Isle of Man's 'extreme' population imbalances to be investigated

A committee will report back with proposals for population policy in December

A bid to find solutions to "extreme" population imbalances on the Isle of Man has been approved by Tynwald.

Paul Craine MLC said a 35% fall in birth rates between 2010 and 2020, and the number of young people leaving the island were a serious concern.

He warned "many aspects" of the island's future depended on addressing the imbalance.

Politicians agreed to set up a committee to investigate the situation and make recommendations by December.

Population challenges

Mr Craine, who has authored several studies of Manx demographic issues, said the island currently had the sixth oldest population in the world, which was an "extreme" position to be in.

He said census data showed that, within the 20-to-24 age group, up to 10 young adults were leaving the island for every three relocating, which meant there would be fewer economically active adults in the future.

The issues "will not disappear quickly", he said, but efforts had to be made to manage the imbalances by aligning government policies and investigating issues such as better childcare provision.

During Tuesday's debate in Tynwald, Enterprise Minister Alex Allinson stressed that older people were "not a problem" and were "part of our community".

Stu Peters MHK questioned whether the committee would "bring anything new to the table".

But, Cabinet Office Minister Kate Lord-Brennan said the island's population challenges needed "close attention" and it would be "helpful" for the government to have input on the issue.