Guernsey

Broadband - fixed subscriptions

total: 25,336 (2020 est.) subscriptions per 100 inhabitants: 40 (2020 est.)

Broadcast media

multiple UK terrestrial TV broadcasts are received via a transmitter in Jersey with relays in Jersey, Guernsey, and Alderney; satellite packages are available; BBC Radio Guernsey and 1 other radio station

Internet country code

.gg

Internet users

percent of population: 86.6% (2021 est.)

Telephones - fixed lines

total subscriptions: 32,637 (2023 est.) subscriptions per 100 inhabitants: 51 (2023 est.)

Telephones - mobile cellular

total subscriptions: 75,126 (2023 est.) subscriptions per 100 inhabitants: 117 (2023 est.)

Agricultural products

tomatoes, greenhouse flowers, sweet peppers, eggplant, fruit; Guernsey cattle

Economic overview

high-income English Channel island economy; strong financial sector but stressed due to COVID-19 disruptions; manufacturing, tourism, and construction industries suffered but expected to recover; stable inflation; maintains independent taxation authority

Exchange rates

Guernsey pound per US dollar 0.782 (2024 est.) 0.805 (2023 est.) 0.811 (2022 est.) 0.727 (2021 est.) 0.78 (2020 est.)

Exports - commodities

aircraft, photo lab equipment, clocks, ships, paintings (2022) top five export commodities based on value in dollars

Exports - partners

almost entirely United Kingdom (2022)

GDP (official exchange rate)

$12.508 billion (2023 est.) note: data in current dollars at official exchange rate; entry includes Jersey and Guernsey

GDP - composition, by sector of origin

agriculture: 0.6% (2023 est.) industry: 8.2% (2023 est.) services: 91.2% (2023 est.) note: figures may not total 100% due to non-allocated consumption not captured in sector-reported data

Imports - commodities

ships, aircraft, refined petroleum, mineral manufactures, beverages (2022)

Imports - partners

almost entirely United Kingdom (2022)

Industrial production growth rate

1.3% (2023 est.) note: annual % change in industrial value added based on constant local currency; entry includes Jersey and Guernsey

Industries

tourism, banking

Labor force

82,400 (2024 est.) note: number of people ages 15 or older who are employed or seeking work;entry includes Jersey and Guernsey

Real GDP growth rate

3.7% (2023 est.) 5.3% (2022 est.) 9.9% (2021 est.) note: annual GDP % growth based on constant local currency; entry includes Jersey and Guernsey

Unemployment rate

6.3% (2024 est.) 6.2% (2023 est.) 6.2% (2022 est.) note: % of labor force seeking employment; entry includes Jersey and Guernsey

Youth unemployment rate (ages 15-24)

total: 14.1% (2024 est.) male: 14.2% (2024 est.) female: 13.9% (2024 est.) note: % of labor force ages 15-24 seeking employment

Electricity access

electrification - total population: 100% (2022 est.) note: includes Guernsey and Jersey

Climate

temperate with mild winters and cool summers; about 50% of days are overcast

Environmental issues

coastal erosion, coastal flooding; declining biodiversity

Land use

agricultural land: 43.3% (2022 est.) arable land: 18.3% (2022 est.) permanent crops: 0% (2022 est.) permanent pasture: 24.9% (2022 est.) forest: 5.2% (2022 est.) other: 51.6% (2022 est.)

Urbanization

urban population: 31.2% of total population (2023) rate of urbanization: 0.68% annual rate of change (2020-25 est.) note: data include Guernsey and Jersey

Waste and recycling

municipal solid waste generated annually: 178,900 tons (2024 est.) percent of municipal solid waste recycled: 28.4% (2016 est.) note: data include combined totals for Guernsey and Jersey.

Area

total : 78 sq km land: 78 sq km water: 0 sq km note: includes Alderney, Guernsey, Herm, Sark, and some other smaller islands

Area - comparative

about one-half the size of Washington, D.C.

Climate

temperate with mild winters and cool summers; about 50% of days are overcast

Coastline

50 km

Elevation

highest point: Le Moulin on Sark 114 m lowest point: English Channel 0 m

Geographic coordinates

49 28 N, 2 35 W

Geography - note

large, deepwater harbor at Saint Peter Port

Irrigated land

NA

Land boundaries

total: 0 km

Land use

agricultural land: 43.3% (2022 est.) arable land: 18.3% (2022 est.) permanent crops: 0% (2022 est.) permanent pasture: 24.9% (2022 est.) forest: 5.2% (2022 est.) other: 51.6% (2022 est.)

