Map of Jersey | Geography | People | Government | Economy | Energy | Communication
Military | Transportation | Transnational Issues | Year: Guide1989199019911992199319941995199619971998199920002001200220032004200520062007200820092010201120122013201420152016201720182019202020212022202320242025 | More stats

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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 occupied by German troops 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.


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

Geographic coordinates: 49 15 N, 2 10 W

Map reference: Europe

Area
Total: 116 km²
Land: 116 km²
Water: 0 km²
Comparative: about two-thirds the size of Washington, DC

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: 66% (2018 est.)
Agricultural land arable land: 66% (2018 est.)
Agricultural land permanent crops: 0% (2018 est.)
Agricultural land permanent pasture: 0% (2018 est.)
Forest: 0% (2018 est.)
Other: 34% (2018 est.)

Irrigated land: NA

Major rivers

Major watersheds area km²

Total water withdrawal

Total renewable water resources

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


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Population
Distribution: fairly even distribution; no notable trends: 102,785 (2023 est.)
Growth rate: 0.61% (2023 est.)
Below poverty line: NA

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)

Religions: Protestant (Anglican, Baptist, Congregational New Church, Methodist, Presbyterian), Roman Catholic

Demographic profile

Age structure
0-14 years: 16.89% (male 8,958/female 8,405)
15-64 years: 65.19% (male 33,888/female 33,121)
65 years and over: 17.91% (2023 est.) (male 7,871/female 10,542)

Dependency ratios
Total dependency ratio: 44.5
Youth dependency ratio: 21.3
Elderly dependency ratio: 23.2
Potential support ratio: 4.3 (2021 est.)
Note: data represent Guernsey and Jersey

Median age
Total: 38 years (2023 est.)
Male: 36.7 years
Female: 39.5 years

Population growth rate: 0.61% (2023 est.)

Birth rate: 12.3 births/1,000 population (2023 est.)

Death rate: 7.8 deaths/1,000 population (2023 est.)

Net migration rate: 1.5 migrant(s)/1,000 population (2023 est.)

Population distribution: fairly even distribution; no notable trends

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)

Environment
Current issues: habitat and species depletion due to human encroachment; water pollution; improper solid waste disposal

Air pollutants

Sex ratio
At birth: 1.06 male(s)/female
0-14 years: 1.07 male(s)/female
15-64 years: 1.02 male(s)/female
65 years and over: 0.75 male(s)/female
Total population: 0.97 male(s)/female (2023 est.)

Mothers mean age at first birth

Maternal mortality ratio

Infant mortality rate
Total: 3.8 deaths/1,000 live births (2023 est.)
Male: 4.3 deaths/1,000 live births
Female: 3.3 deaths/1,000 live births

Life expectancy at birth
Total population: 82.8 years (2023 est.)
Male: 80.3 years
Female: 85.5 years

Total fertility rate: 1.66 children born/woman (2023 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

Current health expenditure: NA

Physicians density: NA

Hospital bed density

Sanitation facility access
Improved urban:
Unimproved urban:

Hiv/Aids

Major infectious diseases

Obesity adult prevalence rate

Alcohol consumption

Tobacco use

Children under the age of 5 years underweight: NA

Education expenditures: NA

Literacy
Total population: NA
Male: NA
Female: NA

School life expectancy primary to tertiary education

Youth unemployment
Rate ages 15 24 total: 15.8% (2021 est.)
Rate ages 15 24 male: 15.9%
Rate ages 15 24 female: 15.6%


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Country name
Conventional long form: Bailiwick of Jersey
Conventional short form: Jersey
Former: Norman Isles
Etymology: the name is of Old Norse origin, but the meaning of the root "Jer(s)" is uncertain; the "-ey" ending means "island"

Government type: parliamentary democracy (Assembly of the States of Jersey)

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

Dependent areas

Independence: none (British Crown dependency)

National holiday: Liberation Day, 9 May (1945)

Constitution
History: unwritten; partly statutes, partly common law and practice
Amendments: 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)

Legal system: the laws of the UK apply where applicable; includes local statutes

International law organization participation

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 Kristina MOORE (since 12 July 2022); 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
Description: unicameral Assembly of the States of Jersey (49 elected members; 8 senators to serve 4-year terms, and 29 deputies and 12 connetables, or heads of parishes, to serve 4-year terms; 5 non-voting members appointed by the monarch include the bailiff, lieutenant governor, dean of Jersey, attorney general, and the solicitor general)
Elections: last held on 22 June 2022 (next to be held in 2026)
Election results: percent of vote by party - BW 66.8%, RJ 12.3%, JA 2.0%, PP 2.0%, JLC 4.1%; seats by party - BW 35, RJ 10, JA 1, PP 1, JLC 2; composition - men NA, women NA, percent of women NA

