Northern Ireland: population and official figures
Northern Ireland is a nation of the United Kingdom, number 12 of 12 by population. Northern Ireland had an estimated 1,927,855 residents at mid-2024, 2.8% of the UK population of 69.28 million, and 4.6% more than the 1,843,186 counted ten years earlier.
1,927,855
£35,108
£594.1
60.7
62.7%
20.5%
£16,116
90
In depth
- Economy, jobs and prices in Northern Ireland: Gross domestic product in Northern Ireland was £35,108 per head in 2024, 84% of the UK figure of £41,627 and 6th lowest of 12 UK nations and English regions; ten years earlier, in 2014, it was £22,436.
- Health in Northern Ireland: A girl born in Northern Ireland in 2022 to 2024 could expect 60.7 years in good health (UK 60.9), down from 61.9 years in 2017 to 2019; that is 5th highest of 12 among UK nations and regions.
- Education in Northern Ireland: 62.7% of working-age adults in Northern Ireland held qualifications at Level 3 (A level or Higher equivalent) or above in 2023, against 67.7% for the UK (2nd lowest of 12), up from 60.8% in 2022.
- Poverty and living standards in Northern Ireland: 20.5% of children under 16 in Northern Ireland lived in relative low-income families after housing costs in 2024-25, compared with 26.0% across the UK and 21.4% a year earlier; only 1 of the 12 UK nations and regions had a lower rate.
- Government budget and revenue in Northern Ireland: HM Treasury counted £31,069 million of identifiable public spending in Northern Ireland in 2024-25, 3.3% of the UK total, up from £29,058 million in 2020-21.
- Government and politics in Northern Ireland: The Northern Ireland Executive accounted for £28,307 million of spending in Northern Ireland in 2024-25 according to HM Treasury's Country and Regional Analysis, the main measure of how much the devolved government itself spends.
How old is the population of Northern Ireland?
The median age in Northern Ireland was 40 in 2024 (UK 40), and 18.1% of residents were aged 65 or over, against 19.0% across the UK.
Source: Office for National Statistics · saved copyOther nations of the United Kingdom
- South East 9,642,942
- London 9,089,736
- North West 7,737,414
- East of England 6,576,306
- West Midlands 6,187,204
- South West 5,889,695
- Yorkshire and the Humber 5,672,962
- Scotland 5,546,900
- East Midlands 5,063,164
- Wales 3,186,581
- North East 2,760,678
Up a level: the United Kingdom · government and power in the United Kingdom
Sources
- Office for National Statistics: Explore Local Statistics: all datasets (spreadsheet generated 22 October 2026), read 23 October 2026 · saved copy (SHA-256 ae2f3a7b3960…)
- Northern Ireland Assembly Research and Information Service: Election Report: Northern Ireland Assembly Election, 5 May 2022 (NIAR 47-22), read 23 October 2026 · saved copy (SHA-256 cbd5d8787361…)
- HM Treasury: Country and Regional Analysis 2025: A tables, read 23 October 2026 · saved copy (SHA-256 9a6a7af9e2bd…)
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