Also known as: Lalawigan ng Aklan
Aklan is a province in Region VI (Western Visayas). Population 634K (PSA 2024 census), 0 cities + 17 municipalities, 327 barangays total, land area 1,821.42 km². Provincial capital: Kalibo.
Aklan is a province in Region VI (Western Visayas). Its capital is Kalibo.
Aklan had 634,422 residents in the 2024 census (PSA 2024 Census of Population (POPCEN 2024), reference date July 1, 2024). That is the most recent official count. There is no 2026 census result, so any 2026 population figure is an estimate.
Aklan covers 1,821.42 km², per the PSA Philippine Statistical Yearbook figure used on this page.
Aklan has 0 component cities and 17 municipalities (17 LGUs under the province), per PSA's Philippine Standard Geographic Code (2Q 2026), and 327 barangays.
Aklan has no component cities. Its 17 municipalities are Altavas, Balete, Banga, Batan, Buruanga, Ibajay, Kalibo, Lezo, Libacao, Madalag, Makato, Malay, Malinao, Nabas, New Washington, Numancia and Tangalan.
Boracay Island is not a separately-chartered city — it comprises three of Malay municipality's 17 barangays (Balabag, Manoc-Manoc, and Yapak), so its population and tourism activity are already fully counted within Aklan's provincial totals. The island is also the site of the country's best-known land-use enforcement case: President Duterte ordered its complete closure from April 26 to October 26, 2018, citing untreated sewage discharge, building-code violations, and solid waste generation reported at more than three times Manila's per-capita rate.
Key industries: Tourism (Boracay Island, Malay municipality), Piña handloom weaving (UNESCO Intangible Cultural Heritage, 2023), Fishing and aquaculture, Ati-Atihan Festival tourism
A DENR-and-university carrying-capacity study found the island could sustainably support about 54,945 people at once against an estimated actual load of more than 70,700. Post-reopening, the island operates under a roughly 19,200 daily tourist cap and enforcement of a 12-meter road easement and 30-meter beach easement. The story isn't finished: Holy Week 2025 saw the cap breached again, and in February 2026 DENR issued a new administrative order tightening environmental-clearance requirements for new Boracay construction.
Key industries: Tourism (Boracay Island, Malay municipality), Piña handloom weaving (UNESCO Intangible Cultural Heritage, 2023), Fishing and aquaculture, Ati-Atihan Festival tourism
More on the regulatory framework: CLUP explainer · RA 7160 explainer · SGLG explainer · full glossary. Working a CLUP review cycle? Run the CLUP readiness self-check or see CLUP compliance monitoring.
A province managing the Philippines' most closely-watched tourism carrying-capacity enforcement case — one that resurfaced again as recently as early 2026 — is a strong, concrete example of why a PPDO needs live, current land-use compliance tracking rather than a static one-time closure narrative.
With DENR tightening environmental-clearance rules again in 2026 and the tourist cap already breached once since reopening, Aklan's PPDO needs ongoing visibility into Boracay's land-use compliance, not a one-time snapshot. A Nova Gov pilot could provide that across all 17 municipalities.
Start an Aklan pilot →We build custom software around CLUP, CDP and zoning work, for LGU planning offices and for the planning firms LGUs hire. Free 30-minute workflow call, then a fixed written quote.
See what we build for urban planners →