2020 Edition

Background

Jersey and the other Channel Islands represent the last remnants of the medieval Duchy of Normandy that held sway in both France and England. These islands were the only British soil that Germany occupied in World War II. The Bailiwick of Jersey is a British Crown dependency, which means that it is not part of the UK but is rather a self-governing possession of the British Crown. However, the UK Government is constitutionally responsible for its defense and international representation.

Area

land

116 sq km

total

116 sq km

water

0 sq km

Area - comparative

about two-thirds the size of Washington, D.C.

Climate

temperate; mild winters and cool summers

Coastline

70 km

Elevation

highest point

Les Platons 136 m

lowest point

English Channel 0 m

Geographic coordinates

49 15 N, 2 10 W

Geography - note

largest and southernmost of Channel Islands; about 30% of population concentrated in Saint Helier

Irrigated land

NA

Land boundaries

total

0 km

Land use

agricultural land

43.3% (2022 est.)

agricultural land: arable land

arable land: 18.3% (2022 est.)

agricultural land: permanent crops

permanent crops: 0% (2022 est.)

agricultural land: permanent pasture

permanent pasture: 24.9% (2022 est.)

forest

5.2% (2022 est.)

other

51.6% (2022 est.)

Location

Western Europe, island in the English Channel, northwest of France

Map references

Europe

Maritime claims

exclusive fishing zone

12 nm

territorial sea

12 nm

Natural hazards

very large tidal variation can be hazardous to navigation

Natural resources

arable land

Population distribution

fairly even distribution

Terrain

gently rolling plain with low, rugged hills along north coast

Age structure

0-14 years

17% (male 9,082/female 8,530)

15-64 years

64.6% (male 33,840/female 32,989)

65 years and over

18.3% (2024 est.) (male 8,106/female 10,840)

Birth rate

11.97 births/1,000 population (2025 est.)

Death rate

7.8 deaths/1,000 population (2025 est.)

Dependency ratios

elderly dependency ratio

29.2 (2025 est.)

potential support ratio

3.4 (2025 est.)

total dependency ratio

56 (2025 est.)

youth dependency ratio

26.8 (2025 est.)

Ethnic groups

Jersey 44.4%, British 30.5%, Portuguese/Madeiran 9.4%, Polish 3%, Irish 2.1%, other 10.6% (2021 est.)

Gross reproduction rate

0.81 (2025 est.)

Infant mortality rate

female

3.3 deaths/1,000 live births

male

4.2 deaths/1,000 live births

total

3.7 deaths/1,000 live births (2025 est.)

Languages

English (official) 94.5%, Portuguese 4.6%, other 0.9% (includes French (official) and Jerriais) (2001 est.)

Life expectancy at birth

female

85.7 years

male

80.6 years

total population

83 years (2024 est.)

Major urban areas - population

34,000 SAINT HELIER (capital) (2018)

Median age

female

39.7 years

male

37 years

total

38.5 years (2025 est.)

Nationality

adjective

Channel Islander

noun

Channel Islander(s)

Net migration rate

0.96 migrant(s)/1,000 population (2025 est.)

Population

female

52,627

male

51,317

total

103,944 (2025 est.)

Population growth rate

0.51% (2025 est.)

Religions

Christian 85.2%, Baha'i 0.3%, Hindu 0.1%, Jewish 0.1%, Muslim 0.1%, atheist 1.1%, agnostic 13.1% (2020 est.)

Sanitation facility access

improved: total

total: 98.5% of population

Sex ratio

0-14 years

1.06 male(s)/female

15-64 years

1.03 male(s)/female

65 years and over

0.75 male(s)/female

at birth

1.06 male(s)/female

total population

0.98 male(s)/female (2024 est.)

Total fertility rate

1.66 children born/woman (2025 est.)

Urbanization

rate of urbanization

0.68% annual rate of change (2020-25 est.)

urban population

31.2% of total population (2023)

Administrative divisions

no first-order administrative divisions as defined by the US government, but 12 parishes; Grouville, Saint Brelade, Saint Clement, Saint Helier, Saint John, Saint Lawrence, Saint Martin, Saint Mary, Saint Ouen, Saint Peter, Saint Saviour, Trinity

Capital

daylight saving time

+1hr, begins last Sunday in March; ends last Sunday in October

etymology

named after Saint HELIER, the patron saint of Jersey, who was reputedly martyred on the island in A.D. 555

geographic coordinates

49 11 N, 2 06 W

name

Saint Helier

time difference

UTC 0 (5 hours ahead of Washington, DC, during Standard Time)

Citizenship

see United Kingdom

Constitution

amendment process

proposed by a government minister to the Assembly of the States of Jersey, by an Assembly member, or by an elected parish head; passage requires several Assembly readings, a majority vote by the Assembly, review by the UK Ministry of Justice, and approval of the British monarch (Royal Assent)

history

unwritten; partly statutes, partly common law and practice

Country name

conventional long form

Bailiwick of Jersey

conventional short form

Jersey

etymology

the name is of Old Norse origin, with -ey meaning "island;" "Jer(s)" may derive from a person with the Scandinavian name Geirr, meaning "spear"

former

Norman Isles

Dependency status

British crown dependency

Diplomatic representation from the US

embassy

none (British Crown dependency)

Diplomatic representation in the US

none (British Crown dependency)

Executive branch

cabinet

Council of Ministers appointed individually by the states

chief of state

King CHARLES III (since 8 September 2022); represented by Lieutenant Governor Jerry KYD (since 8 October 2022)

election/appointment process

the monarchy is hereditary; Council of Ministers, including the chief minister, indirectly elected by the Assembly of States; lieutenant governor and bailiff appointed by the monarch

head of government

Chief Minister Lyndon FARNHAM (since 25 January 2024); Bailiff Timothy Le COCQ (since 17 October 2019)

