Home affairs president bemoans 'data vacuum'

Pressure is growing on the States to publish up to date information on the island's population, after a lack of recent figures has been criticised by another senior politician.

Home affairs president Marc Leadbeater said "we have a data vacuum across the States" and it was important to get up to date figures for a review of the island's population regime.

In June policy and resources president Lindsay de Sausmarez told the States: "The committee will soon be able to confirm a timetable for the publication of fully up-to-date national statistics."

So far that timetable has not been produced. The States has blamed issues with the revenue service for the lack of up to date statistics.

The most recent figures are from 31 December 2023 and show the island's population was 64,781.

Guernsey's total population increased by 1.4% (910 people) over the year ending 31 December 2023.

Over the years ending 31 December 2020, 2021 and 2022, the annual changes were 0.6%, 0.7% and 0.6% respectively.

Committee for Economic Development president Sasha Kazantseva-Miller has also been critical of the lack of up to date information on the island's GDP.

The States has said it hopes to publish these stats soon:

• Annual Electronic Census Report March 2024
• Quarterly Population, Employment and Earnings Bulletin June 2024
• Quarterly Population, Employment and Earnings Bulletin September 2024
• Annual Gross Value Added and Gross Domestic Product Bulletin 2024
• Quarterly Population, Employment and Earnings Bulletin December 2024
• Annual Indicators of Poverty Report 2024

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