Education seen as key to unlocking potential of PHL’s Generation Alpha

THE PHILIPPINE government should further invest in education to ensure that the economy will benefit from the projected boom of the Generation Alpha population in a few years, analysts said.

- - Katherine K. Chan

John Paolo R. Rivera, a senior research fellow at the Philippine Institute for Development Studies, said the expected growth of the young tech-savvy population presents a “huge opportunity and serious responsibility” for the Philippine economy.

“A young, tech-savvy consumer base means rising demand for digital services, education, housing, mobility, and lifestyle products, which can drive long-term domestic growth and make (the Philippines) one of Asia’s most dynamic consumer markets,” he told Business World in a Viber message.

Fitch Solutions unit BMI said in a report released late in October that Gen Alpha, or those born between 2010 and 2024, will constitute 27% of the Philippine population in 2030, the highest in Asia.

The Philippines’ total population reached 112.73 million as of July 1, 2024, based on the latest Philippine Statistics Authority data.

Gen Alpha, born into an era of advanced technology and exposed to innovations such as artificial intelligence from a young age, is recognized as the “digital native” generation.

By 2026, their ages will range from one to 16 years old.