POLICY is “under development” to address Jersey’s falling birth rate, the Chief Minister has said after new figures revealed births last year were at their lowest since records began.
Deputy Lyndon Farnham sought to reassure politicians that the issue was a “high priority” for his government in the Assembly on Tuesday.
There were 720 births to Jersey-resident mothers in 2024, the Births and Breastfeeding report revealed last week. This was the lowest number since records began in 1995, as well as being 10% lower than in 2023 and 36% lower than the most recent peak in birth numbers recorded in 2012 (1,124).
Responding to a question from Deputy Lucy Stephenson on what work was underway to address Jersey’s falling birth rate, in light of the recent statistics, Deputy Farnham said there was not yet a “completed” policy to deal with the issue but he said this was “under development”.
The Chief Minister said falling birth rates were not unique to Jersey and were happening across the world, particularly in the West.
But he highlighted the importance of having affordable family homes in the Island and cost-of-living pressures in Jersey which he said could be influencing Islanders’ decisions on whether to have children.
Deputy Farnham said there was a workshop for States Members on the issue next week.
Asked by Deputy Stephenson whether any research had been carried out yet into the drivers of Jersey’s falling birth rate, the Chief Minister said he could not confirm any had been, but added: “We will have to base our policy formulation on facts and figures”.
It comes after the JEP reported last week how Jersey’s abortion ratio had reached its highest level on record – almost double the EU average – and then on Monday shared concerns from the Chamber of Commerce’s that Jersey is becoming a “smaller, older island”, which they said has “implications for every sector of our community and economy”.
