Guernsey: Quick Facts

Written and fact-checked by

The Information Architects of Encyclopaedia Britannica

Last updated

Nov. 15, 2026

News •

Basketball court renovated in memory of player • Oct. 31, 2026, 4:02 PM ET (BBC)

Also Known As	Bailiwick of Guernsey
Head Of Government	President of the Policy and Resources Committee⁵: Peter Ferbrache
Capital	St. Peter Port
Population	(2026 est.) 66,000
Head Of State	British Monarch: King Charles III, represented by Lieutenant Governor: Ian Corder
Official Language	English
Official Religion	none
Official Name	Bailiwick of Guernsey¹
Total Area (Sq Km)	78
Total Area (Sq Mi)	30
Monetary Unit	Guernsey pound⁶
Urban-Rural Population	Urban: (2014) 31.4% • Rural: (2014) 68.6%
Life Expectancy At Birth	Male: (2023) 81.3 years • Female: (2023) 85.6 years
Literacy: Percentage Of Population Age 15 And Over Literate	Male: 100% • Female: 100%
Gni Per Capita (U.S.$)	(2015) 55,783
Political Status	crown dependency (United Kingdom) with one legislative house (States of Deliberation² [45³])⁴
¹Data exclude Alderney and Sark unless otherwise noted.²The States of Deliberation was reorganized in 2004.³Includes three ex officio members (two of whom have no voting rights) and two representatives from Alderney.⁴Alderney and Sark have their own parliaments. The States of Alderney has a president and 10 elected members. Sark’s feudal system of government ended with elections to a 28-member assembly in December 2008.⁵On May 1, 2016, the Policy and Resources Committee replaced the Policy Council of Guernsey, and its president replaced the chief minister as the head of government.⁶Equivalent in value to pound sterling (£); the Guernsey government issues both paper money and coins.