Derry population grows at fastest rate in the North
Derry’s population is growing at a faster rate than everywhere else in the North, official statistics have shown.
Population estimates for the year to mid-2024 show the number of people in Derry & Strabane grew by 1.01 per cent from 150,859 to 152,383 over the year.
It was the only local authority in the North to record a rate of increase above 1 per cent. The average rate of growth in the North was slow.
Office of National Statistics figures show the population grew faster in England (1.2 per cent) than in Scotland (0.7 per cent), Wales (0.6 per cent) with the North bringing up the rear (0.4 per cent).
Across the North the rates of increase were as follows: Lisburn & Castlereagh 151,669; 0.56 per cent (150,822); Antrim & Newtownabbey 148,100; 0.54 per cent (147,298); Belfast 352,390; 0.53 per cent (350,533); Mid Ulster 152,718; 0.47 per cent (152,006); Fermanagh & Omagh 117,687; 0.42 per cent (117,195); Armagh City, Banbridge & Craigavon 222,511; 0.34 per cent (221,754); Ards & North Down 165,415; 0.30 per cent (164,913); Causeway Coast & Glens 141,954; 0.16 per cent (141,733); Mid & East Antrim 139,913; 0.05 per cent (139,840); and Newry, Mourne & Down 183,115; -0.17 per cent (183,429).
The population of the North has now risen to 1,927,900.
The figures are contained in bulletin published by the ONS which shows the population of the UK continued to grow in the year to mid-2024, reaching an estimated 69.3 million people (69,281,400) – up by 1.1 per cent.
According to the ONS this was the second-largest annual numerical increase for over 75 years.
The authors of the research observe that across the UK as a whole estimated net international migration was lower in the year to mid-2024 compared with the previous year, but this nonetheless contributed most to population growth.
However, figures for international migration to the North are not provided.
Natural change – births versus deaths – and internal migration – people moving between regions – contributed less than international migration to population growth in the North, Scotland, Wales and England, in the year to mid-2024.
For Wales and Scotland, natural change was negative, with the population of Wales and Scotland older on average than the population of the North of England, leading to a slightly higher rate of deaths and lower rate of births.
However, in the North the number of people aged over 65 is increasing at a faster rate than those under 15.
The number of people aged 65 years increased by two per cent in the North and Scotland; 1.8 per cent in England; and 1.5 per cent in Wales.
The number of people aged 15 and under decreased in the North, Wales and Scotland, by 0.9 per cent, 0.7 per cent and 0.1 per cent, respectively.
There was 0.6 per cent increase in this cohort in England.
The median age in the North in mid-2024 was 40.3 years, compared with 42.8 years in both Scotland and Wales and 40.2 years in England.
For the North and England internal migration was negative, with a small net outflow of people migrating to the rest of the UK.