Close to Half of OFWs are Females (Results from the 2009 Survey on Overseas Filipinos)

The Survey on Overseas Filipinos (SOF) conducted in October 2009 recorded a total of 1.9 million Overseas Filipino Workers (OFWs) in the country during the period April to September 2009. Of this total, 47.2 percent or approximately 900 thousand were women.

Highlights of the Survey on Overseas Filipinos 1999

Total number of Overseas Filipino Workers (OFW) reached 1.043 million in 1999. The figure edged up by 15.4 percent compared to last year's estimate of 904 thousand. The number of Overseas Contract Workers (OCW) grew to 991 thousand in 1999. This reflected an increase of 124 thousand OCWs or 14.3 percent from 1998. On the contrary, the percentage share of the OCWs to total OFWs registered a lower share of 95.0 percent compared to 95.9 percent from the previous year.

Highlights of the Survey on Overseas Filipinos 1997

The number of Overseas Filipino Workers (OFWs) who worked abroad was estimated at 904 thousand during April to September 1998. This was lower by 109 thousand from the 1997 figure of 1,013 thousand workers. Similarly, the number of OCWs decreased to 867 thousand in 1998. This indicated a drop of 101 thousand or 10.4 percent from the previous year. However, the percentage share of the OCWs to total OFWs remained almost the same with 95.9 percent in 1998 and 95.6 percent in 1997.

2000 Survey of Overseas Filipinos (SOF)

The number of Overseas Filipino Workers (OFWs) who worked abroad from April to September 2000 was estimated at 978 thousand, down by 3.7 percent over the 1,016 thousand in the same period in 1999.

2001 Survey on Overseas Filipinios (SOF)

The number of Overseas Filipino Workers (OFWs) who worked abroad during the period April to September 2001 was estimated at 1.03 million, up by 5.2 percent from 978 thousand a year ago.

National Statistics Office

Overseas Workers