NI population to rise by over 100,000 in 25 years

The population is expected to increase by around 108,000 over the next quarter of a century, with 68,900 more births than deaths.
The population projections are contained in a new publication by the Northern Ireland Statistics and Research Agency.

The projections also show the continuing ageing of the Northern Ireland population.

The number of people aged 65 and over is projected to increase by 56.2 per cent between mid-2018 and mid-2043. Likewise, the population aged 85 and over is projected to more than double over the same period.

By mid-2028, there is projected to be more people aged 65 and over (385,500 people) than children (aged 0-15) (375,700 people) in Northern Ireland.

Northern Ireland is projected to have the second largest population growth (5.7 per cent) between mid-2018 and mid-2043 across the UK. England is projected to have the largest population growth (10.3 per cent), followed by Scotland (2.5 per cent), with Wales projected to experience a population decrease (-0.9 per cent).

These latest projections result in population figures that are generally lower than those reported in the 2016-based projections. By mid-2043, it is projected that there will be 20,300 less people in Northern Ireland than previously projected in mid-2016.