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.
Geography
Location
Western Europe, island in the English Channel, northwest of France
Geographic coordinates
49 15 N, 2 10 W
Map references
Europe
Area
total : 116 sq km
land: 116 sq km
water: 0 sq km
comparison ranking: total 223
Area – comparative
about two-thirds the size of Washington, D.C.
Land boundaries
total: 0 km
Coastline
70 km
Maritime claims
territorial sea: 12 nm
exclusive fishing zone: 12 nm
Climate
temperate; mild winters and cool summers
Terrain
gently rolling plain with low, rugged hills along north coast
Elevation
highest point: Les Platons 136 m
lowest point: English Channel 0 m
Natural resources
arable land
Land use
agricultural land: 43.3% (2022 est.)
arable land: 18.3% (2022 est.)
permanent crops: 0% (2022 est.)
permanent pasture: 24.9% (2022 est.)
forest: 5.2% (2022 est.)
other: 51.6% (2022 est.)
Irrigated land
NA
Population distribution
fairly even distribution
Natural hazards
very large tidal variation can be hazardous to navigation
Geography – note
largest and southernmost of Channel Islands; about 30% of population concentrated in Saint Helier
People and Society
Population
total: 103,387 (2024 est.)
male: 51,028
female: 52,359
comparison rankings: total 193; female 193; male 193
Nationality
noun: Channel Islander(s)
adjective: Channel Islander
Ethnic groups
Jersey 44.4%, British 30.5%, Portuguese/Madeiran 9.4%, Polish 3%, Irish 2.1%, other 10.6% (2021 est.)
Languages
English (official) 94.5%, Portuguese 4.6%, other 0.9% (includes French (official) and Jerriais)(2001 est.)
note: data represent main spoken language; the traditional language of Jersey is Jerriais or Jersey French (a Norman language), which was spoken by fewer than 3,000 people as of 2001; two thirds of Jerriais speakers are aged 60 and over
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.)
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)
2024 population pyramid:
Dependency ratios
total dependency ratio: 54.7 (2024 est.)
youth dependency ratio: 26.4 (2024 est.)
elderly dependency ratio: 28.3 (2024 est.)
potential support ratio: 3.5 (2024 est.)
Median age
total: 38.2 years (2024 est.)
male: 37 years
female: 39.7 years
comparison ranking: total 76
Population growth rate
0.56% (2024 est.)
comparison ranking: 146
Birth rate
12.2 births/1,000 population (2024 est.)
comparison ranking: 143
Death rate
7.8 deaths/1,000 population (2024 est.)
comparison ranking: 93
Net migration rate
1.2 migrant(s)/1,000 population (2024 est.)
comparison ranking: 61
Population distribution
fairly even distribution
Urbanization
urban population: 31.2% of total population (2023)
rate of urbanization: 0.68% annual rate of change (2020-25 est.)
note: data include Guernsey and Jersey
Major urban areas – population
34,000 SAINT HELIER (capital) (2018)
Sex ratio
at birth: 1.06 male(s)/female
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
total population: 0.98 male(s)/female (2024 est.)
Infant mortality rate
total: 3.7 deaths/1,000 live births (2024 est.)
male: 4.2 deaths/1,000 live births
female: 3.3 deaths/1,000 live births
comparison ranking: total 192
Life expectancy at birth
total population: 83 years (2024 est.)
male: 80.6 years
female: 85.7 years
comparison ranking: total population 17
Total fertility rate
1.66 children born/woman (2024 est.)
comparison ranking: 170
Gross reproduction rate
0.81 (2024 est.)
Contraceptive prevalence rate
NA
Drinking water source
improved:
total: 94.2% of population
unimproved:
total: 5.9% of population (2017 est.)
note: includes data for Guernsey
Sanitation facility access
improved:
urban: NA
rural: NA
total: 98.5% of population
unimproved:
urban: NA
rural: NA
total: 1.5% of population (2017)
Literacy
total population: NA
male: NA
female: NA
Environment
Environment – current issues
habitat and species loss; water pollution; improper solid-waste disposal
Climate
temperate; mild winters and cool summers
Land use
agricultural land: 43.3% (2022 est.)
arable land: 18.3% (2022 est.)
permanent crops: 0% (2022 est.)
permanent pasture: 24.9% (2022 est.)
forest: 5.2% (2022 est.)
other: 51.6% (2022 est.)
Urbanization
urban population: 31.2% of total population (2023)
rate of urbanization: 0.68% annual rate of change (2020-25 est.)
note: data include Guernsey and Jersey
Waste and recycling
municipal solid waste generated annually: 178,933 tons (2016 est.)
municipal solid waste recycled annually: 50,871 tons (2016 est.)
percent of municipal solid waste recycled: 28.4% (2016 est.)
note: data include combined totals for Guernsey and Jersey.
