Northern Ireland population growth slows as international migration declines
The number of people moving to Northern Ireland from abroad has fallen by more than a quarter in the space of a year, new figures show.
International inflows decreased by 28.3 per cent in the year to mid-2025, with the number of people arriving from overseas falling from 16,900 to 12,100.
That represents a decrease of 4,800 people over the 12-month period.
The figures, which have been released by the Northern Ireland Statistics and Research Agency, also reveal the number of people leaving Northern Ireland to move abroad also fell, although by a much smaller proportion.
International outflows decreased by 6.1 per cent, from 10,900 in mid-2024 to 10,200 in mid-2025, marking a reduction of 700 people.
The statistics also show that the population in the province increased by just 600 people, or 0.03 per cent.
That compares with increases of 9,800 (0.5 per cent) in 2023 and 7,500 (0.4 per cent) in 2024.
The slowing of population growth in Northern Ireland is mirrored across other parts of the UK. The population of England increased to 58.8 million in mid-2025 – overall annual growth of 0.4 per cent. The population of Scotland grew slightly by 0.04 per cent to 5.55 million while there was a small decrease in the population of Wales by 0.1 per cent to 3.18 million.
Meanwhile, the population here continues to age, with the median age of the population increasing to 40.6 years – up from 38.2 years 10 years prior in 2015.
Estimated population change varied across Local Government Districts, with four districts experiencing population growth, four showing population decline and three remaining broadly stable.