NI population tops 1.871 million

The Northern Ireland Statistics and Research Agency (NISRA) say the population, as of June 30, 2017, is up by approximately 8,700 people since the middle of 2016.

A NISRA spokesperson said: “The increase can mainly be attributed to natural growth of 7,700 people (i.e. 23,600 births minus 15,900 deaths) and net inward migration of 1,200 people (i.e. 22,100 people moving here to live and 20,900 people leaving to live elsewhere). The level of emigration (i.e. people leaving NI to live elsewhere) and immigration (i.e. people coming here to live) both decreased in the year ending mid-2017, by 6.5% and 7.3% respectively.

“The statistics also point to the continuing ageing of the population with the number of those aged 65 and over increasing by 1.8% in the year ending mid-2017 to reach 303,000 people (16.2% of the population). Within this group, the population aged 85 and over increased by 1.9% to reach 37,200 people (2.0% of the population). By way of contrast, the number of children aged 0 to 15 years increased by just 0.7% to reach 390,700 children (20.9% of the population).”

The spokesperson continued: “The population in all 11 Local Government Districts (LGDs) increased over the year ending mid-2017, ranging from 0.19% in Belfast LGD to 1.03% in Lisburn & Castlereagh LGD.

“Over the same period, all eighteen Parliamentary Constituencies experienced population growth, ranging from 0.2% in each of Belfast West and East Antrim to 1.1% in Lagan Valley.”

The NISRA spokesperson added: “Population growth in Northern Ireland in the year ending mid-2017 was lower than the level of growth in the rest of the UK (0.5% and 0.6% respectively).”