Good to know
Good to Know
- Manila's metro area (14.7 million) is significantly larger than the city proper (1.9 million); most expats and international businesses concentrate in broader Metro Manila.
- Chinese and Indian communities form the largest foreign populations, reflecting historical trade ties and modern investment patterns.
- The city's tech ecosystem has more than doubled in valuation in one year, with strong government backing through innovation and startup legislation.
- Manila boasts one of the world's most active startup accelerators and angel networks, with funding available from seed stage through Series B and beyond.
- English is widely spoken, especially among younger demographics, reducing language barriers for foreign professionals and entrepreneurs.
- IT-BPM sector employs over one million Filipino workers and remains globally competitive due to cost efficiency and skilled talent availability.
Domestic Migration
Indigenous people of Manila area; primary local population
- Ethnic Origin
- Tagalog
Other Filipino groups
- Description
- Bicolanos, Visayans, Ilocanos, Kapampangan, Pangasinan, Moro groups, and tribal groups including Bajau and Igorot
Historic Communities
Home to world's oldest Chinatown, Binondo, established 1594
- Community
- Chinese
Spanish-Filipino
- Note
- Historical mestizo population; significant but assimilated over centuries
Notable Nationalities
Chinese
- Rank
- 1
- Count
- 22494
- Year Data
- 2020
Indian
- Rank
- 2
- Count
- 18959
- Year Data
- 2020
Japanese
- Rank
- 5
- Count
- 4397
- Year Data
- 2020
South Korean
- Rank
- 4
- Count
- 4372
- Year Data
- 2020
American
- Rank
- 3
- Count
- 6306
- Year Data
- 2020
Population
- Year Data
- 2024
- Metro Area
- 14667000
- City Proper
- 1902590
Foreign Born Percentage
- Note
- Specific percentage not documented in recent sources; foreign residents numbered over 133,000 as of early 2026
Business And Tech Presence
- Global Capability Centers
- Approximately 150 GCCs operating in the Philippines; focus on banking, insurance, finance, and health sectors
Key Sectors
- Fintech (GCash, PayMaya, Coins.ph, PDAX)
- E-commerce (Lazada, Shopee, Peddlr)
- IT-BPM/Business Process Outsourcing
- Healthtech (MedGrocer, KonsultaMD)
- Edtech (Edukasyon.ph, Quipper)
- Gaming
- AI and cybersecurity
Talent Pool
- Median Age
- 25
- English Proficiency
- Strong English proficiency among population under 35
- Stem Graduates Annually
- 350000
Startup Ecosystem
- Tech Valuation 2024
- ₱393,379,200,000
- Tech Valuation Growth
- From USD 3.5 billion (2023) to USD 6.4 billion (2024)
Major Companies Presence
- Global tech companies with development centers in Manila
- Multinational firms across IT, finance, healthcare, telecommunications
- Regional operations headquarters (ROHQ) for multinational corporations
Foreign Investment Framework
- Startup Visa
- Five-year startup visas available for foreign founders
- IT BPM Ownership
- 100% foreign ownership allowed for IT-BPM companies (export-oriented services)
- Government Support
- Innovative Startup Act, Philippine Innovation Act, CREATE Act (with CREATE MORE amendments), tax holidays, R&D funding
AI-generated estimateData refreshed July 2026
Sources cited for this category
These are the sources cited in this local demographics research for this city. Individual figures may not each trace to one of them.
More About Manila
Data last updated July 2026 · Verify anything important.