NEW data highlighting another drop in the number of children being born in Jersey has reignited concerns over the future economic impact of the Island’s declining birth rate.

The latest annual statement from the Office of the Superintendent Registrar showed Jersey recorded the lowest number of births since 1945 in 2024, with the 330 girls and 386 boys born last year, marking a 10% decrease in births in comparison to 2023 and 28% fewer births compared to 2014.

The annual statement’s publication comes less than a year since a report by public health documented that the Island’s total fertility rate falls well below the so-called “replacement” level needed to sustain the population long term without relying on migration.

Reacting to the new data, Deputy Montfort Tadier – chair of the Economic and International Affairs Scrutiny Panel – said: “There are always two sides to this. The first is to find out what the causes are for the reduction in births and the next thing is really to do with what the consequences will be of that.

“Of course the consequences will be delayed, presumably, because if there are fewer children being born now we’re going to start to see that in the economy maybe in 20, 30, 40 years’ time.”

Deputy Tadier continued: “There will be immediate issues for the education system, which could be a positive if you get smaller class sizes – but of course there are economies of scale there to consider. The causes are then going to become much more interesting and more difficult to define.”

He added that “anecdotally, I think we can imagine what some of those reasons might be,” noting that Jersey is “an increasingly expensive place to live”.

In a statement, the government said that: “The potential impact of declining birth rates on our economy is well understood in Jersey and throughout the world.

“The government’s Future Economy Programme exists to address the economic challenges Jersey is facing, and we are confident it will help attain the sustainable growth that our Island needs.”