Northern Ireland
Northern Ireland ( ga, Tuaisceart Éireann ; sco, label= Ulster-Scots, Norlin Airlann) is a part of the United Kingdom, situated in the north-east of the island of Ireland, that is variously described as a country, province or region. Nort ...
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
The United Kingdom of Great Britain and Northern Ireland, commonly known as the United Kingdom (UK) or Britain, is a country in Europe, off the north-western coast of the continental mainland. It comprises England, Scotland, Wales and North ...
. It is the smaller of the two political entities on the island of
Ireland
Ireland ( ; ga, Éire ; Ulster Scots dialect, Ulster-Scots: ) is an island in the Atlantic Ocean, North Atlantic Ocean, in Northwestern Europe, north-western Europe. It is separated from Great Britain to its east by the North Channel (Grea ...
by area and population, the other being the
Republic of Ireland
Ireland ( ga, Éire ), also known as the Republic of Ireland (), is a country in north-western Europe consisting of 26 of the 32 counties of the island of Ireland. The capital and largest city is Dublin, on the eastern side of the island. A ...
. Northern Ireland contains 27.1% of the total population and 16.75% of the total area of the island of Ireland.
Northern Ireland has a population of 1,903,175, an increase of 92,312 (5.1%) over the ten-year period since the last census.
The population density is 133 people per km
2, less than half that of
Great Britain
Great Britain is an island in the North Atlantic Ocean off the northwest coast of continental Europe. With an area of , it is the largest of the British Isles, the largest European island and the ninth-largest island in the world. It is ...
but almost twice that of the
Republic of Ireland
Ireland ( ga, Éire ), also known as the Republic of Ireland (), is a country in north-western Europe consisting of 26 of the 32 counties of the island of Ireland. The capital and largest city is Dublin, on the eastern side of the island. A ...
. 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
Protestantism is a Christian denomination, branch of Christianity that follows the theological tenets of the Reformation, Protestant Reformation, a movement that began seeking to reform the Catholic Church from within in the 16th century agai ...
majority of approximately two-to-one,
unlike the
Republic of Ireland
Ireland ( ga, Éire ), also known as the Republic of Ireland (), is a country in north-western Europe consisting of 26 of the 32 counties of the island of Ireland. The capital and largest city is Dublin, on the eastern side of the island. A ...
, where
Catholics
The Catholic Church, also known as the Roman Catholic Church, is the largest Christian church, with 1.3 billion baptized Catholics worldwide . It is among the world's oldest and largest international institutions, and has played a ...
were in the majority. 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%.
In 2021, the 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.
Its people speak both Irish and dialects of English heavily influenced by the
Scots language
Scots ( endonym: ''Scots''; gd, Albais, ) is an Anglic language variety in the West Germanic language family, spoken in Scotland and parts of Ulster in the north of Ireland (where the local dialect is known as Ulster Scots). Most commonly ...
. 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
The Plantation of Ulster ( gle, Plandáil Uladh; Ulster-Scots: ''Plantin o Ulstèr'') was the organised colonisation (''plantation'') of Ulstera province of Irelandby people from Great Britain during the reign of King James I. Most of the sett ...
. Also unlike the Republic, a large proportion of people in Northern Ireland have a
British national identity
British national identity is a term referring to the sense of national identity, as embodied in the shared and characteristic culture, languages and traditions, of the British people. It comprises the claimed qualities that bind and disting ...
. Many
people in Northern Ireland have a Northern Irish identity, whether in addition to a
British
British may refer to:
Peoples, culture, and language
* British people, nationals or natives of the United Kingdom, British Overseas Territories, and Crown Dependencies.
** Britishness, the British identity and common culture
* British English, ...
or
Irish
Irish may refer to:
Common meanings
* Someone or something of, from, or related to:
** Ireland, an island situated off the north-western coast of continental Europe
***Éire, Irish language name for the isle
** Northern Ireland, a constituent unit ...
identity or by itself. Most people in Northern Ireland are entitled to both British and Irish passports.
Historic population trends
Place of birth
![Born outside Northern Ireland](https://upload.wikimedia.org/wikipedia/commons/e/ef/Born_outside_Northern_Ireland.png)
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 2011, the proportion of immigrants from outside the UK and Ireland had risen to 4.3%, while the proportion born within them (outside Northern Ireland) had fallen to 6.7%. The highest number of non-British/Irish immigrants are in
Belfast
Belfast ( , ; from ga, Béal Feirste , meaning 'mouth of the sand-bank ford') is the capital and largest city of Northern Ireland, standing on the banks of the River Lagan on the east coast. It is the 12th-largest city in the United Kingdo ...
, followed by
Craigavon Urban Area and
Dungannon
Dungannon () is a town in County Tyrone, Northern Ireland. It is the second-largest town in the county (after Omagh) and had a population of 14,340 at the 2011 Census. The Dungannon and South Tyrone Borough Council had its headquarters in the ...
. Dungannon has a bigger share of immigrants than any town in Northern Ireland, while
Strabane
Strabane ( ; ) is a town in County Tyrone, Northern Ireland.
