Activity High in St Brelade; Sleep Shortest in St Helier

Parish-by-Parish Survey Reveals How Jersey’s Young People Live, Learn, and Play

For the first time, the experiences of Jersey’s schoolchildren have been mapped parish by parish, offering a closer look at how young lives differ depending on where they grow up.

The new breakdown comes from the 2024 Children and Young People’s Survey, run by Statistics Jersey and answered by pupils in Years 4, 6, 8, 10, and 12 during autumn last year. The survey examines habits, health, and daily life — and this year’s analysis marks the first time results have been separated by parish.

Screens, Sleep, and SportsSt Ouen’s pupils were the least likely to spend three or more hours on screens each day (64%), the only parish notably below the island average. St Brelade’s children were the most physically active, with 27% meeting daily exercise recommendations — though the figure still shows most fall short. In contrast, youngsters in St Helier recorded the lowest average sleep and the poorest fruit-and-vegetable intake.

Culture, Community, and Family Life

St Helier, despite having the smallest proportion of child residents, is the island’s most ethnically and linguistically diverse parish, with 41% of children speaking a language other than English at home. St Saviour topped the list for Portuguese speakers, while St Brelade had the highest proportion speaking languages other than Portuguese or Polish.

Children in St Mary, Trinity, and St Martin were the most likely to live with both parents. St Ouen stood out for community spirit, with the highest number of youngsters feeling they have a meaningful voice locally and the most likely to volunteer. They were also the parish most likely to identify “Jersey” as their nationality.

Risk Behaviours and Alcohol Use

The survey found no significant parish-level differences in rates of regular smoking, alcohol, or drug use. However, more children in St Helier and St Saviour reported never having tried alcohol compared with other parishes.

Officials say the parish-level insights will guide future service planning to better reflect the needs of local communities.

The full parish breakdown is available in the report published by Statistics Jersey.