Ministers should develop a dedicated strategy towards encouraging young people to return to Jersey after the university studies, a backbencher has said.

In an amendment to the government’s strategic priorities, Deputy Lee Carpenter said that the government should do “all it reasonably can to entice young islanders back to Jersey”.

Statistics released last month showed that the population aged 65 years and over grew by 13% between 2020 and 2025, while the number of under-16-year-olds fell by 7%.

The government unveiled its proposed Common Strategic Policy for the current political term last month which outlines 11 core priorities structured into four main pillars: targeting the cost of living, restoring competitiveness, investing in homes and infrastructure, and maintaining financial stability. The priorities are due to be debated by the States Assembly in November.

However, Deputy Carpenter’s amendment wants to see a commitment to supporting young people returning to Jersey included in the strategy. He proposes doing this by maintaining communication with students during their studies, ensuring access to affordable housing and creating graduate career opportunities for those returning.

He said: “Jersey has a high cost of living, approximately 20% higher than the UK. Jersey’s housing market is also seen as one of the most expensive in the world. In real terms, the Q2 2026 UK house price index shows the national average house price across the UK was £272,000. This is less than the average price of a one bedroom flat in Jersey (£326,000).

“These challenges sit against a wider population picture that we cannot ignore.”

Jersey’s dependency ratio – the ratio of the non-working age population to the working age (16- to 64-years-old) population – now sits at 53.5.

“The consequences of this are significant,” Deputy Carpenter said. “A larger older population will require greater spending on health and social care, while a smaller proportion of the population will be working and contributing to the taxes that fund it.

“A higher dependency ratio places additional burden on healthcare, social security and educational systems. Jersey will therefore need to maintain or grow its working age population, whether through inward migration, a larger resident workforce, or both.”

He said that the government does “very little” to support students once they have left for university and suggested that enticing “even a small proportion” of them to return would bring strong benefits to the island’s economy and public finances.

“Looking at the situation purely in financial terms, as an island we pay for our children’s education, we encourage and prepare them for university, and then we do nothing to encourage them to return,” he said. “This amendment seeks to change that by committing to the development of a strategy that seeks to keep young Islanders engaged during their studies, and provides them with assistance in seeking affordable housing and graduate career opportunities when they return.”