Judicial branch
Highest courts: 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 and leaders:
Note: most deputies sit as independents

International organization participation: UPU

Diplomatic representation
In the us chief of mission: none (British Crown dependency)
From the us embassy: none (British Crown dependency)

Flag description: white with a diagonal red cross extending to the corners of the flag; in the upper quadrant, surmounted by a yellow crown, a red shield with three lions in yellow; according to tradition, the ships of Jersey - in an attempt to differentiate themselves from English ships flying the horizontal cross of St. George - rotated the cross to the "X" (saltire) configuration; because this arrangement still resembled the Irish cross of St. Patrick, the yellow Plantagenet crown and Jersey coat of arms were added

National symbols: 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)

National heritage


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Economy 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:
Note: data are in 2015 US dollars

Real gdp growth rate:

Real gdp per capita:

Gross national saving

Gdp composition by end use

Gdp composition by sector of origin
Agriculture: 2% (2010)
Industry: 2% (2010)
Services: 96% (2010)

Agriculture products: potatoes, cauliflower, tomatoes; beef, dairy products

Industries: tourism, banking and finance, dairy, electronics

Industrial production growth rate: NA

Labor force: 86,800 (2021 est.)

Unemployment rate:

Youth unemployment
Rate ages 15 24 total: 15.8% (2021 est.)
Rate ages 15 24 male: 15.9%
Rate ages 15 24 female: 15.6%

Population below poverty line: NA

Gini index
Coefficient distribution of family income: 0.3 (2014 est.)

Household income or consumption by percentage share
Lowest 10%: NA
Highest 10%: NA

Distribution of family income gini index

Budget
Revenues: $829 million (2005)
Expenditures: $851 million (2005)
Surplus  or deficit: -0.4% (of GDP) (2005)

Taxes and other revenues: 16.6% (of GDP) (2005)

Public debt

Revenue

Fiscal year: 1 April - 31 March

Inflation rate consumer prices: 3.7% (2006)

Central bank discount rate

Commercial bank prime lending rate

Stock of narrow money

Stock of broad money

Stock of domestic credit

Market value of publicly traded shares

Current account balance

Exports: NA
Partners: almost entirely United Kingdom (2022)
Commodities: refined petroleum, beverages, ships, jewelry, artwork (2022)

Imports: NA
Partners: almost entirely United Kingdom (2022)
Commodities: artwork, ships, vegetables, fruits, jewelry (2022)

Reserves of foreign exchange and gold

Debt external: NA

Stock of direct foreign investment at home

Stock of direct foreign investment abroad

Exchange rates:


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Electricity
Access electrification-total population: 100% (2021)

Coal

Petroleum

Crude oil

Refined petroleum

Natural gas

Carbon dioxide emissions: 450,000 metric tonnes of CO2 (2012 est.)

Energy consumption per capita


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Telephones
Fixed lines total subscriptions: 48,122 (2021 est.)
Fixed lines subscriptions per 100 inhabitants: 47 (2021 est.)
Mobile cellular total subscriptions: 124,083 (2021 est.)
Mobile cellular subscriptions per 100 inhabitants: 120 (2021 est.)

Telephone system

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
Users total: 96,038 (2021 est.)
Users percent of population: 93% (2021 est.)

Broadband fixed subscriptions
Total: 39,699 (2020 est.)
Subscriptions per 100 inhabitants: 37 (2020 est.)


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Military expenditures

Military and security forces

Military service age and obligation

Space program

Terrorist groups


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National air transport system
Number of registered air carriers: 1 (2020) (registered in UK)
Inventory of registered aircraft operated by air carriers: 4 (registered in UK)

Civil aircraft registration country code prefix

Airports: 1 (2021)
With paved runways: 1
With paved runways note: paved runways have a concrete or asphalt surface but not all have facilities for refueling, maintenance, or air traffic control; the length of a runway required for aircraft to safely operate depends on a number of factors including the type of aircraft, the takeoff weight (including passengers, cargo, and fuel), engine types, flap settings, landing speed, elevation of the airport, and average maximum daily air temperature; paved runways can reach a length of 5,000 m (16,000 ft.), but the “typical” length of a commercial airline runway is between 2,500-4,000 m (8,000-13,000 ft.)

Heliports

Pipelines

Railways

Roadways
Total: 576 km (2010)

Waterways

Merchant marine

Ports and terminals
Major seaports: Gorey, Saint Aubin, Saint Helier


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Disputes international: none identified

Refugees and internally displaced persons

Illicit drugs