2025 Edition Primary

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.

Area

Land

78 sq km

Note

<strong>note:</strong> includes Alderney, Guernsey, Herm, Sark, and some other smaller islands

Total

78 sq km

Water

0 sq km

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

Continent

Europe

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.)

Agricultural land: arable land

arable land: 18.3% (2022 est.)

Agricultural land: permanent crops

permanent crops: 0% (2022 est.)

Agricultural land: permanent pasture

permanent pasture: 24.9% (2022 est.)

Forest

5.2% (2022 est.)

Other

51.6% (2022 est.)

Landlocked

No

Location

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

Map links

Google Maps

https://goo.gl/maps/6kXnQU5QvEZMD9VB7

OpenStreetMap

https://www.openstreetmap.org/relation/270009

Map references

Europe

Maritime claims

Exclusive fishing zone

12 nm

Territorial sea

12 nm

Natural hazards

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

Natural resources

cropland

Subregion

Northern Europe

Terrain

mostly flat with low hills in southwest

Time zone

UTC+00:00

number of time zones

1

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

Elderly dependency ratio

34.4 (2025 est.)

Potential support ratio

2.9 (2025 est.)

Total dependency ratio

56.8 (2025 est.)

Youth dependency ratio

22.4 (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

<strong>note:</strong> 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

Female

2.7 deaths/1,000 live births

Male

3.7 deaths/1,000 live births

Total

3.2 deaths/1,000 live births (2025 est.)

Languages

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

languages

English, French, Guernésiais

number of languages

3

Life expectancy at birth

Female

86.4 years

Male

80.9 years

Total population

83.6 years (2024 est.)

Major urban areas - population

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

Median age

Female

46.2 years

Male

43.8 years

Total

45.1 years (2025 est.)

Nationality

Adjective

Channel Islander

Noun

Channel Islander(s)

Net migration rate

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

Population

Female

34,163

Male

33,760

Total

67,923 (2025 est.)

Population growth rate

0.19% (2025 est.)

Religions

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

Sex ratio

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

At birth

1.05 male(s)/female

Total population

0.99 male(s)/female (2024 est.)

Total fertility rate

1.59 children born/woman (2025 est.)

Urbanization

Note

<strong>note:</strong> data include Guernsey and Jersey

Rate of urbanization

0.68% annual rate of change (2020-25 est.)

Urban population

31.2% of total population (2023)

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

<strong>note:</strong> two additional parishes for Guernsey are sometimes listed -- Saint Anne on the island of Alderney and Saint Peter on the island of Sark

Capital

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

Geographic coordinates

49 27 N, 2 32 W

Name

Saint Peter Port

Time difference

UTC 0 (5 hours ahead of Washington, DC, during Standard Time)

Citizenship

see United Kingdom

Coat of arms

svg

https://mainfacts.com/media/images/coats_of_arms/gg.svg

Constitution

Amendment process

new laws or changes to existing laws are initiated by the States of Deliberation; passage requires majority vote

History

unwritten; includes royal charters, statutes, and common law and practice

Country name

alternative spellings

GG, Bailiwick of Guernsey, Bailliage de Guernesey

Conventional long form

Bailiwick of Guernsey

Conventional short form

Guernsey

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"

Former

Norman Isles

local long form (eng)

Bailiwick of Guernsey

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

Cabinet

none

Chief of state

King CHARLES III (since 8 September 2022); represented by Lieutenant-Governor Richard CRIPWELL (since 15 February 2022)

Election results

<em>2025:</em> Lindsay de SAUSMAREZ (independent) elected president of the Policy and Resources Committee and chief minister<em><br><br>2020: </em>Peter FERBRACHE (independent) elected president of the Policy and Resources Committee and chief minister: percent of States of Guernsey vote - 57.5%<em><br><br>2016:</em> Gavin ST. PIER (independent) elected president of the Policy and Resources Committee and chief minister

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

Expected date of next election

2029

Head of government

Chief Minister Lindsay de SAUSMAREZ (since 1 July 2025)

Most recent election date

7/1/2025

Note

<strong>note:</strong> 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

<strong>description:</strong> 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<br><br><strong>meaning:</strong> the red cross represents Guernsey's status as a British Crown dependency <br><br><strong>history:</strong> the gold cross is a replica of the one William the Conqueror carried at the Battle of Hastings in 1066

Flag description

The flag of Guernsey is white with a red cross extending to the edges. Superimposed on it is a gold equal-armed cross capped with serifs.

