Northern Ireland’s population has all but flat‑lined over the past year – with new official figures showing growth of just 600 people across the entire region.
Fresh estimates from the Northern Ireland Statistics and Research Agency (NISRA), released today (Thursday), put the population at 1.93 million as of June 30, 2025. That’s an increase of just 0.03% – a dramatic slowdown compared with recent years.
In the year to mid‑2023 the population rose by 0.5% (9,800 people), followed by 0.4% (7,500 people) in the year to mid‑2024.
Now growth has almost stalled – and for the first time in several years, more people are leaving Northern Ireland than coming in.
Net migration is now negative. In the year to mid‑2025, Northern Ireland lost an estimated 800 people through migration, with 23,400 people moving here and 24,100 leaving. Just a year earlier, migration was adding 5,800 people to the population.
Net gain from abroad has plunged from 6,000 to 1,900. International arrivals fell by 28.3% (from 16,900 to 12,100) while departures abroad dropped slightly, from 10,900 to 10,200.
Natural change – the difference between births and deaths – is still nudging Northern Ireland’s population upwards, but far less than before. In the year to mid‑2025 it added just 1,400 people, down from 1,900 the previous year. That reflects a drop in both births and deaths, with the number of babies born falling by 700, from 19,800 to 19,100, while deaths decreased by 200, from 17,900 to 17,600.
At the same time, the population is getting noticeably older. The median age has climbed to 40.6 years, compared to 38.2 in 2015. Those aged 65 and over now account for 18.5% of the population – around 356,500 people – while children under 16 make up 19.6% (378,800). That is a stark shift from the position in 2000, when almost a quarter of the population (24.0%) were under 16 and just 13.1% were aged 65 or over.
The sharpest growth is at the very oldest ages. The number of people aged 85 and over has jumped by 24% since 2015, reaching 43,800 – growing six times faster than the overall population over the same period. Women dominate this age bracket, making up nearly two‑thirds (62.7%). And there are now an estimated 312 centenarians living in Northern Ireland, the equivalent of roughly two people aged 100 or more for every 10,000 residents.
Northern Ireland’s demographic slowdown comes as population growth eases across much of the UK – but it stands in marked contrast to what is happening south of the border.
The Republic of Ireland continues to surge ahead: its population rose to 5.46 million in the year to April 2025, an annual increase of 1.5% – or 78,300 people – vastly outpacing Northern Ireland’s 0.03%, and even the 0.4% growth recorded here just a year earlier.
Beneath the national headline figures, population change is far from uniform across Northern Ireland’s 11 council areas.
Over the past year, four districts recorded population growth, four saw decline and three remained broadly stable. Lisburn and Castlereagh was the fastest‑growing council area, with its population rising by 0.5% in the year to mid‑2025. Mid Ulster experienced the sharpest fall, with a 0.3% decrease. Fermanagh and Omagh, Ards and North Down, and Mid and East Antrim all saw relatively little movement over the year.
Taking the longer view from 2015 to 2025, almost every district has grown. Lisburn and Castlereagh again tops the table, with its population up 8.1% over the decade. Causeway Coast and Glens is the notable exception, recording a slight overall decline of 0.2%.
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