The statistic “Life expectancy at birth” refers to the average number of years a newborn is expected to live if mortality patterns at the time of its birth remain constant in the future. It is comparable across countries and asks the most fundamental question concerning health: how long can the typical person expect to live? Life expectancy increases due to healthcare improvements, like the introduction of vaccines, the development of drugs or positive behavior changes, like the reduction in smoking or drinking rates. Given the small size of Jersey's population, data for a rolling three-year period are aggregated to calculate life expectancies in the Island. The 2020 figure, for example, represents the period 2018-20. The statistical uncertainty on the figures is +/- 0.6 years.

A child born in Jersey between 2020 and 2022 could expect to live to an age of 83.4 years. New-born males could expect to live, on average, for 81.8 years if the current age-specific mortality rates applied to them throughout their life. New-born females could expect to live, on average, for nearly four years longer (84.9 years). This compares to 77.5 years for boys born in the period from 2003-05 and 82.3 years for girls. This improvement has slowed down in the last decade; a change which is also evident in a number of countries across Europe, North America and Australia. Life expectancy at birth in Jersey is not only higher than in England, Scotland or Wales, but is amongst the best in the world.