Barangay Raele

Situated in Itbayat, Batanes, Barangay Raele is one of 5 barangays that make up the municipality within Cagayan Valley.

According to the 2020 Census of Population and Housing conducted by the Philippine Statistics Authority, Barangay Raele had a population of 472. This made it the 4th largest of 5 barangays in Itbayat by population, placing it in the middle tier of the municipality. Residents of Barangay Raele accounted for approximately 15.09% of the total population of Itbayat, which stood at 3,128 in the same census year.

Census comparisons between 2015 and 2020 show Barangay Raele moving from 465 residents to 472 residents, an intercensal change of +1.5%. The trajectory indicates a slowly expanding community. The Philippine Statistics Authority classifies Barangay Raele as rural, a designation applied to barangays with lower population density and predominantly non-built-up land use.

Itbayat is a municipality comprising 5 barangays, and serves as the governing unit directly responsible for local services in Barangay Raele, including public health, sanitation, peace and order, and civil registration. Within the wider province of Batanes, which contains 29 barangays across its component cities and municipalities, Barangay Raele ranks 12th by 2020 population. Batanes is classified as a 5th by the Bureau of Local Government Finance, a category that reflects the province's annual regular income.

Barangay Raele is governed by an elected Sangguniang Barangay composed of a Punong Barangay and seven kagawads, with the Sangguniang Kabataan representing the youth. The next BSKE, set for Monday, November 2, 2026, will elect officials to four-year terms as provided under Republic Act No. 12232.