Demographics of Northern Ireland
Demographics of Northern Ireland | |
---|---|
Population | 1,903,175 (2021 census) |
Density | 133 per km2 |
Life expectancy | |
• male | 78.4 years[1] |
• female | 82.3 years |
Age structure | |
0–14 years | 19% |
15–64 years | 64% |
65 and over | 17% |
Nationality | |
Major ethnic | White 97% |
Minor ethnic | other ethnic groups 3% |
Northern Ireland is the smallest of the four components of the United Kingdom in terms of both area and population, containing 2.9% of the total population and 5.7% of the total area of the United Kingdom. It is the smaller of the two political entities on the island of Ireland by area and population, the other being the Republic of Ireland. Northern Ireland contains 27.1% of the total population and 16.75% of the total area of the island of Ireland.
The Belfast Metropolitan Area dominates in population terms, with over a third of the inhabitants of Northern Ireland.
When Northern Ireland was created, it had a Protestant majority of approximately two-to-one,[2][3][4] unlike the Republic of Ireland, where Catholics were in the majority.[5] The 2001 census was the first to show that the Protestant and other (non-Catholic) Christian share of the population had dropped below 50%, but 53.1% still identified as being from a Protestant or other Christian background. In the 2011 census, this dropped to 48.4%.[6][4] In 2021, the recorded number of Catholics by background (45.7%) overtook the Protestant and other Christian by background share (43.48%), becoming the plurality, with no group in the overall majority.[7][8][9][10]
Its people speak Irish (Gaelic), Ulster Scots and Ulster English which is itself heavily influenced by the Scots language of which Ulster Scots is a dialect. In addition the Ulster dialect of Irish (Gaelic) also has a closer connection to Scottish Gaelic than other Irish (Gaelic) dialects. This is both because of historic links with Scotland going back centuries, and because of settlements of lowland Scots Protestants in Ulster in the 17th century, such as the Plantation of Ulster.
Also unlike the Republic, a large proportion of people in Northern Ireland have a British national identity, although a significant minority identifies as Irish. Many people in Northern Ireland have a Northern Irish identity, whether in addition to a British or Irish identity or by itself.
Historic population trends
[edit]Year | Pop. | ±% |
---|---|---|
1841 | 1,648,945 | — |
1851 | 1,442,517 | −12.5% |
1861 | 1,396,453 | −3.2% |
1871 | 1,359,190 | −2.7% |
1881 | 1,304,816 | −4.0% |
1891 | 1,236,056 | −5.3% |
1901 | 1,236,952 | +0.1% |
1911 | 1,250,531 | +1.1% |
1926 | 1,256,561 | +0.5% |
1951 | 1,370,921 | +9.1% |
1961 | 1,425,042 | +3.9% |
1971 | 1,536,065 | +7.8% |
1981 | 1,543,000 | +0.5% |
1991 | 1,607,300 | +4.2% |
2001 | 1,685,267 | +4.9% |
2011 | 1,810,863 | +7.5% |
2021 | 1,903,175 | +5.1% |
2023[12] | 1,920,400 | +0.9% |
Note: 1981 and 1991 data[11]
Data for years prior to 1926 are from the Census of Ireland, for those counties that became Northern Ireland in 1920. |
Cities and towns by population[13] | |||||
---|---|---|---|---|---|
# | Settlement | Population | Metro
population |
||
1 | Belfast | 293,300 | 626,339 | ||
2 | Derry | 85,279 | 94,376 | ||
3 | Lisburn [14] | 51,447 | 84,090 | ||
4 | Craigavon Urban Area | 72,301 | |||
5 | Metropolitan Newtonabbey [14] | 67,599 | |||
6 | Bangor [14] | 64,596 | |||
7 | Metropolitan Castlereagh [14] | 58,762 | |||
8 | Ballymena | 31,205 | |||
9 | Newtownards | 29,677 | |||
10 | Newry | 28,530 | |||
11 | Carrickfergus [14] | 28,141 |
Fertility
[edit]-
Percentage of births born outside of wedlock in Northern Ireland
-
Age of mother at birth in Northern Ireland
Place of birth
[edit]In 2001, 91.0% of the population were born in Northern Ireland, 7.2% were born in other parts of the UK and Ireland, and 1.8% were born elsewhere. By 2021, the proportion of immigrants from outside the UK and Ireland had risen to 6.6%, while the proportion born within other parts of the UK and Ireland had fallen to 6.9%. The highest number of non-British/Irish immigrants are in Belfast City Council, followed by Armagh City, Banbridge and Craigavon Borough Council and Mid Ulster District Council. The town of Dungannon in Mid Ulster District Council has a bigger share of immigrants than any town in Northern Ireland, while Derry City and Strabane has the smallest share of immigrants.[16]
Place of Birth | 2001[17] | 2011[18] | 2021[19] | |||
---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
Number | % | Number | % | Number | % | |
Northern Ireland | 1,534,268 | 91.04 | 1,608,853 | 88.84 | 1,646,276 | 86.50% |
England | 61,609 | 3.66 | 64,717 | 3.57 | 72,940 | 3.83% |
Scotland | 16,772 | 1.00 | 15,455 | 0.85 | 16,521 | 0.87% |
Wales | 3,008 | 0.18 | 2,552 | 0.14 | 2,796 | 0.15% |
Republic of Ireland | 39,051 | 2.32 | 37,833 | 2.09 | 40,357 | 2.12% |
Other European Union member countries | 10,355 | 0.61 | 67,451 | 3.54% | ||
— Member countries prior to 2004 expansion | 9,703 | 0.54 | ||||
— Accession countries 2004 onwards | 35,704 | 1.97 | ||||
Other outside the EU | 20,204 | 1.20 | 36,046 | 1.99 | 57,012 | 2.99% |
Europe | 3,689 | 0.19% | ||||
Africa | 10,761 | 0.57% | ||||
Middle East and Asia | 29,241 | 1.54% | ||||
North, Central America and Caribbean | 8,207 | 0.43% | ||||
South America | 1,858 | 0.10% | ||||
Oceania and other | 3,076 | 0.16% | ||||
Total | 1,685,267 | 100.00 | 1,810,863 | 100.00 | 1,903,173 | 100% |
Below are the 5 largest foreign-born groups in Northern Ireland according to 2014 ONS estimates.[20]
Country of birth | Estimated population, 2013 | Estimated population, 2014 | Estimated population, 2015 |
---|---|---|---|