Strabane had a population of 13,172 at the 2011 Census. It lies on the east bank of the River Foyle. It is roughly midway from Omagh, Derry and Letterkenny. The River Foyle marks ...
has the smallest share of these immigrants.
Age bands broken down by place of birth in the 2011 census.
Below are the 5 largest foreign-born groups in Northern Ireland according to 2014 ONS estimates.
Ethnicity
![Northern Ireland ethnic demography 2001 to 2021](https://upload.wikimedia.org/wikipedia/commons/6/63/Northern_Ireland_ethnic_demography_2001_to_2021.gif)
The following table shows the ethnic group of respondents for the following censuses
Languages spoken
English
English usually refers to:
* English language
* English people
English may also refer to:
Peoples, culture, and language
* ''English'', an adjective for something of, from, or related to England
** English national ide ...
is by far the most commonly spoken language in Northern Ireland. Two
regional language
*
A regional language is a language spoken in a region of a sovereign state, whether it be a small area, a federated state or province or some wider area.
Internationally, for the purposes of the European Charter for Regional or Minority Lan ...
s of Northern Ireland,
Irish
Irish may refer to:
Common meanings
* Someone or something of, from, or related to:
** Ireland, an island situated off the north-western coast of continental Europe
***Éire, Irish language name for the isle
** Northern Ireland, a constituent unit ...
and
Ulster Scots, are protected under the
European Charter for Regional or Minority Languages
The European Charter for Regional or Minority Languages (ECRML) is a European treaty (CETS 148) adopted in 1992 under the auspices of the Council of Europe to protect and promote historical regional and minority languages in Europe. However, the ...
. Several other languages are spoken by immigrants to Northern Ireland, the most common of which is
Polish
Polish may refer to:
* Anything from or related to Poland, a country in Europe
* Polish language
* Poles, people from Poland or of Polish descent
* Polish chicken
*Polish brothers (Mark Polish and Michael Polish, born 1970), American twin screenwr ...
.
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.
![Foreign languages in northern ireland](https://upload.wikimedia.org/wikipedia/commons/0/0c/Foreign_languages_in_northern_ireland.png)
Main language of all usual residents aged 3 and over
Ability in Irish of all usual residents aged 3 and over in the Census
Ability in Ulster Scots of all usual residents aged 3 and over in the Census
Religion
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.
With the 2021 census, Catholics outnumbered Protestants for the first time. The following table shows the religion stated by respondents to the 2001, 2011 and 2021 censuses.
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.
![Religion Northern Ireland Districts 2011 Census](https://upload.wikimedia.org/wikipedia/commons/d/da/Religion_Northern_Ireland_Districts_2011_Census.png)
Religions broken down by place of birth in the 2011 census.
![People of no religion in northern ireland](https://upload.wikimedia.org/wikipedia/commons/3/3d/People_of_no_religion_in_northern_ireland.png)
The religious affiliations in the different age bands in the 2011 census were as follows:
National identity
![Map of predominant national identity in the 2011 census in Northern Ireland](https://upload.wikimedia.org/wikipedia/commons/2/23/Map_of_predominant_national_identity_in_the_2011_census_in_Northern_Ireland.png)
In Northern Ireland national identity is complex. Many in Northern Ireland have a
British national identity
British national identity is a term referring to the sense of national identity, as embodied in the shared and characteristic culture, languages and traditions, of the British people. It comprises the claimed qualities that bind and disting ...
and view the English, Scots and Welsh as fellow members of their common nation while regarding people from the
Republic of Ireland
Ireland ( ga, Éire ), also known as the Republic of Ireland (), is a country in north-western Europe consisting of 26 of the 32 counties of the island of Ireland. The capital and largest city is Dublin, on the eastern side of the island. A ...
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
Ireland ( ; ga, Éire ; Ulster Scots dialect, Ulster-Scots: ) is an island in the Atlantic Ocean, North Atlantic Ocean, in Northwestern Europe, north-western Europe. It is separated from Great Britain to its east by the North Channel (Grea ...
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.
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 much 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.) In the 2011 census there were four of the twenty-six districts of Northern Ireland, all on the east coast, where more Catholics considered themselves British than considered themselves Irish.
While in the 2011 census Protestants outnumbered Catholics in only half of the districts in Northern Ireland, those who considered themselves British outnumbered those who considered themselves Irish in twenty of the twenty-six districts in Northern Ireland. This is partly because Catholics were more likely to see themselves as British than Protestants were to see themselves as Irish (13% vs. 4% respectively), but is also partly because those of no religion were substantially more likely to see themselves as British as see themselves as Irish. The irreligious tend to live in Protestant areas, suggesting that they are mostly of Protestant descent. Members of the immigrant population, which includes many Poles, are also more likely to consider themselves Catholic.
Northern Irish identity was almost equally held amongst Protestants as amongst Catholics, and it varied little according to geography.
In the
2021 census respondents gave their national identity as follows.
