Falklands Census: no growth, population aging

STANLEY, Falkland Islands – Census results show zero population growth in the Falkland Islands. A survey in April found just 2,563 residents, a term that excludes civilian contractors and British military personnel. That's basically the same population as six years ago.

The Falkland Islands Government reported Tuesday that 59 percent of residents surveyed consider their national identity to be "Falkland Islander," twice as many as the 29 percent who consider themselves to be "British."

It also shows that the population over 65 has grown by 14 percent, while the number of children has remained the same, frustrating islanders who want their community to grow large enough to be self-sustaining.

Argentines claim the remote South Atlantic archipelago as their national territory despite losing a war against Britain over what they call the Islas Malvinas.

The census shows that 9.8 percent of residents identify themselves as from another tiny South Atlantic island, St. Helena, and 5.4 percent as Chilean. Of these, 16 percent of those born in Chile now consider their national identity to be Falkland Islander, as do 6 percent of people born in St. Helena, reflecting their their commitment to their new home.

Three quarters of the population lives in the capital, Stanley, with several hundred living on remote farms around the islands.

Children aged up to 15 years old make up 16.5 percent of the population, similar to the last census, and there are 101 males to every 100 females.

The results also show a very low unemployment rate: just 1 percent, with one-fifth of all workers having more than one job. The largest employer by far is government at 28 percent, followed by agriculture (11 percent) and hospitality & tourism (11 percent).