Poland | 25,000 | 20,000 | 18,000 |
Lithuania | 7,000 | 8,000 | 13,000 |
India | 8,000 | 6,000 | 6,000 |
Philippines | 3,000 | 4,000 | 5,000 |
Ethnicity
[edit]-
Ethnic demography of Northern Ireland from 2001 to 2021
-
Population pyramid of Northern Ireland by ethnicity in 2021
The following table shows the ethnic group of respondents for the following censuses
Ethnic group | 2001[21][22] | 2011[23][24] | 2021[25][26] | |||
---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
Number | % | Number | % | Number | % | |
White: Total | 1,672,698 | 99.25% | 1,779,750 |
98.28% |
1,841,713 | 96.77% |
White | 1,670,988 | 99.15% | 1,778,449 | 98.21% | – | – |
White: British/Irish/Northern Irish only (national identity) and Christian/no religion/religion not stated (religion) | – | – | – | – | 1,749,970 | 91.9% |
White: Other | – | – | – | – | 87,607 | 4.6% |
White: Irish Traveller/White Gypsy | 1,710 | 0.10% | 1,301 | 0.07% | 2,609 | 0.14% |
White: Roma | – | – | – | – | 1,529 | 0.08% |
Asian or Asian British: Total | 6,824 | 0.40% | 19,130 | 1.06% | 30,667 | 1.61% |
Asian/Asian British: Indian | 1,567 | 0.09% | 6,198 | 0.34% | 9,881 | 0.52% |
Asian/Asian British: Pakistani | 668 | 0.04% | 1,091 | 0.06% | 1,596 | 0.08% |
Asian/Asian British: Bangladeshi | 252 | 0.01% | 540 | 0.03% | 710 | 0.04% |
Asian/Asian British: Chinese | 4,145 | 0.25% | 6,303 | 0.35% | 9,495 | 0.50% |
Asian/Asian British: Filipino[a] | 2,053 | 0.11% | 4,451 | 0.23% | ||
Asian/Asian British: Other Asian | 194 | 0.01% | 2,671 | 0.15% | 4,534 | 0.24% |
Black or Black British: Total | 1,136 | 0.07% | 3,616 | 0.20% | 11,032 | 0.58% |
Black or Black British: Caribbean | 255 | 0.02% | 372 | 0.02% | – | – |
Black or Black British: African | 494 | 0.03% | 2,345 | 0.13% | 8,069 | 0.42% |
Black or Black British: Other | 387 | 0.02% | 899 | 0.05% | 2,963 | 0.16% |
Mixed: Total | 3,319 | 0.20% | 6,014 | 0.33% | 14,382 | 0.76% |
Other: Any other ethnic group:Total | 1,290 | 0.08% | 2,353 |
0.13% |
5,385 | 0.29% |
Other: Arab[b] | – | – | 274 | 0.02% | 1,817 | 0.10% |
Other: Any other ethnic group | – | – | – | – | 3,568 | 0.19% |
Total | 1,685,267 | 100% | 1,810,863 | 100% | 1,903,179 | 100% |
-
White
-
White British and Irish
-
White Other
-
Ethnic minorities
-
Mixed
Languages spoken
[edit]English is by far the most commonly spoken language in Northern Ireland. Two regional languages of Northern Ireland, Irish and Ulster Scots, are protected under the European Charter for Regional or Minority Languages. Several other languages are spoken by immigrants to Northern Ireland, the most common of which is Polish.
A question about knowledge of Irish was reintroduced to the census in 1991, for the first time since 1911. In 2011, the census question was modified to ask about Ulster Scots alongside Irish.[27]
-
Foreign languages. Map showing the percentage of people whose main language was other than English or Irish (Gaeilge) in the 2021 census. Those stating Ulster Scots as their main language were negligible in number and not analysed geographically by NISRA.
-
Percentage of people aged 3+ claiming to have some ability in Irish in the 2021 census
-
Percentage of people aged 3+ claiming to have some ability in Ulster Scots in the 2021 census
Main language of all usual residents aged 3 and over
Main language | 2011[28] | 2021[29] | ||
---|---|---|---|---|
Usual residents aged 3+ | Proportion | Usual residents aged 3+ | Proportion | |
English | 1,681,171 | 96.86% | 1,751,510 | 95.37% |
Polish | 17,731 | 1.02% | 20,134 | 1.10% |
Lithuanian | 6,250 | 0.36% | 8,978 | 0.49% |
Irish | 4,164 | 0.24% | 5,969 | 0.32% |
Portuguese | 2,293 | 0.13% | 4,982 | 0.27% |
Slovak | 2,257 | 0.13% | 2,333 | 0.13% |
Chinese | 2,214 | 0.13% | 3,329 | 0.18% |
Tagalog/Filipino | 1,895 | 0.11% | 1,339 | 0.07% |
Latvian | 1,273 | 0.07% | 1,700 | 0.09% |
Russian | 1,191 | 0.07% | 1,605 | 0.09% |
Hungarian | 1,008 | 0.06% | 2,172 | 0.12% |
Other | 13,090 | 0.75% | 28,293 | 1.5% |
Total | 1,836,616 | 100% |
Ability in Irish of all usual residents aged 3 and over in the Census[30][31]
Ability in Irish | 2001[32] | 2011[33] | 2021[29] | |||
---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
Usual residents aged 3+ | Proportion | Usual residents aged 3+ | Proportion | Usual residents aged 3+ | Proportion | |
Understands spoken Irish, but cannot speak, read, or write | 36,479 | 2.25% | 70,501 | 4.06% | 90,801 | 4.94% |
Can speak but cannot read or write Irish | 24,536 | 1.52% | 24,677 | 1.43% | 37,497 | 2.04% |
Can speak and read but cannot write Irish | 7,183 | 0.44% | 7,414 | 0.43% | 9,683 | 0.53% |
Can speak, read, write, and understand Irish | 75,125 | 4.64% | 64,847 | 3.74% | 71,872 | 3.91% |
Other combination of skills | 24,167 | 1.49% | 17,459 | 1.01% | 18,764 | 1.02% |
Has some knowledge of Irish | 167,490 | 10.35% | 184,898 | 10.65% | 228,617 | 12.45% |
Ability in Ulster Scots of all usual residents aged 3 and over in the Census[34]
Ability in Ulster Scots | 2011[35] | 2021[29] | ||
---|---|---|---|---|
Usual residents aged 3+ | Proportion | Usual residents aged 3+ | Proportion | |
Understands spoken Ulster Scots, but cannot speak, read, or write | 92,040 | 5.30% | 115,088 | 6.27% |
Can speak but cannot read or write Ulster Scots | 10,265 | 0.59% | 26,570 | 1.45% |
Can speak and read but cannot write Ulster Scots | 7,801 | 0.45% | 12,297 | 0.67% |
Can speak, read, write, and understand Ulster Scots | 16,373 | 0.94% | 20,930 | 1.14% |
Other combination of skills | 13,725 | 0.79% | 15,728 | 0.86% |
Has some knowledge of Ulster Scots | 140,204 | 8.08% | 190,613 | 10.38% |
Education
[edit]Northern Ireland has a highly educated and literate population, particularly among the younger generations.
