Supporting Jersey's economy
Durrell is a familiar part of Island life in Jersey. Generations of islanders have brought their children to Jersey Zoo, learnt about wildlife, and watched our globally recognised conservation programme grow from a small zoo into an international operation. But our role in Jersey extends well beyond what most people see at the zoo itself.
In 2024, our gross economic contribution was estimated at £12.5 million. We also supported nearly 200 roles, placing us as one of the island's larger charitable organisations and in the top 2% of local employers by employment size.
To help put this into context, Jersey's total GVA (gross value added) in 2024 was approximately £8.6 billion, and its visitor economy supports around 7,000 jobs.
Jobs and income
In 2024, we employed188 people in Jersey, in specialist scientific and conservation roles as well as the operational functions needed to run Jersey Zoo. On a full-time equivalent (FTE) basis, that equates to around 144 FTEs. Total employee compensation reached £6.5 million, highlighting our role as a major island employer and our contribution to conservation and public benefit.
Productivity and value
Our GVA multiplier (the economic value generated in Jersey for every £1 we spend) is estimated at £1.77. The Jersey economy average is roughly £1.55. This is largely due to our efforts to buy locally, with our suppliers predominantly Jersey-based.
Local business
We spent around £3.4 million with Jersey-based suppliers in 2024, covering everything from food and facilities to specialist services. This has a knock-on effect to the wider economy, with estimates suggesting it has helped support around 80 further FTEs and £5 million in additional GVA throughout procurement and household-spending effects.
Research and specialist capability
In 2024 alone, we invested over £450,000 into local research and development. Jersey competes to attract and retain people with rare and internationally mobile skills, including conservation scientists, wildlife specialists and research practitioners. We believe our work helps make those careers viable on the island, as well as a wider ecosystem of specialist employment that would otherwise require significant public investment, or risk being lost altogether.
Tax and fiscal contribution and international income
We generated around £650,000 in income tax and £645,000 in social contributions in 2024. As we did not receive any Government of Jersey funding relating to our Jersey operations, this means throughout the year we produced an estimated £1.3 million net fiscal contribution to the Government of Jersey.
In 2024, our activity was associated with an estimated £720,000 in direct tourist spend, £170,000 in international membership income and £245,000 in accommodation income.
Thank you to Derros for supporting us with this assessment