Jelsa: population and statistics
Jelsa has a population of 3,846 (2025) across 16.3 km², or 236 people per km². It ranks 183 of 556 municipalities by population. Its population is growing: +8.8% between 2015 and 2025.
- 3,846 residents
- 16.3 km²
- 236 people/km²
Jelsa in numbers
Key points
Among the 55 municipalities in Split-Dalmatia County, Jelsa ranks No. 21 by population.
Share of unoccupied dwellings for permanent residence: 57.1% in Jelsa, compared with an average of 25.6% in Split-Dalmatia County and 23.7% nationally.
Share of employed residents in accommodation and food service activities: 31.5% in Jelsa, compared with an average of 12.6% in Split-Dalmatia County and 8.1% nationally.
Population of Jelsa over time
Jelsa had 3,535 residents in 2015 and 3,846 in 2025.
| Year | Population |
|---|---|
| 2020 | 3,463 |
| 2021 | 3,525 |
| 2022 | 3,641 |
| 2023 | 3,764 |
| 2024 | 3,830 |
| 2025 | 3,846 |
Did you know?
- Number 1 in Split-Dalmatia County for “Share of occupied dwellings with a gas installation”.
- “Share of unoccupied dwellings for permanent residence”: higher than in 98% of municipalities.
- “Share of employed residents in accommodation and food service activities”: higher than in 98% of municipalities.
- “Share of employed residents in mining, manufacturing, energy and water supply”: lower than in 97% of municipalities.
- Its area is roughly equal to 2,283 football pitches.
- Its population density is 2.1 times the national average.
- The nearest municipality is Stari Grad, 16.4 km away.
All indicators for Jelsa
Value for the municipality, then the regional average and the national median (for counts: regional and national totals). The gauge places the municipality between the lowest and highest value in the country.
Population
| Indicator | Jelsa | Split-Dalmatia County | National | Position? | Rank |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Average age of residents (2021) | 47.5 years | 43.6 | 44.8 | ranked 102 of 545 | |
| Share of residents aged 65 and over (2021) | 30.4% | 21.7% | 22.9% | ranked 54 of 545 | |
| Share of children aged 0 to 14 (2021) | 13.6% | 14.8% | 13.7% | ranked 289 of 545 | |
| Natural change per 1,000 residents (2024) | −7.0 ‰ | −2.5 ‰ | −6.8 ‰ | ranked 275 of 546 | |
| Net migration (arrivals minus departures) per 1,000 residents (2025) | 16.1 ‰ | 6.9 ‰ | 3.1 ‰ | ranked 102 of 546 | |
| Net migration with abroad per 1,000 residents (2025) | 17.2 ‰ | 7.2 ‰ | 3.7 ‰ | ranked 51 of 546 |
Housing
| Indicator | Jelsa | Split-Dalmatia County | National | Position? | Rank |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Number of dwellings (2021) | 5,625 | 283,603 | 2,390,500 | ranked 79 of 545 | |
| Dwellings per 1,000 residents (2021) | 1,607 | 676 | 604 | ranked 34 of 545 | |
| Share of holiday and seasonal dwellings (2021) | 1.0% | 7.0% | 7.9% | ranked 482 of 545 | |
| Share of unoccupied dwellings for permanent residence (2021) | 57.1% | 25.6% | 25.9% | ranked 10 of 545 | |
| Average floor area of an occupied dwelling (2021) | 91.7 m² | 82.7 m² | 100.4 m² | ranked 420 of 545 | |
| Dwellings completed in the year (2024) | 43 | 2,196 | 16,654 | ranked 76 of 546 | |
| Dwellings completed 2020-2024 per 1,000 residents (2024) | 17.5 | 22.4 | 7.2 | ranked 138 of 546 | |
| Share of occupied dwellings connected to a sewage disposal system (2021) | 99.9% | 99.8% | 99.0% | ranked 98 of 545 |
Energy