The following shows the educational attainment, shown by highest qualification received, at different ages for adults, in the 2021 census[36]
-
Highest qualification received by age
-
Female highest qualifications by age
-
Male highest qualifiations received by age
-
Apprenticeships by age
-
No qualifications by age
The census defines the levels as follows:
- Level 1: 1 to 4 GCSEs, O levels, CSEs (any grades); 1 AS Level; NVQ level 1; or equivalent
- Level 2: 5 or more GCSEs (A*-C or 9-4), O levels (passes) CSEs (grade 1); 1 A level, 2-3 AS Levels; NVQ level 2, BTEC General, City and Guilds Craft; or equivalent
- Level 3: 2 or more A Levels, 4 or more AS Levels; NVQ Level 3, BTEC National, OND, ONC, City and Guilds Advanced Craft; or equivalent
- Level 4: Degree (BA, BSc), foundation degree, NVQ Level 4 and above, HND, HNC, professional qualifications (teaching or nursing, for example), or equivalent
- Other: Other qualifications, equivalent unknown
Younger adults, aged 18-30, are the highest ever qualified group. Just under 50% of that age group who have reached university graduation age (around 23 years old) have achieved a Level 4 or above qualification. This is about 10% higher than those aged 30-40. The number of those without qualifications is the lowest in 18-30 group.
There is a large gender gap with 10% more females than males receiving Level 4 or above qualification. About 55% of women in their 20s have achieved Level 4.
The number of young adults with no qualifications is less than 8%, compared to an overall 23.8%. There has been a decrease in the number of people with apprenticeships from about 20% of males over 70 to only 5% for 20-30 year olds.
Level 4 | Level 3 | Level 2 | Level 1 | Apprenticeship | Other | No Qualifications | |
---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
Female | 35.0% | 15.7% | 15.0% | 6.0% | 1.7% | 2.7% | 23.9% |
Male | 29.1% | 16.2% | 12.2% | 5.8% | 11.3% | 1.7% | 23.7% |
All residents NI | 32.1% | 16.0% | 13.6% | 5.9% | 6.4% | 2.2% | 23.8% |
All residents England and Wales[37] | 34.7% | 17.3% | 12.3% | 9.6% | 5.4% | 2.8% | 17.9% |
20-30 year olds NI | 41.7% | 29.4% | 12.2% | 3.7% | 3.3% | 1.2% | 8.5% |
20-30 year olds England/Wales | 40.1% | 28.4% | 11.7% | 6.9% | 4.4% | 1.5% | 7.0% |
Past Censuses
[edit]Questions about the highest academic qualification received has been asked since the 1991 census. However, the categorization of results has changed. In 1991, seven levels were reported, where Level 1 and Level 2 were the highest and correspond to Level 4 in 2021, and 1991's Level 3 and Level 4 correspond to Level 3 in 2021.[38]
Apprenticeships were not tracked as separate categories in 1991 or 2001 and it's not certain whether they were counted as "No Qualifications". About 10% of those over 50 reported holding an apprenticeship in 2021.
Currently apprenticeships have a large academic component, and are separated into "Intermediate", "Advanced," and "Higher" apprenticeships, and so are included as academic qualifications.[39]
Mapping the past results to the 2021 categories, we see that the number of people with no qualifications has dropped considerably in each census, whereas the number of people with degrees or equivalent is nearly 4 times larger than in 1991.
Level 4 | Level 3 | Level 2 | Level 1 | Apprenticeship | Other | No Qualifications | |
---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
1991 | 8.2% | 7.2% | 16.2% | 3.5% | - | - | 65.0% |
2001[40] | 15.8% | 9.0% | 16.4% | 17.2% | - | - | 41.6% |
2011[41] | 23.7% | 12.3% | 14.9% | 11.5% | 4.2% | 4.3% | 29.2% |
2021[36] | 32.1% | 16.0% | 13.6% | 5.9% | 6.4% | 2.2% | 23.8% |
Religion
[edit]-
Percentage of population who are Catholic
-
Percentage of population who are Protestant
-
Percentage of population who profess no religion
-
Religion or religion brought up in from the 2021 census
-
Population pyramid of Northern Ireland by religion brought up in 2021
-
Percentage by religion at each age
-
Population by religion at each age
-
Religion in each Electoral Area 2001.[42] Protestants outnumbered Catholics in 46 out of the 80 Electoral Areas
-
Religion in each Electoral Area 2011.[43] Protestants outnumbered Catholics in 44 out of the 80 Electoral Areas
-
Religion in each Electoral Area 2021.[44] Protestants outnumbered Catholics in 37 out of the 80 Electoral Areas
For the first century that Northern Ireland existed, the majority or plurality of its population identified with Protestantism, and with its founding, the region was intended to have a permanent Protestant majority.[45] With the 2021 census, Catholics outnumbered Protestants for the first time.
Northern Ireland is geographically polarized by religion. Catholics are concentrated in the west and border areas, and recently in Belfast. Protestants are concentrated in the east, in an east-west band across northern Armagh to northern Down, and north-south from the Antrim coast to north of Belfast. Belfast was once a majority Protestant city but became a Catholic plurality city between the 2001 and 2011 censuses.
The following table shows the religion stated by respondents to the 2001, 2011 and 2021 censuses.
Religion stated | 2001[46] | 2011[47] | 2021[48] | |||
---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
Number | % | Number | % | Number | % | |
Roman Catholic | 678,462 | 40.2 | 738,033 | 40.8 | 805,151 | 42.3 |
Presbyterian Church in Ireland | 348,742 | 20.7 | 345,101 | 19.1 | 316,103 | 16.6 |
Church of Ireland | 257,788 | 15.3 | 248,821 | 13.7 | 219,788 | 11.5 |
Methodist Church in Ireland | 59,173 | 3.5 | 54,253 | 3.0 | 44,728 | 2.4 |
Other Christian | 102,221 | 6.1 | 104,380 | 5.8 | 130,377 | 6.9 |
(Total non-Roman Catholic Christian) | 767,924 | 45.6 | 752,555 | 41.6 | 710,996 | 37.3 |
(Total Christian) | 1,446,386 | 85.8 | 1,490,588 | 82.3 | 1,516,147 | 79.6 |
Other religion | 5,028 | 0.3 | 14,859 | 0.8 | 25,519 | 1.3 |
No religion | 183,164 | 10.1 | 330,983 | 17.4 | ||
Religion not stated | 122,252 | 6.8 | 30,529 | 1.6 | ||
(No religion and Religion not stated) | 233,853 | 13.9 | 305,416 | 16.9 | 361,512 | 19.0 |
Total population | 1,685,267 | 100.0 | 1,810,863 | 100.0 | 1,903,175 | 100.0 |
The religious affiliations in the districts of Northern Ireland at the time of the 2011 census were as follows. Note that these boundaries changed in 2015.
