Alderney's population increases for first time in seven years

Alderney's population has dropped by more than 270 since 2001

Alderney's population has gone up for the first time in seven years, according to data from the island's latest electronic census.

At the end of March 2015 Alderney's population was 2,020, which is an increase of twelve people on the previous year.

The island has seen a steady decline in the number of residents for some time.

In 2001, the year of the last Bailiwick-wide census, Alderney's population was 2,294.

Census statistics - end of March 2015

• Alderney's population on was 2,020

• The dependency ratio was 0.77, which means that for every 100 people of working age there were 77 people of dependent age

• 43.7% of the population had been resident for 20 years of more as at March 2015

• 57.5% of the population lived in property they owned, while 34.4% lived in rented accommodation

• Of the total population, 31.5% were employed and 13.6% were self-employed

Population headcounts were calculated by the social security department.

During the year ending in March 2015, there were seven births and 19 deaths. Twenty-four people migrated to Alderney that year, meaning that overall the island's population went up by 12.

Chairman of Alderney's Policy and Finance Committee, Robert McDowall said: "It's welcome that the population has stabilised. There was some indication that it may, because the numbers in the schools have gone up this academic year from about 120 to 140."

"One year is too much to read into things, but it's in the right direction."

He said the island was undergoing some economic regeneration, which was encouraging.