Government
Country name
conventional long form: Bailiwick of Jersey
conventional short form: Jersey
former: Norman Isles
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”
Government type
parliamentary democracy (Assembly of the States of Jersey)
Dependency status
British crown dependency
Capital
name: Saint Helier
geographic coordinates: 49 11 N, 2 06 W
time difference: UTC 0 (5 hours ahead of Washington, DC, during Standard Time)
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
Administrative divisions
none (British crown dependency); there are no first-order administrative divisions as defined by the US government, but there are 12 parishes; Grouville, Saint Brelade, Saint Clement, Saint Helier, Saint John, Saint Lawrence, Saint Martin, Saint Mary, Saint Ouen, Saint Peter, Saint Saviour, Trinity
Legal system
the laws of the UK apply, as well as local statutes
Constitution
history: unwritten; partly statutes, partly common law and practice
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)
Citizenship
see United Kingdom
Suffrage
16 years of age; universal
Executive branch
chief of state: King CHARLES III (since 8 September 2022); represented by Lieutenant Governor Jerry KYD (since 8 October 2022)
head of government: Chief Minister Lyndon FARNHAM (since 25 January 2024); Bailiff Timothy Le COCQ (since 17 October 2019)
cabinet: Council of Ministers appointed individually by the states
elections/appointments: 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
Legislative branch
legislature name: Assembly of the States of Jersey
legislative structure: unicameral
number of seats: 54 (49 directly elected, 5 appointed)
term in office: 4 years
most recent election date: 6/22/2022
parties elected and seats per party: BW (35); RJ (10); JLC (2); JA (1); PP (1)
percentage of women in chamber: 42.9%
expected date of next election: 2026
note: 5 non-voting members appointed by the monarch include the bailiff, lieutenant governor, dean of Jersey, attorney general, and the solicitor general
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)
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
note: most deputies sit as independents
Diplomatic representation in the US
none (British Crown dependency)
Diplomatic representation from the US
embassy: none (British Crown dependency)
International organization participation
UPU
Independence
none (British Crown dependency)
National holiday
Liberation Day, 9 May (1945)
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 quadrant, with a yellow crown above; according to tradition, the ships of Jersey differentiated themselves from English ships flying the horizontal cross of St. George by rotating the cross to the “X” (saltire) configuration; because this arrangement resembled the Irish cross of St. Patrick, the Plantagenet crown and Jersey coat of arms were added
National symbol(s)
Jersey cow
National colors
red, white
National anthem
name: “Isle de Siez Nous” (Island Home)
lyrics/music: Gerard LE FEUVRE
note: adopted 2008; serves as a local anthem; as a British Crown dependency, “God Save the King” is official (see United Kingdom)
Economy
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
Real GDP (purchasing power parity)
$5.569 billion (2016 est.)
$5.514 billion (2015 est.)
$4.98 billion (2014 est.)
note: data are in 2015 dollars
comparison ranking: 181
Real GDP growth rate
3.72% (2023 est.)
5.34% (2022 est.)
15.46% (2021 est.)
note: annual GDP % growth based on constant local currency; entry includes Jersey and Guernsey
comparison ranking: 89
Real GDP per capita
$56,600 (2016 est.)
$49,500 (2015 est.)
comparison ranking: 33
GDP (official exchange rate)
$12.508 billion (2023 est.)
note: data in current dollars at official exchange rate; entry includes Jersey and Guernsey
GDP – composition, by sector of origin
agriculture: 0.6% (2023 est.)
industry: 8.2% (2023 est.)
services: 91.2% (2023 est.)
note: figures may not total 100% due to non-allocated consumption not captured in sector-reported data
comparison rankings: services 5; industry 203; agriculture 193
Agricultural products
potatoes, cauliflower, tomatoes; beef, dairy products
Industries
tourism, banking and finance, dairy, electronics
Industrial production growth rate
1.26% (2023 est.)
note: annual % change in industrial value added based on constant local currency; entry includes Jersey and Guernsey
comparison ranking: 126
Labor force
82,400 (2024 est.)
note: number of people ages 15 or older who are employed or seeking work;entry includes Jersey and Guernsey
comparison ranking: 185
Unemployment rate
6.3% (2024 est.)
6.2% (2023 est.)
6.1% (2022 est.)
note: % of labor force seeking employment; entry includes Jersey and Guernsey
comparison ranking: 123
Youth unemployment rate (ages 15-24)
total: 14.1% (2024 est.)
male: 14.2% (2024 est.)
female: 13.9% (2024 est.)
note: % of labor force ages 15-24 seeking employment
comparison ranking: total 91
Gini Index coefficient – distribution of family income
0.3 (2014 est.)
comparison ranking: 155
Exports – partners
almost entirely United Kingdom (2022)
Exports – commodities
refined petroleum, beverages, ships, jewelry, artwork (2022)
top five export commodities based on value in dollars
Imports – partners
almost entirely United Kingdom (2022)
Imports – commodities
artwork, ships, vegetables, fruits, jewelry (2022)
Exchange rates
Jersey pounds (JEP) per US dollar
Exchange rates:
0.782 (2024 est.)
0.805 (2023 est.)
0.811 (2022 est.)
0.727 (2021 est.)
0.78 (2020 est.)
Energy
Electricity access
electrification – total population: 100% (2022 est.)
note: includes Guernsey and Jersey
Communications
Telephones – fixed lines
total subscriptions: 48,122 (2021 est.)
subscriptions per 100 inhabitants: 47 (2021 est.)
comparison ranking: total subscriptions 156
Telephones – mobile cellular
total subscriptions: 124,083 (2021 est.)
subscriptions per 100 inhabitants: 120 (2021 est.)
comparison ranking: total subscriptions 191
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.)
Broadband – fixed subscriptions
total: 39,699 (2020 est.)
subscriptions per 100 inhabitants: 37 (2020 est.)
comparison ranking: total 150
Transportation
Airports
1 (2025)
comparison ranking: 234
Ports
total ports: 1 (2024)
large: 0
medium: 0
small: 1
very small: 0
ports with oil terminals: 1
key ports: Saint Helier Harbour
Military and Security
Military – note
defense is the responsibility of the UK