Flag

description: white with a diagonal red cross extending to the corners of the flag; a red shield with three lions in yellow is in the upper triangle, with a yellow crown above history: according to tradition, Jersey ships differentiated themselves from English ships that flew the horizontal cross of St. George by rotating their own cross to the "X" (saltire) configuration; this arrangement resembled the Irish cross of St. Patrick, so the Plantagenet crown and Jersey coat of arms were added

Government type

parliamentary democracy (Assembly of the States of Jersey)

Independence

none (British Crown dependency)

International organization participation

UPU

Judicial branch

highest court(s)

Jersey Court of Appeal (consists of the bailiff, deputy bailiff, and 12 judges); Royal Court (consists of the bailiff, deputy bailiff, 6 commissioners and lay people referred to as jurats, and is organized into Heritage, Family, Probate, and Samedi Divisions); appeals beyond the Court of Appeal are heard by the Judicial Committee of the Privy Council (in London)

judge selection and term of office

Jersey Court of Appeal bailiffs and judges appointed by the Crown upon the advice of the Secretary of State for Justice; bailiffs and judges appointed for "extent of good behavior;" Royal Court bailiffs appointed by the Crown upon the advice of the Secretary of State for Justice; commissioners appointed by the bailiff; jurats appointed by the Electoral College; bailiffs and commissioners appointed for "extent of good behavior;" jurats appointed until retirement at age 72

subordinate courts

Magistrate's Court; Youth Court; Petty Debts Court; Parish Hall Enquiries (a process of preliminary investigation into youth and minor adult offenses to determine need for presentation before a court)

Legal system

the laws of the UK apply, as well as local statutes

Legislative branch

expected date of next election

2026

legislative structure

unicameral

legislature name

Assembly of the States of Jersey

most recent election date

6/22/2022

number of seats

54 (49 directly elected, 5 appointed)

parties elected and seats per party

BW (35); RJ (10); JLC (2); JA (1); PP (1)

percentage of women in chamber

42.9%

term in office

4 years

National anthem(s)

history

official anthem, as a British Crown dependency

lyrics/music

unknown

title

"God Save the King"

National color(s)

red, white

National holiday

Liberation Day, 9 May (1945)

National symbol(s)

Jersey cow

Political parties

Better Way or BW (group of independent candidates) Jersey Alliance or JA  Jersey Liberal Conservatives or JLC  Progress Party or PP  Reform Jersey or RJ

Suffrage

16 years of age; universal

Agricultural products

potatoes, cauliflower, tomatoes; beef, dairy products

Economic overview

British territorial island economy; strong offshore banking and finance sectors; low asset taxation; strong tourism sector prior to COVID-19 and Brexit; one of the most expensive places to live; minimal welfare system; historical cider industry

Exchange rates

Currency

Jersey pounds (JEP) per US dollar

Exchange rates 2020

0.78 (2020 est.)

Exchange rates 2021

0.727 (2021 est.)

Exchange rates 2022

0.811 (2022 est.)

Exchange rates 2023

0.805 (2023 est.)

Exchange rates 2024

0.782 (2024 est.)

Exports - commodities

refined petroleum, beverages, ships, jewelry, artwork (2022)

Exports - partners

almost entirely United Kingdom (2022)

GDP - composition, by sector of origin

agriculture

0.6% (2023 est.)

industry

8.2% (2023 est.)

services

91.2% (2023 est.)

GDP (official exchange rate)

$12.508 billion (2023 est.)

Imports - commodities

artwork, ships, vegetables, fruits, jewelry (2022)

Imports - partners

almost entirely United Kingdom (2022)

Industrial production growth rate

1.3% (2023 est.)

Industries

tourism, banking and finance, dairy, electronics

Labor force

82,400 (2024 est.)

Real GDP (purchasing power parity)

Real GDP (purchasing power parity) 2014

$4.98 billion (2014 est.)

Real GDP (purchasing power parity) 2015

$5.514 billion (2015 est.)

Real GDP (purchasing power parity) 2016

$5.569 billion (2016 est.)

Real GDP growth rate

Real GDP growth rate 2021

9.9% (2021 est.)

Real GDP growth rate 2022

5.3% (2022 est.)

Real GDP growth rate 2023

3.7% (2023 est.)

Unemployment rate

Unemployment rate 2022

6.2% (2022 est.)

Unemployment rate 2023

6.2% (2023 est.)

Unemployment rate 2024

6.3% (2024 est.)

Youth unemployment rate (ages 15-24)

female

13.9% (2024 est.)

male

14.2% (2024 est.)

total

14.1% (2024 est.)

Electricity access

electrification - total population

100% (2022 est.)

Broadband - fixed subscriptions

subscriptions per 100 inhabitants

37 (2020 est.)

total

39,699 (2020 est.)

Broadcast media

multiple UK terrestrial TV broadcasts are received via a transmitter in Jersey; satellite packages available; BBC Radio Jersey and 1 other radio station operating

Internet country code

.je

Internet users

percent of population

41% (2012 est.)

Telephones - fixed lines

subscriptions per 100 inhabitants

47 (2023 est.)

total subscriptions

48,223 (2023 est.)

Telephones - mobile cellular

subscriptions per 100 inhabitants

125 (2023 est.)

total subscriptions

129,368 (2023 est.)

Airports

1 (2025)

Ports

key ports

Saint Helier Harbour

large

0

medium

0

ports with oil terminals

1

small

1

total ports

1 (2024)

very small

0

Military - note

defense is the responsibility of the UK

Environmental issues

habitat and species loss; water pollution; improper solid-waste disposal

Waste and recycling

municipal solid waste generated annually

178,900 tons (2024 est.)

percent of municipal solid waste recycled

28.4% (2016 est.)