Total external trade up The total external trade in goods in SOCCSKSARGEN Region amounted to USD 160.557 million in April 2021, an increase of 24.4 percent from USD 129.104 million in April 2020.

In 2020, the total number of marriages recorded in SOCCSKSARGEN Region was 10,140 a decrease of 35.50 percent from 15,721 marriages in 2019. The registered number of marriages showed an erratic trend from 2011 to 2020, with noticeable varying figures from 2012 to 2016 and low registered marriages that occurred in 2020.

The reported deaths in SOCCSKSARGEN Region in 2020 reached 23,130 which is 0.58 percent lower compared to year 2019 (see table 1). The number of deaths in Cotabato Province reached 6,829, a decrease of 7.25 percent.

Total external trade up The external trade in goods in SOCCSKSARGEN Region totaled to US$186.550 million in July 2021, down by 32.7 percent from US$140.535 million in July 2020 (Table 1).

Total external trade up The external trade in goods in SOCCSKSARGEN Region totaled to US$187.551 million in June 2021, down by 0.4 percent from US$188.271 million in June 2020 (Table 1).

The Inflation Rate for the Bottom 30% Income Households of SOCCSKSARGEN Region stood at 6.2% in November 2021 from the same figure the previous month. Transport sustained a double digit record of 16.5% from 15.8% in October 2021, thus, posting the highest inflation rate among the 10 major commodity groups in the market basket.

The Inflation Rate for the Bottom 30% Income Households eased to 6.2% in October 2021 from 6.5% in the previous month. Transport sustained a double digit record of 15.8% from 15.3% in September 2021, thus, posting the highest inflation rate along with Alcoholic Beverages and Tobacco at 11.9%.

YEAR-ON-YEAR INFLATION RATES The Inflation Rate for the Bottom 30% Income Households in SOCCSKSARGEN Region eased to 5.5% in December 2021 from 6.2% in November 2021. Housing, Water, Electricity, Gas, and Other Fuels (HWEGOF) recorded the highest inflation at 7.2% from 7.0% the previous month. Aside for HWEGOF, price gains were also noted in Food and Non-Alcoholic Beverages (from 5.7% to 5.9%) and Health (from 1.9% to 2.0%).

During the reference period, the total agricultural output of SOCCSKSARGEN Region increased by about 2.8 percent from 7.43 million in 2020 to 7.64 million metric tons in 2021.

The Consumer Price Index (CPI) For All Items in SOCCSKSARGEN in February 2022 was recorded at 113.9 index points. This indicates that the average retail price of commodities that were included in the market basket for all goods and services for the month under review was 13.9 percent higher than in the reference-based year of 2018. The February 2021 CPI for All Items at 109.6 index points, was lower by 4.3 index points compared to its February 2022 index.