Flag image

svg

https://flagcdn.com/gg.svg

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

Note

<strong>note:</strong> appeals beyond Guernsey courts are heard by the Judicial Committee of the Privy Council (in London)

Subordinate courts

Court of Alderney; Court of the Seneschal of Sark; Magistrates' Court (includes Juvenile Court); Contracts Court; Ecclesiastical Court; Court of Chief Pleas

Legal system

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

Legislative branch

Electoral system

plurality/majority

Expected date of next election

2030

Legislative structure

unicameral

Legislature name

States of Deliberation

Most recent election date

7/1/2025

Note

<strong>note:</strong> non-voting members include the bailiff (presiding officer), attorney-general, and solicitor-general

Number of seats

38 (directly elected)

Parties elected and seats per party

independent (35); Forward Guernsey (3)

Percentage of women in chamber

20%

Scope of elections

full renewal

Term in office

4 years

National color(s)

red, white, yellow

National holiday

Liberation Day, 9 May (1945)

National symbol(s)

Guernsey cow, donkey

Political parties

Forward Guernsey&nbsp;

Start of week

Monday

Suffrage

16 years of age; universal

UN Member

No

Agricultural products

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

Currency

code

GBP, GGP

name

British pound (GBP) [£], Guernsey pound (GGP) [£]

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

Currency

Guernsey pound per US dollar

Exchange rates 2020

0.78 (2020 est.)

Exchange rates 2021

0.727 (2021 est.)

Exchange rates 2022

0.811 (2022 est.)

Exchange rates 2023

0.805 (2023 est.)

Exchange rates 2024

0.782 (2024 est.)

Exports - commodities

aircraft, photo lab equipment, clocks, ships, paintings (2022)

note

top five export commodities based on value in dollars

Exports - partners

almost entirely United Kingdom (2022)

GDP - composition, by sector of origin

Agriculture

0.6% (2023 est.)

Industry

8.2% (2023 est.)

Note

<b>note:</b> figures may not total 100% due to non-allocated consumption not captured in sector-reported data

Services

91.2% (2023 est.)

GDP (official exchange rate)

$12.508 billion (2023 est.)

note

<b>note:</b> data in current dollars at official exchange rate; entry includes Jersey and Guernsey

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

<b>note:</b> 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

<b>note:</b> number of people ages 15 or older who are employed or seeking work;entry includes Jersey and Guernsey

Real GDP growth rate

Note

<b>note:</b> annual GDP % growth based on constant local currency; entry includes Jersey and Guernsey

Real GDP growth rate 2021

9.9% (2021 est.)

Real GDP growth rate 2022

5.3% (2022 est.)

Real GDP growth rate 2023

3.7% (2023 est.)

Unemployment rate

Note

<b>note:</b> % of labor force seeking employment; entry includes Jersey and Guernsey

Unemployment rate 2022

6.2% (2022 est.)

Unemployment rate 2023

6.2% (2023 est.)

Unemployment rate 2024

6.3% (2024 est.)

Youth unemployment rate (ages 15-24)

Female

13.9% (2024 est.)

Male

14.2% (2024 est.)

Note

<b>note:</b> % of labor force ages 15-24 seeking employment

Total

14.1% (2024 est.)

Electricity access

Electrification - total population

100% (2022 est.)

Note

<strong>note:</strong> includes Guernsey and Jersey

Broadband - fixed subscriptions

Subscriptions per 100 inhabitants

40 (2020 est.)

Total

25,336 (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.)

Postal code format

@# #@@|@## #@@|@@# #@@|@@## #@@|@#@ #@@|@@#@ #@@|GIR0AA

Telephone calling code

+44

Telephones - fixed lines

Subscriptions per 100 inhabitants

51 (2023 est.)

Total subscriptions

32,637 (2023 est.)

Telephones - mobile cellular

Subscriptions per 100 inhabitants

117 (2023 est.)

Total subscriptions

75,126 (2023 est.)

Airports

2 (2025)

Civil aircraft registration country code prefix

2

Driving side

Left

Heliports

1 (2025)

Ports

Key ports

Alderney Harbour, Saint Peter Port, Saint Sampson

Large

0

Medium

0

Ports with oil terminals

2

Small

1

Total ports

3 (2024)

Very small

2

Vehicle registration code

GBG

Military - note

defense is the responsibility of the UK

Environmental issues

coastal erosion, coastal flooding; declining biodiversity&nbsp;

Waste and recycling

Municipal solid waste generated annually

178,900 tons (2024 est.)

Note

<strong>note:</strong> data include combined totals for Guernsey and Jersey.

Percent of municipal solid waste recycled

28.4% (2016 est.)