| Indicator | Jelsa | Split-Dalmatia County | National | Position? | Rank |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Share of occupied dwellings with a gas installation (2021) | 14.3% | 4.7% | 12.8% | ranked 264 of 545 | |
| Share of occupied dwellings with air conditioning (2021) | 72.7% | 77.3% | 31.3% | ranked 83 of 545 |
Economy
| Indicator | Jelsa | Split-Dalmatia County | National | Position? | Rank |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Share of employed residents in agriculture, forestry and fishing (2021) | 7.7% | 1.9% | 6.0% | ranked 232 of 545 | |
| Share of employed residents in mining, manufacturing, energy and water supply (2021) | 6.4% | 11.6% | 19.5% | ranked 529 of 545 | |
| Share of employed residents in construction (2021) | 5.5% | 7.9% | 9.0% | ranked 472 of 545 | |
| Net income per resident (per year) (2025) | 7,318 € | 8,791 € | 7,821 € | ranked 364 of 546 | |
| Average annual net pay per employee (2025) | 8,819 € | 11,451 € | 11,010 € | ranked 521 of 546 | |
| Average annual net pension per pensioner (2025) | 6,382 € | 7,235 € | 6,391 € | ranked 277 of 546 | |
| Employees with pay per 1,000 residents (2025) | 462 | 488 | 456 | ranked 257 of 546 | |
| Pensioners per 1,000 residents (2025) | 325 | 278 | 302 | ranked 199 of 546 |
Employment
| Indicator | Jelsa | Split-Dalmatia County | National | Position? | Rank |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Unemployment rate (2021) | 2.4% | 6.6% | 4.6% | ranked 469 of 545 | |
| Employed share of residents aged 15 and over (2021) | 45.7% | 47.6% | 45.2% | ranked 255 of 545 | |
| Persons in paid employment in legal entities (2024) | 586 | 121,960 | 1,262,193 | ranked 191 of 546 | |
| Persons in paid employment in legal entities per 1,000 residents (2024) | 153 | 282 | 150 | ranked 269 of 546 | |
| Share of employed residents working outside their municipality (2021) | 21.7% | 36.2% | 55.5% | ranked 500 of 545 |
Tourism
| Indicator | Jelsa | Split-Dalmatia County | National | Position? | Rank |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Tourist nights in the year (2019) | 574,636 | – | 9,381 | ranked 56 of 422 | |
| Tourist nights per resident in the year (2019) | 165.2 | 44.1 | 1.6 | ranked 47 of 422 | |
| Share of employed residents in accommodation and food service activities (2021) | 31.5% | 12.6% | 6.5% | ranked 12 of 545 | |
| Tourist nights in commercial accommodation (2025) | 560,011 | – | 303,422 | ranked 56 of 143 | |
| Tourist arrivals in commercial accommodation (2025) | 80,069 | – | 45,455 | ranked 60 of 143 | |
| Tourist nights per resident (2025) | 145.6 | 48.9 | 87.2 | ranked 47 of 143 | |
| Average nights per arrival (2025) | 7.0 | 4.7 | 6.3 | ranked 32 of 143 | |
| Share of nights by foreign tourists (2025) | 86.0% | 91.9% | 92.2% | ranked 112 of 143 | |
| Beds in commercial accommodation (2025) | 8,714 | – | 4,527 | ranked 50 of 146 | |
| Beds per 1,000 residents (2025) | 2,266 | 713 | 1,506 | ranked 49 of 146 | |
| Share of beds in hotels and similar accommodation (2025) | 14.9% | 13.6% | 6.6% | ranked 37 of 146 | |
| Share of beds in campsites (2025) | 17.5% | 5.1% | 7.1% | ranked 46 of 146 |
Society
| Indicator | Jelsa | Split-Dalmatia County | National | Position? | Rank |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Average household size in occupied dwellings (2021) | 2.45 | 2.78 | 2.75 | ranked 446 of 545 |
Education
| Indicator | Jelsa | Split-Dalmatia County | National | Position? | Rank |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Kindergartens and preschool institutions (2025/2026) | 4 | 252 | 1,794 | ranked 60 of 546 | |