District | 2001[49] | 2011[50] | 2021[51] | |||||||
---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
Catholic | Protestant and other Christian | Other or none | Catholic | Protestant and other Christian | Other or none | Catholic | Protestant and other Christian | No religion/not stated | Other | |
Antrim | 35.2% | 47.2% | 17.6% | 37.5% | 43.2% | 19.2% | 38.1% | 39.0% | 21.6% | 1.3% |
Ards | 10.4% | 68.7% | 20.9% | 10.9% | 65.4% | 23.6% | 10.9% | 58.8% | 29.2% | 1.1% |
Armagh | 45.4% | 45.5% | 9.1% | 44.8% | 43.0% | 12.2% | 46.4% | 41.1% | 11.7% | 0.9% |
Ballymena | 19.0% | 67.8% | 13.3% | 20.4% | 63.3% | 16.3% | 21.3% | 58.4% | 19.5% | 0.7% |
Ballymoney | 29.5% | 59.1% | 11.3% | 29.6% | 56.7% | 13.6% | 30.0% | 53.8% | 15.5% | 0.6% |
Banbridge | 28.6% | 58.7% | 12.7% | 29.4% | 55.3% | 15.3% | 31.0% | 49.4% | 18.6% | 0.9% |
Belfast | 42.1% | 40.3% | 17.5% | 41.9% | 34.1% | 24.0% | 42.5% | 29.7% | 24.5% | 3.3% |
Carrickfergus | 6.5% | 70.4% | 23.1% | 7.6% | 67.2% | 25.2% | 7.6% | 59.5% | 31.8% | 1.2% |
Castlereagh | 15.8% | 64.9% | 19.3% | 19.5% | 57.3% | 23.2% | 21.8% | 48.4% | 28.2% | 1.7% |
Coleraine | 24.1% | 60.5% | 15.4% | 25.0% | 56.8% | 18.2% | 25.3% | 52.5% | 21.2% | 1.0% |
Cookstown | 55.2% | 38.0% | 6.8% | 55.1% | 34.0% | 11.0% | 58.2% | 31.8% | 9.6% | 0.4% |
Craigavon | 41.7% | 46.7% | 11.6% | 42.1% | 42.1% | 15.8% | 43.4% | 37.7% | 17.5% | 1.4% |
Derry | 70.9% | 20.8% | 8.4% | 67.4% | 19.4% | 13.1% | 70.3% | 18.0% | 10.6% | 1.0% |
Down | 57.1% | 29.2% | 13.7% | 57.5% | 27.1% | 15.4% | 58.4% | 24.8% | 16.2% | 0.6% |
Dungannon | 57.3% | 34.9% | 7.7% | 58.7% | 29.8% | 11.5% | 62.6% | 26.9% | 9.9% | 0.7% |
Fermanagh | 55.5% | 36.1% | 8.4% | 54.9% | 34.3% | 10.8% | 55.8% | 32.1% | 11.2% | 0.9% |
Larne | 22.2% | 61.9% | 15.9% | 21.8% | 59.7% | 18.5% | 21.3% | 54.7% | 23.3% | 0.7% |
Limavady | 53.1% | 36.1% | 10.7% | 56.0% | 34.3% | 9.7% | 57.5% | 31.7% | 10.5% | 0.3% |
Lisburn | 30.1% | 53.6% | 16.4% | 32.8% | 47.9% | 19.3% | 35.2% | 41.8% | 21.6% | 1.4% |
Magherafelt | 61.5% | 32.0% | 6.5% | 62.4% | 28.3% | 9.3% | 65.0% | 26.2% | 8.1% | 0.7% |
Moyle | 56.6% | 33.8% | 9.6% | 54.4% | 32.3% | 13.3% | 54.3% | 32.1% | 13.1% | 0.5% |
Newry and Mourne | 75.9% | 16.4% | 7.7% | 72.1% | 15.2% | 12.7% | 75.1% | 14.9% | 9.3% | 0.7% |
Newtownabbey | 17.1% | 64.5% | 18.4% | 19.9% | 57.8% | 22.3% | 22.1% | 51.0% | 25.6% | 1.4% |
North Down | 10.0% | 64.5% | 25.5% | 11.2% | 60.3% | 28.5% | 11.6% | 52.2% | 34.9% | 1.4% |
Omagh | 65.1% | 26.3% | 8.6% | 65.4% | 24.8% | 9.8% | 67.7% | 22.9% | 8.8% | 0.7% |
Strabane | 63.1% | 30.9% | 6.0% | 60.1% | 30.7% | 9.2% | 63.0% | 29.5% | 7.0% | 0.5% |
"Religion" vs "Religion or Religion Raised In"
[edit]The census included two questions related to religion: what religion, religious denomination or body do you belong to? and what religion, religious denomination or body were you brought up in?
This produced two sets of results, where the "current religion" is in all cases less than the "religion brought up in"
The difference between the two measurements is higher for Protestants than for Catholics, and is higher among younger people.
Geographically, using Religion instead of Religion raised in doesn't change the areas where Catholic outnumber Protestants, or vice versa, but results in some regions where a majority turns into a plurality.
-
Religious plurality or majority based on "religion belong to"[52]
-
Religion in each Electoral Area 2021.
National identity
[edit]-
Map of predominant national identity in the 2021 census in Northern Ireland
-
Predominant National Identity by District Electoral Area (DEA)[53]
-
Most commonly selected National Identity in 2011 census, based on 2011 Census "Small Areas"
-
Most commonly selected National Identity in 2021 census, based on 2021 Census "Data Zones"[54]
In Northern Ireland national identity is complex. Many in Northern Ireland have a British national identity and view the English, Scots and Welsh as fellow members of their common nation while regarding people from the Republic of Ireland as foreigners. Many others in Northern Ireland view people from the Republic of Ireland as being members of their common nation encompassing the island of Ireland and regard the English, Scots and Welsh as foreigners. Co-existing with this dichotomy is a Northern Irish identity, which can be held alone or, as is also the case with Englishness, Scottishness and Welshness, alongside a British identity, or alongside an Irish identity. A small number of people see themselves as being both British and Irish.
In the 2021 census respondents gave their national identity as follows.
National identity | Respondents |
---|---|
British only | |
Irish only | |
Northern Irish only | |
British and Northern Irish | |
Irish and Northern Irish | |
Other British, Irish, and/or Northern Irish | |
English, Scottish, or Welsh | |
Other |
-
British only identity
-
Irish only identity
-
Northern Irish only identity
National Identity and Religion
[edit]National Identity by Religions breaks down as follows.[56] All tables, maps, and graphs in this section use "Religion or Religion brought up in" from the census.
Catholic | Protestant | Other | No Religion | All Residents | |
---|---|---|---|---|---|
British only | 6.6% | 57.8% | 29.3% | 35.5% | 31.9% |
British and Northern Irish only | 0.8% | 15.4% | 3.9% | 9.0% | 8.0% |
Irish only | 60.0% | 2.0% | 8.8% | 7.6% | 29.1% |
Irish and Northern Irish only | 3.1% | 0.4% | 1.0% | 1.5% | 1.8% |
Northern Irish only | 20.9% | 17.7% | 9.9% | 25.6% | 19.8% |
British and Irish only | 0.7% | 0.5% | 1.1% | 0.6% | 0.6% |
British, Irish and Northern Irish only | 0.9% | 1.9% | 1.5% | 2.3% | 1.5% |
Other | 7.0% | 4.4% | 44.7% | 18.0% | 7.4% |
British only plus British and Northern Irish only | 7.4% | 73.1% | 33.2% | 44.5% | 39.9% |
Irish only plus Irish and Northern Irish only | 63.1% | 2.4% | 9.7% | 9.0% | 30.9% |
Other combinations of British, Irish and Northern Irish | 1.6% | 2.4% | 2.6% | 2.9% | 2.1% |
Any choice that includes British | 9.0% | 75.5% | 35.8% | 47.4% | 42.0% |
Any choice that includes Irish | 64.7% | 4.8% | 12.3% | 11.9% | 33.0% |
Although there is a strong correlation between religion and national identity, Catholics tending to identify as Irish and Protestants tending to identify as British, this is not an absolute relationship, and the correlation is weaker amongst Catholics than it is amongst Protestants. Amongst Catholics, geography also plays an important role, with Catholics in heavily Protestant parts of Northern Ireland being more likely to call themselves British and less likely to call themselves Irish than Catholics in more Catholic areas of Northern Ireland. The reverse is true for Protestants, but to a lesser extent. However, the actual numbers are low for both those Protestants identifying as Irish and Catholics identifying as British, since it happens in areas where the respective religion is proportionally low.
