The island’s population was 63,908 last year – a drop of just ten on the figure for 2018, the latest Registry General figures have revealed.

The figures also showed that women outnumbered men by 2,398 at the end of last year.

Walter Roban, the home affairs minister, told the House of Assembly today that “from the report given and statistics recorded in 2015, and statistics provided for 2019, it might appear that there has been a significant drop in the population.

“However, the population estimates were rebased in 2016 after the 2016 population and housing census.

“The rebase of the data is the reason why the population estimates are lower from 2016 forward.”

The island also recorded a marginal decline in births last year for the second year running.

There were 525 births in 2019, a drop of five, or 0.9 per cent, compared to the previous year.

Just two of the new arrivals were born at home and almost a quarter – 119 – were born to residents from overseas.

The live birth rate also fell, from 8.3 per thousand in 2018 to 8.2 last year.

The number of deaths on the island also remained consistent, with 535 deaths recorded in 2019 compared to 533 the previous year.

But far fewer marriages were held in Bermuda in 2019 compared to previous years.

A total of 386 couples tied the knot last year, 87 fewer than in 2018. More than half of all marriages – 195 – were between non-residents, and four ceremonies were between same-sex couples.

Mr Roban said: “This figure still is in keeping with the trend over the past five years for marriages between non-residents to exceed the number of marriages between residents and marriages between a resident party and a non-resident party.”

Another 442 weddings took place on board 28 Bermuda-registered ships over the course of the year.

But there were just four domestic partnership unions recorded in 2019.

All four ceremonies were held at the Registry General Office.