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Demographics of Northern Ireland
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Demographics of Northern Ireland
Northern Ireland is the smallest of the four parts 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. It is the smaller of the two political entities on the island of Ireland by area and population, the other being the Republic of Ireland. Northern Ireland contains 27.1% of the total population and 16.75% of the total area of the island of Ireland.
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 majority of approximately two-to-one, unlike the Republic of Ireland, where Catholics 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 recorded 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 Ulster English which is itself heavily influenced by the Scots language of which Ulster Scots is a dialect, while a significant number speak Irish (Gaelic) or Ulster Scots. In addition the Ulster dialect of Irish (Gaelic) also has a closer connection to Scottish Gaelic than other Irish (Gaelic) dialects. 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.
Also unlike the Republic, a large proportion of people in Northern Ireland have a British national identity, although a significant minority identifies as Irish. Many people in Northern Ireland have a Northern Irish identity, whether in addition to a British or Irish identity or by itself.
Northern Ireland's population density is 133 people per square kilometre – comparable to European countries such as Denmark and the Czech Republic. If Northern Ireland were a sovereign state, it would have the 16th-highest population density in Europe. It has a higher population density than Scotland (70 people per km2), but less than England (434 per km2) and Wales (153 per km2).
Belfast is the most population-dense of the 11 local government districts at 2,617 per km2, with the highest population (345,418) and least land area (133 km2) of any district, and includes both Belfast City and much of the Metropolitan Castlereagh settlement (formerly part of the Castlereagh local government district before 2015).
Fermanagh and Omagh is the least dense district, with the lowest population (116,812) and greatest land area (2,836 km2). It includes all of Northern Ireland's least-populous county, Fermanagh (except the townland of Killybane near Fivemiletown), and the largely rural former Omagh district.
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Demographics of Northern Ireland AI simulator
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Demographics of Northern Ireland
Northern Ireland is the smallest of the four parts 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. It is the smaller of the two political entities on the island of Ireland by area and population, the other being the Republic of Ireland. Northern Ireland contains 27.1% of the total population and 16.75% of the total area of the island of Ireland.
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 majority of approximately two-to-one, unlike the Republic of Ireland, where Catholics 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 recorded 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 Ulster English which is itself heavily influenced by the Scots language of which Ulster Scots is a dialect, while a significant number speak Irish (Gaelic) or Ulster Scots. In addition the Ulster dialect of Irish (Gaelic) also has a closer connection to Scottish Gaelic than other Irish (Gaelic) dialects. 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.
Also unlike the Republic, a large proportion of people in Northern Ireland have a British national identity, although a significant minority identifies as Irish. Many people in Northern Ireland have a Northern Irish identity, whether in addition to a British or Irish identity or by itself.
Northern Ireland's population density is 133 people per square kilometre – comparable to European countries such as Denmark and the Czech Republic. If Northern Ireland were a sovereign state, it would have the 16th-highest population density in Europe. It has a higher population density than Scotland (70 people per km2), but less than England (434 per km2) and Wales (153 per km2).
Belfast is the most population-dense of the 11 local government districts at 2,617 per km2, with the highest population (345,418) and least land area (133 km2) of any district, and includes both Belfast City and much of the Metropolitan Castlereagh settlement (formerly part of the Castlereagh local government district before 2015).
Fermanagh and Omagh is the least dense district, with the lowest population (116,812) and greatest land area (2,836 km2). It includes all of Northern Ireland's least-populous county, Fermanagh (except the townland of Killybane near Fivemiletown), and the largely rural former Omagh district.
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