.13 PGR.

Records from the PSA also show that Negros Occidental has the highest population in the region with 2,623,172.

Bacolod City, meanwhile, has a population of 600,783, while Iloilo City has a population of 457,626.

The province of Iloilo came in as the second most populous province in the region with a population of 2,051,899, followed by Capiz with 804,952.

Guimaras, meanwhile, has the smallest population with 187,842.

Aklan posted a population of 615,475; while Antique has a population of 612,974./DGB, WDJ