bodes well for the Island's future, Finance Minister the Hon. David Saul said yesterday.

"There is a distinct and high correlation between one's education and one's potential to earn a good salary,'' Dr. Saul said at a news conference as Government released the 1991 Census.

Since the last census was prepared in 1980, "we've seen the number of university graduates double,'' he said. "We'll probably see it double again over the next ten years.

"The earning potential for Bermudians is very good indeed.'' There were 3,333 Bermudians with degrees in 1991, up from 1,530 in 1980.

In a related shift, the number of Bermuda-born workers in professional, technical, and related jobs grew by 32 percent, in administrative and managerial jobs by 79 percent, and in clerical work by 14 percent. Meanwhile, the number of Bermuda-born sales and service workers dropped by three percent and 22 percent respectively.

"Those getting their university degrees have come back, and they're moving into...senior positions in Bermuda,'' Dr. Saul said.

The new census was the first to ask Bermudians about their income, and it showed a wide disparity in earnings between blacks and whites.

Households headed by Bermudian whites had a median income of $63,660, compared to a median income of $48,204 in households headed by Bermudian blacks.

But Dr. Saul said the the number of non-Bermudians in top posts would continue to decline, and "when we do the census in the year 2000, you will see that particular gap certainly close.'' Government "has been steadily working to close'' the racial wage gap, and there is no need for new approaches to address it, beyond the immigration and education policies now being pursued, he said.

The census revealed: Bermuda's population has aged. The number of residents over 65 grew by 21 percent between 1980 and 1991, compared to an eight percent growth in the population generally.

Employment in the tourism sector dropped by 14 percent, but hospitality remained the Island's biggest employer.

The banks, insurance, and real estate sector was Bermuda's fastest-growing, with employment increasing by 43 percent over the decade.

Although the 1980s closed with a recession, the economy "skyrocketed'' during the period between censuses, with 38 percent employment growth in business services, 30 percent in international companies, and 25 percent growth in construction.

While there was a 12 percent rate of growth in the labour sector, the number of females in the workforce grew by 17 percent.

Blacks increased their numbers in professional and technical posts by 36 percent, and in administrative and managerial jobs by 102 percent. The total population was 58 percent black, while the Bermuda-born population was 75 percent black in 1991.

The median household income in 1991 was $48,588.

The Anglican population dropped to 27 percent from 37 percent, but the Church of England remained the Island's largest religion.

There was a 56 percent jump in the number of divorced persons between 1980 and 1991, rising to 3,967 from 2,545.

The fertility rate declined, with women generally having their first child later and their last child sooner.

The prison population in 1991 was 89 percent black.

There was a 32 percent rise in single-person households, as the average number of persons per household dropped to 2.62 from 2.93 in 1980.

The median rent in Bermuda soared to $797 from $237, as the proportion of households paying more than $1,000 monthly multiplied tenfold, to 30 percent from three percent.

The Hon. David Saul.