Location

Western Europe, islands in the English Channel, northwest of France

Map references

Europe

Maritime claims

territorial sea: 12 nm exclusive fishing zone: 12 nm

Natural hazards

very large tidal variation and fast currents can make local waters dangerous

Natural resources

cropland

Terrain

mostly flat with low hills in southwest

Administrative divisions

no first-order administrative divisions as defined by the US government, but 10 parishes: Castel, Forest, Saint Andrew, Saint Martin, Saint Peter Port, Saint Pierre du Bois, Saint Sampson, Saint Saviour, Torteval, Vale note: two additional parishes for Guernsey are sometimes listed -- Saint Anne on the island of Alderney and Saint Peter on the island of Sark

Capital

name: Saint Peter Port geographic coordinates: 49 27 N, 2 32 W time difference: UTC 0 (5 hours ahead of Washington, DC, during Standard Time) daylight saving time: +1hr, begins last Sunday in March; ends last Sunday in October etymology: named for the patron saint of fishermen; "port" distinguishes it from the Saint Peter (sometimes called Saint Peter in the Wood) on the other side of the island

Citizenship

see United Kingdom

Constitution

history: unwritten; includes royal charters, statutes, and common law and practice amendment process: new laws or changes to existing laws are initiated by the States of Deliberation; passage requires majority vote

Country name

conventional long form: Bailiwick of Guernsey conventional short form: Guernsey former: Norman Isles etymology: the name is of Old Norse origin; the meaning of the root "Guern(s)" is unclear but may refer to a person's name, Grani, or to the color green; the "-ey" ending means "island"

Dependency status

British crown dependency

Diplomatic representation from the US

embassy: none (British crown dependency)

Diplomatic representation in the US

none (British crown dependency)

Executive branch

chief of state: King CHARLES III (since 8 September 2022); represented by Lieutenant-Governor Richard CRIPWELL (since 15 February 2022) head of government: Chief Minister Lindsay de SAUSMAREZ (since 1 July 2025) cabinet: none election/appointment process: the monarchy is hereditary; lieutenant governor and bailiff appointed by the monarch; chief minister, who is the president of the Policy and Resources Committee, indirectly elected by the States of Deliberation for a 4-year term most recent election date: 7/1/2025 election results: 2025: Lindsay de SAUSMAREZ (independent) elected president of the Policy and Resources Committee and chief minister 2020: Peter FERBRACHE (independent) elected president of the Policy and Resources Committee and chief minister: percent of States of Guernsey vote - 57.5% 2016: Gavin ST. PIER (independent) elected president of the Policy and Resources Committee and chief minister expected date of next election: 2029 note: the chief minister is the president of the Policy and Resources Committee and is the de facto head of government; the Policy and Resources Committee, elected by the States of Deliberation, functions as the executive; the 5 members all have equal voting rights

Flag

description: white with the red cross of Saint George (patron saint of England) extending to the edges of the flag and a yellow equal-armed cross of William the Conqueror on top of the Saint George cross meaning: the red cross represents Guernsey's status as a British Crown dependency history: the gold cross is a replica of the one William the Conqueror carried at the Battle of Hastings in 1066

Government type

parliamentary democracy (States of Deliberation)

Independence

none (British Crown dependency)

International organization participation

UPU

Judicial branch

highest court(s): Guernsey Court of Appeal (consists of the Bailiff of Guernsey, who is the ex-officio president of the Guernsey Court of Appeal, and at least 12 judges); Royal Court (organized into 3 divisions - Full Court sits with 1 judge and 7 to 12 jurats acting as judges of fact, Ordinary Court sits with 1 judge and normally 3 jurats, and Matrimonial Causes Division sits with 1 judge and 4 jurats) judge selection and term of office: Royal Court Bailiff, Deputy Bailiff, and Court of Appeal justices appointed by the British Crown and hold office at Her Majesty's pleasure; jurats elected by the States of Election, a body chaired by the Bailiff and a number of jurats subordinate courts: Court of Alderney; Court of the Seneschal of Sark; Magistrates' Court (includes Juvenile Court); Contracts Court; Ecclesiastical Court; Court of Chief Pleas note: appeals beyond Guernsey courts are heard by the Judicial Committee of the Privy Council (in London)