In the 2021 census, Protestants outnumbered Catholics in 37 DEAs, down from 44 in 2011, while those considering themselves British outnumbered those who considered themselves Irish in 45 DEAs, down from 58 in 2011.
The majority of areas being British, despite the majority of areas being Catholic, is partly because Catholics were more likely to see themselves as British than Protestants were to see themselves as Irish (however this changed significantly between 2011 and 2021 - 9% vs. 4.8% respectively – in 2011 it was 13% vs 4% respectively), but is also partly because those of no religion were more likely to see themselves as British as see themselves as Irish. The non-religious tend to live in Protestant areas, suggesting that they are mostly of Protestant descent. In 2021, 47% of those professing no religion considered themselves British, while 12% considered themselves Irish. Members of the immigrant population, which includes many Poles, are also more likely to consider themselves Catholic.
Northern Irish identity was slightly more likely amongst Catholics than amongst Protestants, and it varied little according to geography.
-
Percentage of Protestants identifying as British
-
Percentage of Protestants identifying as Irish
-
Percentage of Protestants identifying as Northern Irish
-
Percentage of Catholics identifying as British
-
Percentage of Catholics identifying as Irish
-
Percentage of Catholics identifying as Northern Irish
-
Percentage of professing no religion identifying as British
-
Percentage of those professing no religion identifying as Irish
-
Percentage of those professing no religion identifying as Northern Irish
Changes from 2011 to 2021
[edit]-
National Identity in Northern Ireland by Electoral Area 2011. British outnumbered Irish in 58 out of the 80 Electoral Areas[57]
-
National Identity in Northern Ireland by Electoral Area 2021. British outnumbered Irish in 45 out of the 80 Electoral Areas[58]
-
Swing from British to Irish identity by DEA (2014) from 2011 to 2021 censuses
The following metrics account for over 90% of the population in both 2011 and 2021. National Identity showed a large shift from British to Irish of 10% between 2011 and 2021.
2011 | 2021 | Change | |
---|---|---|---|
British Only | 39.9% | 31.9% | -8.0% |
British And Northern Irish | 6.2% | 8.0% | +1.8% |
Irish Only | 25.3% | 29.1% | +3.9% |
Irish And Northern Irish | 1.1% | 1.8% | +0.7% |
Northern Irish Only | 20.9% | 19.8% | -1.1% |
All DEAs showed an increase in Irish National Identity relative to British, with the lowest increase (3%) in the Court DEA, and the largest increase (22%) in the Castlereagh South DEA. Generally the largest increases were in the east, in and around Belfast.
Between 2011 and 2021, Catholics seeing themselves as British fell from 13% to 9%, while Protestants seeing themselves as Irish increased from 4% to 4.8%.
The shift from British to Irish can be seen from the plot comparing the age groups from the 2011 census with the same age cohort in the 2021 census. There was a swing towards Irish across all age cohorts, but it was 12-13% among younger adults (under 35 in 2021), approximately 2-6% among 35-64 (in 2021) year olds, and a much smaller 0.8% in the oldest age cohort.
-
National Identity in 2011 and 2021, by same age cohort. For example, those in the 16-24 age group in 2011 are compared to the 26-34 age group in 2021[61]
-
Swing from British to Irish by age cohort.
Passports held
[edit]-
The most commonly held passport according to the 2011 census. 1,070,413 British and 375,826 Irish passports were held.[62]
-
The most commonly held passport according to the 2021 census. 1,000,207 British and 614,251 Irish passports were held.[63]
People born in Northern Ireland have automatic British citizenship on the same basis and with the same provisions as those born elsewhere in the United Kingdom. Despite the Irish Government's withdrawal of its constitutional claim to Northern Ireland in 1999, those born in Northern Ireland are entitled to Irish citizenship, should they so choose. Because of this entitlement most people in Northern Ireland are able to get both a British passport and an Irish Passport. Through an agreement between the Irish Government and Post Office Ltd, post offices in Northern Ireland provide a service where customers can apply for an Irish passport, alongside their service where customers can apply for a British passport.
Significantly more Irish passports (+11.4%) and fewer British passports (-6.5%) were held in 2021 compared to 2011. Catholics in particular gave up their British passports (-10.9%) and now hold Irish passports (+16.7%), but there was also a small drop in the percentage of Protestants with British passports (-0.4%) and large increase in Protestants with Irish passports (+6.5%). Similarly "Other" and "No religion" British passport holders fell by 8.3% and 4.9% respectively, and Irish passport holder increased by 5.6% and 6.9% respectively.
In the 2021 census, respondents stated that they held the following passports,[64] compared to 2011.[65][66]
Passport | All usual residents | Religion or religion brought up in | ||||||||
---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
Catholic | Protestant and other Christian | Other Religions | None | |||||||
2021 | Change | 2021 | Change | 2021 | Change | 2021 | Change | 2021 | Change | |
No passport | 15.9% | -3.0 % | 15.1% | -4.1% | 16.0% | -2.5% | 12.5% | -6.0% | 19.6% | -0.6% |
EU/EEA Countries | 83.0% | +0.9% | 84.3% | +1.9% | 83.5% | +1.1% | 64.8% | -4.5% | 77.6% | -0.8% |
United Kingdom | 52.6% | -6.5% | 27.5% | -10.9% | 77.4% | -0.4% | 47.7% | -8.3% | 60.3% | -4.9% |
Ireland | 32.3% | +11.4% | 57.2% | +16.7% | 10.6% | +6.5% | 15.6% | +5.6% | 14.1% | +6.9% |
Poland | 1.3% | +0.3% | 2.4% | 0.4% | 0.1% | 0.0% | 0.7% | +0.1% | 0.9% | 0.0% |
Lithuania | 0.6% | +0.2% | 1.0% | +0.3% | 0.1% | +0.1% | 0.4% | +0.2% | 1.2% | +0.4% |
Other EU/EEA | 1.9% | +1.1% | 1.5% | +0.6% | 1.3% | +0.9% | 5.5% | +3.1% | 5.7% | +1.5% |
Other | 1.1% | -0.1% | 0.5% | -0.4% | 0.6% | -0.1% | 22.7% | -3.3% | 2.8% | -0.7% |
The following table shows the number of passport applications from within Northern Ireland since the 2021 census. 2024 numbers are up to 26 August 2024, and are not yet available broken down into first time or renewals.
