The first data from the 2021 census has been released. These statistics are produced by the Northern Ireland Statics and Research Agency (NISRA) and provide two types of information.
Northern Ireland population estimates
The data released provide rounded estimates of the population by:
- Five-year age bands
- Sex
- Resident type
Northern Ireland household count
The data also provide estimates of the number of households in Northern Ireland, along with their average size.
Northern Ireland over time
Alongside the data released, NISRA has placed these key statistics in historical context.
NISRA has produced a useful graphic demonstrating the changing age profile of the Northern Irish population from the 1926 census through to the latest figures.
Headline figures
The population of Northern Ireland on census day was a little over 1.9 million, with a marginally larger proportion of women to men. The figures show this to be the highest ever recorded population for the province.
Similar proportions of the population aged 0 to 14 or are 65 and over (19% and 17% respectively). The 0-14 population of Northern Ireland continues to decline.
The household count on census day was a little shy of 770k, with an average household size of 2.44 people. As part of a trend, average household size has now fallen to less than a half of the same measure in 1851.
The Office for National Statistics has confirmed that similar headline data for England and Wales will be made available on 28th June.
Additional information on the headline figures (with infographics) and NISRA’s graphic showing population change over time can be found on the NISRA website.
The UK Data Service has made the NISRA headline census data available on our website. This complements our holdings of UK census data from 1971 to 2011 and we will continue to add 2021/2022 census data once it is released.