Legal system

customary system based on Norman customary law; includes elements of the French civil code and English common law

Legislative branch

legislature name: States of Deliberation legislative structure: unicameral number of seats: 38 (directly elected) electoral system: plurality/majority scope of elections: full renewal term in office: 4 years most recent election date: 7/1/2025 parties elected and seats per party: independent (35); Forward Guernsey (3) percentage of women in chamber: 20% expected date of next election: 2030 note: non-voting members include the bailiff (presiding officer), attorney-general, and solicitor-general

National anthem(s)

title: "Sarnia Cherie" (Guernsey Dear) lyrics/music: George DEIGHTON/Domencio SANTANGELO history: adopted 1911; serves as a local anthem _____ title: "God Save the King" lyrics/music: unknown history: official anthem, as a British crown dependency

National color(s)

red, white, yellow

National holiday

Liberation Day, 9 May (1945)

National symbol(s)

Guernsey cow, donkey

Political parties

Forward Guernsey

Suffrage

16 years of age; universal

Background

Guernsey and the other Channel Islands represent the last remnants of the medieval Duchy of Normandy, which held sway in both France and England. The islands were the only British soil that Germany occupied in World War II. The Bailiwick of Guernsey consists of the main island of Guernsey and a number of smaller islands, including Alderney, Sark, Herm, Jethou, Brecqhou, and Lihou. The Bailiwick is a self-governing British Crown dependency that is not part of the UK. However, the UK Government is constitutionally responsible for its defense and international representation.

Military - note

defense is the responsibility of the UK

Age structure

0-14 years: 14.3% (male 4,999/female 4,717) 15-64 years: 64.1% (male 21,937/female 21,547) 65 years and over: 21.5% (2024 est.) (male 6,776/female 7,811)

Birth rate

9.64 births/1,000 population (2025 est.)

Death rate

9.19 deaths/1,000 population (2025 est.)

Dependency ratios

total dependency ratio: 56.8 (2025 est.) youth dependency ratio: 22.4 (2025 est.) elderly dependency ratio: 34.4 (2025 est.) potential support ratio: 2.9 (2025 est.)

Ethnic groups

Guernsey 53.5%, UK and Ireland 23.8%, Portugal 2.1%, Latvia 1.4%, other Europe 2.7%, other Crown Dependencies 0.7%, other 5.3%, unspecified 10.5% (2022 est.) note: data represent population by country of birth; the native population is of British and Norman-French descent

Gross reproduction rate

0.78 (2025 est.)

Infant mortality rate

total: 3.2 deaths/1,000 live births (2025 est.) male: 3.7 deaths/1,000 live births female: 2.7 deaths/1,000 live births

Languages

English, French, Norman-French dialect spoken in country districts

Life expectancy at birth

total population: 83.6 years (2024 est.) male: 80.9 years female: 86.4 years

Major urban areas - population

16,000 SAINT PETER PORT (capital) (2018)

Median age

total: 45.1 years (2025 est.) male: 43.8 years female: 46.2 years

Nationality

noun: Channel Islander(s) adjective: Channel Islander

Net migration rate

1.47 migrant(s)/1,000 population (2025 est.)

Population

total: 67,923 (2025 est.) male: 33,760 female: 34,163

Population growth rate

0.19% (2025 est.)

Religions

Protestant (Anglican, Presbyterian, Baptist, Congregational, Methodist), Roman Catholic

Sex ratio

at birth: 1.05 male(s)/female 0-14 years: 1.06 male(s)/female 15-64 years: 1.02 male(s)/female 65 years and over: 0.87 male(s)/female total population: 0.99 male(s)/female (2024 est.)

Total fertility rate

1.59 children born/woman (2025 est.)

Urbanization

urban population: 31.2% of total population (2023) rate of urbanization: 0.68% annual rate of change (2020-25 est.) note: data include Guernsey and Jersey

Airports

2 (2025)

Civil aircraft registration country code prefix

2

Heliports

1 (2025)

Ports

total ports: 3 (2024) large: 0 medium: 0 small: 1 very small: 2 ports with oil terminals: 2 key ports: Alderney Harbour, Saint Peter Port, Saint Sampson