MercoPress. South Atlantic News Agency

Life satisfaction in Falklands: on a scale 0 to 10, residents provided an average 7,9 rating

A breakdown of the population has shown there were 1,645 males and 1,497 females counted on census night; giving a ratio of 110 males for 100 females

On Tuesday some key findings from the Falkland Islands 2021 Census were advanced with promises of further thematic reports on census data to be published at regular intervals, focusing on areas of interest to the Islands, the community, and the economy. The census provides a snapshot in time of the people living in the Islands, building a picture of the social and cultural life of the community.

 This time life satisfaction was one of the clue surveys, and on a scale of 0 to 10; 99% of Falklands' residents provided a response and the average rating was 7.9. People living in Camp had higher life satisfaction on average, with those living in West Falkland reporting the highest satisfaction overall with an average score of 8.3.

However the first Census report showed that the Falkland Islands resident population is estimated to be 3,662 people - an increase of 586 people, or 8%, since the last census in 2016. The population in the capital Stanley has grown by 340 people, whereas the Camp population fell by 44 people, returning to 2012 levels. 

The number of people counted in the Islands on the night of the census, 10 October 2021, was 3,336 and of those, 194 were non-resident visitors. It's estimated that 520 usually resident people were away from the Islands on census night; over half of whom are permanent residents of the Islands.

A breakdown of the population has shown there were 1,645 males and 1,497 females counted on census night; giving a ratio of 110 males for 100 females.  The average age of the population is 40 years (39 in Stanley and 48 in Camp), and the number of people aged 65 years has increased by 8% per cent compared to 2016.

The total dependency ratio (the ratio of young and old to the working-age population) is 38%; this is an indicator of how much support the economically active population must provide for the services needed by children and older people. Lower ratios indicate a lower burden, and the Falkland Islands figure compares favorably with the UK, for example, where the ratio is 57%.

Census showed 60% of the population are Falkland Islanders and a further 10% are permanent residents; Work Permit holders and their dependents make up 28% of the population.

Regarding employment and income, amongst 15-64 year olds, the labor force participation rate is 95%, which is amongst the highest in the world, compared to International Labour Organization (ILO) data. The reported average annual income for working-age people in employment was £29,400 (£30,600 in Stanley, £25,600 in Camp). The per capita average income for all individuals aged 16 years and over (working and non-working) is £26,700 (£27,300 in Stanley, £23,500 in Camp).

The average annual household income in 2021 was reported to be £53,100 (£56,800 in Stanley, £47,000 in Camp); 22% higher than in 2016, in absolute terms.
As to Health and Lifestyle characteristics, 85% of the population rated their health as ‘good’ or ‘very good’. For the first time in a Falkland Islands census, people were asked to rate their life satisfaction on a scale of 0 to 10; 99% of residents provided a response and the average rating was 7.9. People living in Camp had higher life satisfaction on average, with those living in West Falkland reporting the highest satisfaction overall with an average score of 8.3.

Compared to 2016, smoking rates fell slightly to 17% of the population, with the largest decrease found in young people aged 16 to 24 years. 58% of adults stated they consumed alcohol; a 7 per cent decrease on 2016 figures and the largest decrease in consumption was again in 16 to 24 year olds.