| Children in kindergartens (2025/2026) | 151 | 17,635 | 158,685 | ranked 177 of 546 | |
| Children in kindergartens per 1,000 residents (2025/2026) | 39 | 41 | 35 | ranked 190 of 546 | |
| Primary schools (2025/2026) | 4 | 188 | 1,925 | ranked 117 of 546 | |
| Primary school pupils (2025/2026) | 254 | 32,863 | 291,355 | ranked 208 of 546 | |
| Primary school pupils per 1,000 residents (2025/2026) | 66 | 76 | 72 | ranked 343 of 546 | |
| Pupils per teacher in primary schools (2025/2026) | 7.5 | 8.6 | 6.3 | ranked 173 of 534 | |
| Students by place of residence (2025/2026) | 104 | 17,671 | 139,372 | ranked 186 of 546 | |
| Students per 1,000 residents (by place of residence) (2025/2026) | 27 | 41 | 28 | ranked 282 of 546 | |
| Share of residents aged 15 and over with higher education (2021) | 26.2% | 25.7% | 13.0% | ranked 25 of 545 |
Jelsa: indicators over time
Indicators available for several years. Hover over or tap a chart to read the value for each year.
Natural change per 1,000 residents
−7.0 ‰ in 2024, compared with −4.1 ‰ in 2022
Net migration (arrivals minus departures) per 1,000 residents
16.1 ‰ in 2025, compared with 18.1 ‰ in 2015
Net migration with abroad per 1,000 residents
17.2 ‰ in 2025, compared with 7.9 ‰ in 2015
Dwellings completed in the year
43 in 2024, compared with 24 in 2011
Net income per resident (per year)
7,318 € in 2025, compared with 5,176 € in 2022
Average annual net pay per employee
8,819 € in 2025, compared with 6,122 € in 2022
Average annual net pension per pensioner
6,382 € in 2025, compared with 4,184 € in 2022
Persons in paid employment in legal entities
586 in 2024, compared with 514 in 2011
Tourist nights in the year
504,370 in 2021, compared with 425,615 in 2012
Tourist nights in commercial accommodation
560,011 in 2025, compared with 585,923 in 2018
Tourist arrivals in commercial accommodation
80,069 in 2025, compared with 80,556 in 2018
Beds in commercial accommodation
8,714 in 2025, compared with 9,751 in 2018
Where is Jelsa?
Neighbouring municipalities
- Stari Grad16 km · 3,037
- Bol17 km · 1,769
- Selca19 km · 1,616
- Vela Luka21 km · 3,723
- Blato22 km · 3,422
- Pučišća24 km · 1,845
- Smokvica24 km · 841
- Sućuraj24 km · 455
All municipalities in Split-Dalmatia County
Municipalities of similar size
Frequently asked questions
What is the population of Jelsa?
Jelsa has 3,846 residents (2025), ranking 183 of 556 municipalities.
How big is Jelsa?
Jelsa covers 16.3 km², with a density of 236 people per km².
Is the population of Jelsa growing?
Between 2015 and 2025, the population of Jelsa went from 3,535 to 3,846, a change of +8.8%.
Where is Jelsa?
Jelsa is in Split-Dalmatia County. Latitude 43.140, longitude 16.784.
Share of unoccupied dwellings for permanent residence: what is the figure for Jelsa?
In Jelsa, “Share of unoccupied dwellings for permanent residence” stands at 57.1% (2021), ranking 10 of 545 municipalities; the national median is 25.9%.
Share of employed residents in accommodation and food service activities: what is the figure for Jelsa?
In Jelsa, “Share of employed residents in accommodation and food service activities” stands at 31.5% (2021), ranking 12 of 545 municipalities; the national median is 6.5%.
Which municipalities border Jelsa?
The nearest to Jelsa are Stari Grad (16 km), Bol (17 km), Selca (19 km), Vela Luka (21 km), Blato (22 km).