In 2022, 34.8% of Irish passport applications were first time applications. In 2023 this rose to 38.2% of applications.
Year | First time applications | Renewals | Total |
---|---|---|---|
2021[67] | 56,700 | ||
2022[68] | 32,719 | 61,423 | 94,142 |
2023[69] | 33,849 | 54,858 | 88,707 |
2024[70] | 78,799 |
Age
[edit]According to the Northern Ireland Statistics and Research Authority the average (median) age increased from 34 years to 37 years between the 2001 and 2011 censuses. Over the same period, the share of the population represented by children aged under 16 years fell from 24 per cent to 21 per cent, while the proportion of people aged 65 years and over rose from 13 per cent to 15 per cent.[71]
-
Ards and North Down
-
Armagh City, Banbridge and Craigavon
-
Antrim and Newtownabbey
-
Belfast
-
Causeway Coast and Glens
-
Derry City and Strabane
-
Fermanagh and Omagh
-
Mid and East Antrim
-
Mid Ulster
-
Newry, Mourne and Down
-
Lisburn and Castlereagh
Vital statistics since 1900
[edit]Average population [72][73][74][75] | Live births | Deaths | Natural change | Crude birth rate (per 1000) | Crude death rate (per 1000) | Natural change (per 1000) | Total fertility rate | |
---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
1901 | 30,782 | 23,954 | 6,828 | |||||
1902 | 30,707 | 23,171 | 7,536 | |||||
1903 | 31,290 | 23,096 | 8,194 | |||||
1904 | 31,550 | 23,536 | 8,014 | |||||
1905 | 31,405 | 22,949 | 8,456 | |||||
1906 | 31,389 | 23,039 | 8,350 | |||||
1907 | 30,969 | 23,754 | 7,215 | |||||
1908 | 30,600 | 23,133 | 7,467 | |||||
1909 | 30,640 | 22,275 | 8,365 | |||||
1910 | 1,246,000 | 30,219 | 22,576 | 7,643 | 24.3 | 18.1 | 6.1 | |
1911 | 1,249,000 | 30,407 | 21,326 | 9,081 | 24.3 | 17.1 | 7.3 | |
1912 | 1,248,000 | 30,301 | 21,698 | 8,603 | 24.3 | 17.4 | 6.9 | |
1913 | 1,243,000 | 29,880 | 22,510 | 7,370 | 24.0 | 18.1 | 5.9 | |
1914 | 1,242,000 | 29,704 | 21,671 | 8,033 | 23.9 | 17.4 | 6.5 | |
1915 | 1,210,000 | 28,082 | 22,438 | 5,644 | 23.2 | 18.5 | 4.7 | |
1916 | 1,205,000 | 26,623 | 20,764 | 5,859 | 22.1 | 17.2 | 4.9 | |
1917 | 1,208,000 | 24,949 | 21,011 | 3,938 | 20.7 | 17.4 | 3.3 | |
1918 | 1,214,000 | 26,212 | 25,013 | 1,199 | 21.6 | 20.6 | 1.0 | |
1919 | 1,250,000 | 27,496 | 22,836 | 4,660 | 22.0 | 18.2 | 3.8 | |
1920 | 1,258,000 | 32,521 | 21,017 | 11,504 | 25.8 | 16.7 | 9.1 | |
1921 | 1,264,000 | 29,710 | 19,301 | 10,409 | 23.7 | 15.4 | 8.3 | |
1922 | 1,269,000 | 29,531 | 19,795 | 9,736 | 23.2 | 15.6 | 7.6 | |
1923 | 1,259,000 | 30,097 | 18,790 | 11,307 | 23.9 | 14.9 | 9.1 | |
1924 | 1,258,000 | 28,496 | 20,299 | 8,197 | 22.7 | 16.1 | 6.5 | |
1925 | 1,257,000 | 27,686 | 19,784 | 7,902 | 22.0 | 15.8 | 6.3 | |
1926 | 1,254,000 | 28,162 | 18,827 | 9,335 | 22.5 | 15.1 | 7.4 | |
1927 | 1,250,000 | 26,676 | 18,216 | 8,460 | 21.4 | 14.6 | 6.8 | |
1928 | 1,247,000 | 25,963 | 18,004 | 7,959 | 20.9 | 14.4 | 6.4 | |
1929 | 1,240,000 | 25,410 | 19,822 | 5,588 | 20.5 | 16.0 | 4.4 | |
1930 | 1,237,000 | 25,879 | 17,148 | 8,731 | 20.9 | 13.9 | 7.0 | |
1931 | 1,243,000 | 25,673 | 18,049 | 7,624 | 20.7 | 14.5 | 6.2 | |
1932 | 1,251,000 | 25,107 | 17,812 | 7,295 | 20.1 | 14.2 | 5.8 | |
1933 | 1,258,000 | 24,601 | 18,154 | 6,447 | 19.6 | 14.5 | 5.1 | |
1934 | 1,265,000 | 25,365 | 17,521 | 7,844 | 20.1 | 13.9 | 6.2 | |
1935 | 1,271,000 | 24,742 | 18,592 | 6,150 | 19.5 | 14.6 | 4.8 | |
1936 | 1,276,000 | 25,909 | 18,429 | 7,480 | 20.3 | 14.4 | 5.9 | |
1937 | 1,281,000 | 25,412 | 19,282 | 6,130 | 19.8 | 15.1 | 4.8 | |
1938 | 1,286,000 | 25,742 | 17,649 | 8,093 | 20.0 | 13.7 | 6.3 | |
1939 | 1,295,000 | 25,240 | 17,542 | 7,698 | 19.5 | 13.5 | 5.9 | |
1940 | 1,299,000 | 25,363 | 18,941 | 6,422 | 19.5 | 14.6 | 4.9 | |
1941 | 1,308,000 | 26,887 | 20,034 | 6,853 | 20.6 | 15.3 | 5.2 | |
1942 | 1,329,000 | 29,645 | 17,570 | 12,075 | 22.3 | 13.2 | 9.1 | |
1943 | 1,341,000 | 31,521 | 17,720 | 13,801 | 23.5 | 13.2 | 10.3 | |
1944 | 1,357,000 | 30,900 | 16,980 | 13,920 | 22.8 | 12.5 | 10.3 | |
1945 | 1,359,000 | 29,007 | 16,432 | 12,575 | 21.3 | 12.1 | 9.3 | |
1946 | 1,350,000 | 30,134 | 16,706 | 13,428 | 22.3 | 12.4 | 9.9 | |
1947 | 1,350,000 | 31,254 | 16,944 | 14,310 | 23.2 | 12.6 | 10.6 | |
1948 | 1,362,000 | 29,532 | 15,145 | 14,387 | 21.7 | 11.1 | 10.6 | |
1949 | 1,371,000 | 29,106 | 15,670 | 13,436 | 21.2 | 11.4 | 9.8 | |
1950 | 1,377,000 | 28,794 | 15,839 | 12,955 | 20.9 | 11.5 | 9.4 | |
1951 | 1,373,000 | 28,477 | 17,628 | 10,849 | 20.7 | 12.8 | 7.9 | |
1952 | 1,375,000 | 28,760 | 14,812 | 13,948 | 20.9 | 10.8 | 10.1 | |
