Data in Focus: Chief Statistician Weighs In on Jersey’s Cash vs. Card Debate

February 25, 2026

Following the recent article by Jersey Chamber of Commerce CEO Murray Norton, "Cash, Cards and Choice, Finding the Right Balance for Jersey," the conversation around the Island’s payment landscape has gained fresh momentum.

In response to the points raised by Murray, Chief Statistician Ian Cope is highlighting specific data from the 2025 Jersey Opinion and Lifestyle Survey (JOLS) that explores the public’s relationship with physical currency. The inclusion of these targeted questions in the 2025 survey was originally requested by the Economic and International Affairs Scrutiny Panel to better understand the nuances of financial inclusion in Jersey.

Contextualizing the Balance

While cards are the dominant force in the local economy, Ian Cope notes that the 2025 JOLS results—which are available via a new interactive dashboard and specialized "Stakeholder Reports"—provide the evidence base needed to find that "Right Balance."

Ian Cope explained the shift in how this data is now shared:

"For 2025 JOLS we produced a much shorter, online report along with a dashboard for questions back to 2020, and a series of ‘Stakeholder reports’ giving more detail for particular topics than we would be able to include in the overall report."

Meet the Chief Statistician in April

For those looking to hear more about how this data influences Island policy and business strategy, Ian Cope will be the guest speaker at the Chamber Lunch on Wednesday, 22nd April 2026.

The lunch will provide an opportunity for members to engage directly with the Chief Statistician on the JOLS findings and the broader role of Statistics Jersey.