National identity by religion (2011)
Detail by religion (2011)
National identity by age (2011)
![Northern Ireland national identity by age band 2011](https://upload.wikimedia.org/wikipedia/commons/9/9e/Northern_Ireland_national_identity_by_age_band_2011.png)
National identity by district (2011)
![National Identity Northern Ireland Districts 2011 Census](https://upload.wikimedia.org/wikipedia/commons/7/79/National_Identity_Northern_Ireland_Districts_2011_Census.png)
National identity by religion or religion brought up in for each district (2011)
National identity by place of birth (2011)
National identity by ethnic group (2011)
Passports held
![Predominant passport held northern ireland](https://upload.wikimedia.org/wikipedia/commons/6/67/Predominant_passport_held_northern_ireland.png)
Those born in Northern Ireland have automatic
British citizenship
British nationality law prescribes the conditions under which a person is recognised as being a national of the United Kingdom. The six different classes of British nationality each have varying degrees of civil and political rights, due to the ...
on the same basis and with the same provisos as those born elsewhere in the United Kingdom. As well as this, and despite the
withdrawal of its constitutional claim to Northern Ireland in 1999, the
Irish Government
The Government of Ireland ( ga, Rialtas na hÉireann) is the cabinet that exercises executive authority in Ireland.
The Constitution of Ireland vests executive authority in a government which is headed by the , the head of government. The governm ...
also grants the right to
Irish citizenship
Irish nationality law details the conditions by which a person is a national of the Republic of Ireland. The primary law governing these regulations is the Irish Nationality and Citizenship Act, 1956, which came into force on 17 July 1956. Reg ...
to those born in Northern Ireland on the same basis and with the same provisos as those born within the
Republic of Ireland
Ireland ( ga, Éire ), also known as the Republic of Ireland (), is a country in north-western Europe consisting of 26 of the 32 counties of the island of Ireland. The capital and largest city is Dublin, on the eastern side of the island. A ...
. This means that most people in Northern Ireland are entitled to a British passport, an Irish passport, or both, as they so choose. By agreement between the Irish Government and
Post Office Ltd
gd, Oifis a' Phuist kw, Sodhva an Post ga, An Post Ríoga
, logo = Post Office Logo.svg
, type = State-owned private company limited by shares
, genre =
, predecessor = General Post Office
, foundation = 1987
, founder =
, location_cit ...
, post offices in Northern Ireland provide a service whereby customers can apply for an Irish passport, operating alongside their service whereby customers can apply for a British passport. In the
2011 census, respondents stated that they held the following passports.
Age
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.
File:Ards and North Down 2021 population pyramid.svg, Ards and North Down
File:Armagh City Banbridge and Craigavon 2021 population pyramid.svg, Armagh City, Banbridge and Craigavon
File:Antrim and Newtownabbey 2021 population pyramid.svg, Antrim and Newtownabbey
File:Belfast 2021 population pyramid.svg, Belfast
File:Causeway Coast and Glens 2021 population pyramid.svg, Causeway Coast and Glens
File:Derry City and Strabane 2021 population pyramid.svg, Derry City and Strabane
File:Fermanagh and Omagh 2021 population pyramid.svg, Fermanagh and Omagh
File:Mid and East Antrim population pyramid.svg, Mid and East Antrim
File:Mid Ulster 2021 population pyramid.svg, Mid Ulster
File:Newry, Mourne and Down population pyramid.svg, Newry, Mourne and Down
File:Lisburn and Castlereagh 2021 population pyramid.svg, Lisburn and Castlereagh
Summary of vital statistics since 1900
Current vital statistics
Other statistics
Life expectancy at birth:
''Men'': 77.2 years
''Women'': 80.8 years
Infant mortality rate:
6.4 deaths/1,000 live births (1999)
Total Period Fertility Rate (TPFR):
2.06 children born/woman (2011)
HIV/AIDS prevalence rate:
0.024% (2005 est.)
People living with HIV/AIDS:
408 (2005)
See also
*Demographics of the Republic of Ireland
Ireland had a population of 5,123,536 at the 2022 census.
Demographic history
The island of Ireland’s population has fluctuated over history. In the 18th and early 19th centuries, Ireland experienced a major population boom as a result o ...
*Demography of the United Kingdom
The population of the United Kingdom was estimated at over 67.0 million in 2020. It is the 21st most populated country in the world and has a population density of 270 people per square kilometre (700 people per square mile), with England ...
**Demography of England
The demography of England has since 1801 been measured by the decennial national census, and is marked by centuries of population growth and urbanization. Due to the lack of authoritative contemporary sources, estimates of the population o ...
**Demography of Scotland
The demography of Scotland includes all aspects of population, past and present, in the area that is now Scotland. Scotland has a population of 5,463,300, as of 2019. The population growth rate in 2011 was estimated as 0.6% per annum according ...
**Demography of Wales
Demographics of Wales include the numbers in population, place of birth, age, ethnicity, religion, and number of marriages in Wales.
Historical population
The population of Wales doubled from 587,000 in 1801 to 1,163,000 in 1851 and had reac ...
*Politics of Northern Ireland
Since 1998, Northern Ireland has devolved government within the United Kingdom. The government and Parliament of the United Kingdom are responsible for reserved and excepted matters. Reserved matters are a list of policy areas (such as civil av ...
References
Further reading
*
{{DEFAULTSORT:Demography Of Northern Ireland