Jersey's wellbeing score is below UK and France

Jersey has ranked 28th in a Better Life survey of wellbeing in 41 countries, Jersey Statistics said.

The bailiwick is placed below the UK and France in the 2025 survey and its overall score was unchanged compared with 2023.

It was ranked in the top 10 for community, personal safety and health and came joint first for safety.

However, low voter turnout of 41.6% in the 2022 elections saw it ranked bottom for civic engagement, according to a Statistics Jersey report.

Life expectancy at birth for 2022 and 2024 was 83.2 years- higher than the average of 80 across the countries surveyed.

Jersey saw the fourth highest housing costs as a proportion of people's income, an improvement on the previous report when it was the highest.

"This is due to earnings increasing by more than inflation" and changes in rental prices," Statistics Jersey said.

The survey's indicator for community was if people felt they had someone they could rely on in a crisis, and the majority of Jersey's residents said they did.

A white rectangular sign with polling station written in black and with a pointing arrow on it. The sign is sitting on a short wooden stand in between a patch of grass and a footpath. — The average turnout in Jersey's 2022 elections was 41.6% which lowered the civic engagement score [BBC]

Nordic countries, including Norway and Finland had the highest overall scores in the Better Life Index.

The study also looks at performance compared with more than 400 other regions.

Jersey's overall well‑being score at a regional level jumped seven places higher than in 2023, the report said.

Principal Statistician Dan Edmunds said Jersey performed less well in life satisfaction where it ranked 209th out of 447 regions and work-life balance, with one in seven employees clocking up 50 or more hours in a usual week at work.

Jersey's turnout in the 2022 deputy election gave it a low civic engagement ranking, and the closest UK region was Yorkshire and the Humber which had a 15% higher voting level in the 2024 General Election.

Follow BBC Jersey on X and Facebook. Send your story ideas to [email protected].

Related links

LATEST POSTS