The census provides information about population characteristics such as age, sex, place of birth, and residential and marital statuses. The most recent census, in 2021, also included new voluntary questions on sexual orientation and gender identity.
Age and sex
For the latest annual estimates of Jersey’s population by age and sex, and dependency ratios, see our Population statistics page.
In 2021 the median average age of Jersey residents was 43 years. Female residents had a slightly greater median age of 44 years, compared to 42 years for men.
Since 1931, Jersey’s median age has increased from 32 to 43 years due to the ageing of the population. Between 1971 and 1986 the median age temporarily decreased due to an increase of working-aged migrants.
Median age from 1931-2021 as measured by the census (years)
Place of birth
At the time of the 2021 census, half (50%) of the population were born in Jersey. A further 29% were born elsewhere in the British Isles.
Population counts for all places of birth recorded in the census are available in the detailed place of birth data table.
Over the past four decades, the number of Jersey-born residents has steadily increased. The number of residents born in Portugal or Madeira has also risen, although at a lower level.
In the last 20 years, the number of residents born in other European countries has risen. In the most recent decade, this was largely driven by an increase in people born in Romania, while in the previous 10 years leading up to 2011, the rise was mainly due to migration from Poland.
Despite the growth in Jersey-born residents, their overall proportion has declined over time due to simultaneous increases in the number of non-Jersey-born residents.
Population by place of birth, 1981-2021
Residential status
Only people over the age of 15 years are eligible to have a residential / employment status: 86,791 residents were aged 16 or over on Census Day.
86% of adults had Entitled status, meaning they had lived in Jersey for at least 10 years, could buy, lease or sell any property and work for any employer. A further 2% had Licensed status through being essentially employed.
Residential and employment status of residents, 2021
Marital and civil status
In 2021:
• 45% of adults were married or re-married, including same-sex marriages
• 11% were divorced
• 35% had never married
The proportion of married adults has declined over several decades, while the proportion of divorced adults has risen from around 2% in 1971 to 11% in 2021.
Marital and civil status of Jersey adults, 2021 (aged 16 years or over)
| Marital status | 2001 Census | 2011 Census | 2021 Census |
|---|---|---|---|
| Married | 44% | 40% | 45%* |
| Single | 30% | 34% | 35% |
| Divorced | 8% | 10% | 11% |
| Widowed | 7% | 6% | 6% |
| Re-married | 8% | 8% | N/A* |
| Separated | 3% | 2% | 2% |
| Total | 100% | 100% | 100% |
*Same-sex civil partnerships were legally recognised in Jersey in 2012 whilst same-sex marriages were introduced in 2018. At the time of the 2021 Census, Jersey legislation did not permit opposite-sex civil partnerships to be registered in the Island.
Gender identity and sexual orientation
New voluntary question on sexual orientation and gender identity were asked for the first time in 2021.
Sexual orientation:
• 87% of adults identified as straight or heterosexual
• 2.0% identified as gay, lesbian, or bisexual, while 0.2% reported a different sexual orientation
• 10% chose not to answer this question
Gender identity:
• 189 adults (0.2% of the adult population) reported that their gender was not the same as the sex they were registered at birth
• around 10% chose not to answer this question
Find data and past reports
You can find census data tables on the open data website.
Find past reports on our release calendar.
Find census reports from 1821 to 2001 on the Jersey Archive website.