1953 | 1,384,000 | 28,984 | 14,813 | 14,171 | 20.9 | 10.7 | 10.2 | |
1954 | 1,387,000 | 28,803 | 15,124 | 13,679 | 20.8 | 10.9 | 9.9 | |
1955 | 1,394,000 | 28,965 | 15,407 | 13,558 | 20.8 | 11.1 | 9.7 | |
1956 | 1,397,000 | 29,489 | 14,858 | 14,631 | 21.1 | 10.6 | 10.5 | |
1957 | 1,399,000 | 30,108 | 15,187 | 14,921 | 21.5 | 10.9 | 10.7 | |
1958 | 1,402,000 | 30,301 | 15,132 | 15,169 | 21.6 | 10.8 | 10.8 | |
1959 | 1,408,000 | 30,809 | 15,403 | 15,406 | 21.9 | 10.9 | 10.9 | |
1960 | 1,420,000 | 31,989 | 15,296 | 16,693 | 22.5 | 10.8 | 11.8 | |
1961 | 1,427,000 | 31,915 | 16,108 | 15,807 | 22.4 | 11.3 | 11.1 | |
1962 | 1,435,000 | 32,565 | 15,226 | 17,339 | 22.7 | 10.6 | 12.1 | |
1963 | 1,446,000 | 33,414 | 15,899 | 17,515 | 23.1 | 11.0 | 12.1 | |
1964 | 1,458,000 | 34,345 | 15,354 | 18,991 | 23.6 | 10.5 | 13.0 | |
1965 | 1,469,000 | 33,890 | 15,551 | 18,339 | 23.1 | 10.6 | 12.5 | |
1966 | 1,478,000 | 33,228 | 16,441 | 16,787 | 22.5 | 11.1 | 11.4 | |
1967 | 1,491,000 | 33,415 | 14,671 | 18,744 | 22.4 | 9.8 | 12.6 | |
1968 | 1,502,000 | 33,173 | 15,933 | 17,240 | 22.1 | 10.6 | 11.5 | |
1969 | 1,513,000 | 32,428 | 16,338 | 16,090 | 21.4 | 10.8 | 10.6 | |
1970 | 1,525,000 | 32,086 | 16,551 | 15,535 | 21.0 | 10.9 | 10.2 | |
1971 | 1,540,000 | 31,765 | 16,202 | 15,563 | 20.6 | 10.5 | 10.1 | |
1972 | 1,539,000 | 29,994 | 17,032 | 12,962 | 19.5 | 11.1 | 8.4 | |
1973 | 1,530,000 | 29,200 | 17,669 | 11,531 | 19.1 | 11.5 | 7.5 | |
1974 | 1,527,000 | 27,160 | 17,327 | 9,833 | 17.8 | 11.3 | 6.4 | |
1975 | 1,524,000 | 26,130 | 16,511 | 9,619 | 17.2 | 10.8 | 6.4 | |
1976 | 1,524,000 | 26,361 | 17,030 | 9,331 | 17.3 | 11.2 | 6.1 | |
1977 | 1,523,000 | 25,437 | 16,921 | 8,516 | 16.7 | 11.1 | 5.6 | |
1978 | 1,523,000 | 26,239 | 16,153 | 10,086 | 17.2 | 10.6 | 6.6 | |
1979 | 1,528,000 | 28,178 | 16,811 | 11,367 | 18.4 | 11.0 | 7.4 | |
1980 | 1,533,000 | 28,582 | 16,835 | 11,747 | 18.6 | 11.0 | 7.7 | |
1981 | 1,543,000 | 27,166 | 16,256 | 10,910 | 17.6 | 10.5 | 7.1 | 2.79 |
1982 | 1,545,000 | 26,872 | 15,918 | 10,954 | 17.4 | 10.3 | 7.1 | 2.59 |
1983 | 1,551,000 | 27,026 | 16,039 | 10,987 | 17.4 | 10.3 | 7.1 | 2.53 |
1984 | 1,557,000 | 27,477 | 15,692 | 11,785 | 17.6 | 10.1 | 7.5 | 2.51 |
1985 | 1,565,000 | 27,427 | 15,955 | 11,472 | 17.5 | 10.2 | 7.3 | 2.50 |
1986 | 1,574,000 | 27,975 | 16,065 | 11,910 | 17.8 | 10.2 | 7.6 | 2.45 |
1987 | 1,582,000 | 27,653 | 15,334 | 12,319 | 17.5 | 9.7 | 7.8 | 2.44 |
1988 | 1,585,000 | 27,514 | 15,813 | 11,701 | 17.4 | 10.0 | 7.4 | 2.39 |
1989 | 1,590,000 | 25,831 | 15,844 | 9,987 | 16.2 | 10.0 | 6.2 | 2.35 |
1990 | 1,596,000 | 26,251 | 15,426 | 10,825 | 16.5 | 9.7 | 6.8 | 2.19 |
1991 | 1,607,000 | 26,028 | 15,096 | 10,932 | 16.2 | 9.4 | 6.9 | 2.21 |
1992 | 1,623,000 | 25,354 | 14,988 | 10,366 | 15.6 | 9.2 | 6.4 | 2.16 |
1993 | 1,636,000 | 24,722 | 15,633 | 9,089 | 15.1 | 9.6 | 5.5 | 2.08 |
1994 | 1,644,000 | 24,098 | 15,114 | 8,984 | 14.7 | 9.2 | 5.5 | 2.01 |
1995 | 1,649,000 | 23,693 | 15,310 | 8,383 | 14.4 | 9.3 | 5.1 | 1.95 |
1996 | 1,662,000 | 24,382 | 15,218 | 9,164 | 14.7 | 9.2 | 5.5 | 1.91 |
1997 | 1,671,000 | 24,087 | 14,971 | 9,116 | 14.4 | 9.0 | 5.4 | 1.95 |
1998 | 1,678,000 | 23,668 | 14,993 | 8,675 | 14.1 | 8.9 | 5.2 | 1.93 |
1999 | 1,679,000 | 22,957 | 15,663 | 7,294 | 13.7 | 9.3 | 4.3 | 1.90 |
2000 | 1,683,000 | 21,512 | 14,903 | 6,609 | 12.8 | 8.9 | 3.9 | 1.86 |
2001 | 1,689,000 | 21,962 | 14,513 | 7,449 | 13.0 | 8.6 | 4.4 | 1.75 |
2002 | 1,697,000 | 21,385 | 14,586 | 6,799 | 12.6 | 8.6 | 4.0 | 1.81 |
2003 | 1,703,000 | 21,648 | 14,462 | 7,186 | 12.7 | 8.5 | 4.2 | 1.76 |
2004 | 1,710,000 | 22,318 | 14,354 | 7,964 | 13.0 | 8.4 | 4.7 | 1.79 |
2005 | 1,724,000 | 22,328 | 14,224 | 8,104 | 12.9 | 8.2 | 4.7 | 1.84 |
2006 | 1,742,000 | 23,272 | 14,532 | 8,740 | 13.4 | 8.3 | 5.0 | 1.84 |
2007 | 1,759,000 | 24,451 | 14,649 | 9,802 | 13.9 | 8.3 | 5.6 | 1.90 |
2008 | 1,775,000 | 25,631 | 14,907 | 10,724 | 14.4 | 8.4 | 6.0 | 1.98 |
2009 | 1,789,000 | 24,910 | 14,413 | 10,497 | 13.9 | 8.1 | 5.8 | 2.05 |
2010 | 1,799,000 | 25,315 | 14,457 | 10,858 | 14.1 | 8.0 | 6.1 | 2.02 |
2011 | 1,809,000 | 25,273 | 14,204 | 11,069 | 14.0 | 7.8 | 6.2 | 2.02 |
2012 | 1,820,000 | 25,269 | 14,756 | 10,513 | 14.0 | 8.1 | 5.9 | 2.03 |
2013 | 1,830,000 | 24,277 | 14,968 | 9,309 | 13.3 | 8.2 | 5.1 | 1.95 |
2014 | 1,840,000 | 24,394 | 14,678 | 9,716 | 13.3 | 8.0 | 5.3 | 1.96 |
2015 | 1,851,000 | 24,215 | 15,553 | 8,662 | 13.1 | 8.4 | 4.7 | 1.94 |
2016 | 1,862,000 | 24,076 | 15,430 | 8,646 | 12.9 | 8.3 | 4.6 | 1.93 |
2017 | 1,871,000 | 23,075 | 16,036 | 7,039 | 12.3 | 8.6 | 3.7 | 1.85 |
