Population growth

Even the early censuses were not particularly reliable, those taken in 1781 and 1815 amounting only to a muster of those men liable for Militia service. The first reliable census was taken in 1821, and this appears to have just been a count of inhabited properties and the people living in them, with no names recorded.

• A summary of influences on Jersey's population levels
• Jersey's population - a history by Mark Boleat

1331 onwards

• Early estimates of population

17th and 18th centuries

• Population of Jersey in the 17th and 18th centuries, a 1991 article from the Annual Bulletin of La Société Jersiaise
• Immigration control in the 18th century

19th century censuses

1806

PARISH	FAMILIES	MEN	WOMEN	BOYS	GIRLS	TOTAL
St Helier	1443	1471	2031	1323	1635	6460
St Lawrence	201	406	405	377	473	1661
St Peter	289	385	451	357	487	1680
St Brelade	277	503	671	311	289	1774
St Ouen	334	488	480	376	588	1932
St Mary	161	246	242	191	287	965
St John	245	357	381	318	453	1509
Trinity	348	473	539	395	459	1866
St Martin	327	308	378	300	467	1553
Grouville	241	301	352	310	362	1325
St Clement	134	185	227	138	165	715
St Saviour	268	355	396	311	353	1415
Totals	4363	5577	6553	4707	6018	22855

What stands out dramatically in this census is that St Clement was by far the least populous of all the island's parishes. Contrast that with the 20th century, as housing has spread out along the island's south-east coast to consume much of the low-lying parish of St Clement, making it the fourth parish in order of population after St Helier, St Saviour and St Brelade. In 1806 St Saviour and St Brelade, too, had fewer inhabitants than St Ouen and Trinity.

1821

PARISH	HOUSES	FAMILIES	FARMING	TRADE etc	OTHER	MALES	FEMALES	TOTAL
St Helier	1216	2071	158	1468	445	4546	5572	10118
St Saviour	221	321	270	21	30	792	895	1687
St Clement	116	195	75	108	12	404	534	938
Grouville	278	410	206	179	25	902	1015	1917
St Martin	273	344	231	89	24	781	910	1691
Trinity	315	351	210	127	14	942	1106	2048
St John	238	3149	125	165	29	771	886	1657
St Lawrence	276	409	233	123	53	860	1012	1872
St Mary	166	205	145	42	18	475	545	1020
St Peter	296	389	240	97	52	836	1018	1854
St Brelade	305	391	122	229	40	781	936	1717
St Ouen	323	408	295	108	5	966	1115	2081
Totals	4053	5813	2310	2756	747	13056	15544	28600

19th Century population explosion

• Surges in population
• The island changes
• French workers and the Jersey population
• A French view of emigration to Jersey

20th Century

Population totals from 1821 to 2021

YEAR	MALES	FEMALES	TOTAL
1821	13056	15544	28600
1831	17006	19576	36582
1841	21602	25942	47544
1851	26238	30782	57020
1861	24843	30770	55613
1871	24875	31752	56627
1881	23485	28960	52445
1891	24965	29553	54518
1901	23940	28636	52576
1911	24014	27884	51898
1921	22438	27263	49701
1931	23424	27038	50462
1939	23956	27124	51080
1951	27291	30019	57310
1961	28664	30825	59489
1971	33770	35559	69329
1976	34388	36630	71018
1981	36496	39554	76050
1986	38751	41461	80212
1989	40086	42723	82809
1991	40862	43220	84082
1996	41394	43756	85150
2001	42484	44702	87186
2011	48296	49561	97857
2021	51003	52264	103267

• States 1906 report on immigration, a full translation of the report
• A review of the 1906 report on immigration, a 2010 Annual Bulletin of La Société Jersiaise article on the 1906 report

21st century

Comparison of last five censuses, including the extra one ordered in 1996

	Grouville	St Brelade	St Clement	St Helier	St John	St Lawrence	St Martin	St Mary	St Ouen	St Peter	St Saviour	Trinity
1991	4297	9331	7393	28123	2440	4561	3258	1449	3612	4231	12747	2640
1996	4658	9560	7986	27523	2520	4773	3423	1475	3685	4228	12680	2639
2001	4702	10134	8196	28310	2618	4702	3628	1591	3803	4293	12491	2718
2011	4866	10568	9221	33522	2911	5418	3763	1752	4094	5003	13582	3156
2021	5401	11012	9925	35822	3051	5561	3948	1818	4206	5264	13904	3355