The annual gross household mean and median income statistics declined by 6-7% on average. States statistics have also shown households in Torteval recorded the highest mean income at £88,802 per annum, while the lowest was in St Sampson’s at £57,869 per annum. The most recent Guernsey Household Income Report took census data from more than 8,000 ‘consistent’ households in 2019, and has estimates of 2020 incomes based on 1,672 households.
The report illustrated 76% of households in the lowest net income bracket showed a drop in overall income from 2019 to 2020, compared to 41% of households in the top-earning bracket. The lowest earning 20% of households in the study have an upper income boundary of £32,811 in equivalised household income in 2019. The top-earning 20% of households had a lower boundary of £83,524 in the same year.
Guernsey Welfare Service co-ordinator Sue Le Friec said the impact of decreased income and increased cost of living has caused more families to turn toward support services in the last two years.
‘We have definitely seen an increased need. Prior to the pandemic we were still helping a certain amount of people every year, but the numbers show that clearly more people are struggling now than two years ago,’ she said.
In 2019, the Guernsey Welfare Service helped 460 households. In 2020, that rose to 560, and most recently in 2021, the service helped 584 households.
‘I think the last two years have affected everyone across the board, from the low to middle-income earners,’ said Mrs Le Friec.
‘People don’t realise how all the little things interconnect and impact families.’
Households living in open market accommodation had a higher equivalised median income of £66,773 per annum compared to local market households at £53,630pa.
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