2018 | 1,882,000 | 22,829 | 15,923 | 6,906 | 12.1 | 8.5 | 3.6 | 1.83 |
2019 | 1,893,700 | 22,447 | 15,758 | 6,689 | 11.9 | 8.3 | 3.6 | 1.80 |
2020 | 1,896,000 | 20,815 | 17,614 | 3,201 | 11.0 | 9.3 | 1.7 | 1.68 |
2021 | 1,903,175 | 22,071 | 17,558 | 4,513 | 11.6 | 9.2 | 2.4 | 1.79 |
2022 | 1,910,500 | 20,837 | 17,159 | 3,678 | 10.9 | 9.0 | 1.9 | 1.71 |
2023 | 1,920,400 | 19,977 | 17,254 | 2,723 | 10.4 | 9.0 | 1.4 |
Current vital statistics
[edit]Period | Live births | Deaths | Natural increase |
---|---|---|---|
January–September 2023 | 15,200 | 12,843 | +2,357 |
January–September 2024 | 14,825 | 13,516 | +1,309 |
Difference | -375 (-2.46%) | +673 (+5.24%) | -1,048 |
See also
[edit]- Demographics of the Republic of Ireland
- Demographics of the United Kingdom
- Politics of Northern Ireland
Notes
[edit]References
[edit]- ^ "Life expectancy for local areas in England, Northern Ireland and Wales: between 2001 to 2003 and 2020 to 2022". Office for National Statistics. 26 January 2024. Retrieved 24 February 2024. — section 2. Period life expectancy estimates in constituent countries and English regions: 2020 to 2022. Figure 1 data.
- ^ Anderson, James; Shuttleworth, Ian (1998). "Sectarian demography, territoriality and political development in Northern Ireland". Political Geography. 17 (2): 187–208. doi:10.1016/S0962-6298(97)00035-8. ISSN 0962-6298. PMID 12348611.
- ^ Specia, Megan; O'Loughlin, Ed (22 September 2022). "Catholics Outnumber Protestants in Northern Ireland for the First Time". The New York Times.
- ^ a b Cooley, Laurence (30 August 2021). "Census politics in Northern Ireland from the Good Friday Agreement to Brexit: Beyond the 'sectarian headcount'?". The British Journal of Politics and International Relations. 23 (3): 451–470. doi:10.1177/1369148120959045. S2CID 228856031.
- ^ "More Catholics than Protestants in Northern Ireland for first time, census finds". The Irish Times.
- ^ "Communal counting: The Northern Ireland census". 6 March 2019.
- ^ "Census 2021: More from Catholic background in NI than Protestant". BBC News. 22 September 2022.
- ^ Pepper, Diarmuid (22 September 2022). "'Historic' shift for Northern Ireland but what do the Census findings tell us about its future?". The Journal.
- ^ "Why drawing political claims from NI census is problematic". RTE. 26 September 2022.
- ^ Coulter, Colin; Flaherty, Eoin; Shirlow, Peter (20 September 2023). "'Seismic' or stalemate? The (bio)politics of the 2021 Northern Ireland Census". Space and Polity. 27: 57–77. doi:10.1080/13562576.2023.2260153.
- ^ "Historic Population Trends" (PDF). Northern Ireland Statistics and Research Agency. Archived from the original (PDF) on 10 October 2013. Retrieved 22 July 2014.
- ^ "Population Clock" (PDF). Northern Ireland Statistics and Research Agency. Retrieved 10 November 2024.
- ^ "Population including Settlements". Northern Ireland Statistics and Research Agency.
- ^ a b c d e Part of Belfast metropolitan area
- ^ "2021 Census Place of Birth by Age Group". NISRA. 27 September 2024. Retrieved 27 September 2024.
- ^ "Census 2021 Country of birth by local authority". Northern Ireland Statistics and Research Agency. Retrieved 10 September 2024.
- ^ "Northern Ireland Neighbourhood Information Service" (XLS). Northern Ireland Statistics and Research Agency. Retrieved 22 July 2014.
- ^ "Northern Ireland Neighbourhood Information Service". Archived from the original on 4 March 2016. Retrieved 22 July 2014.
- ^ "Census 2021 main statistics demography tables – country of birth". Northern Ireland Statistics and Research Agency. 7 September 2022. Retrieved 23 September 2022.
- ^ "Table 1.3: Overseas-born population in the United Kingdom, excluding some residents in communal establishments, by sex, by country of birth, January 2014 to December 2014". Office for National Statistics. 27 August 2015. Retrieved 17 April 2016. Figures given are the central estimates. See the source for 95 per cent confidence intervals.
- ^ "Northern Ireland Neighbourhood Information Service". Retrieved 22 July 2014.
- ^ "Ethnic Group: KS06 (statistical geographies)". Archived from the original on 30 July 2014. Retrieved 22 July 2014.
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Further reading
[edit]- Kaufmann, Eric (2011). "Demographic Change and Conflict in Northern Ireland: Reconciling Qualitative and Quantitative Evidence" (PDF). Ethnopolitics. 10 (3–4): 369–389. doi:10.1080/17449057.2011.596117. ISSN 1744-9057. S2CID 10882870.