NI population will be 1.9m by 2020
Northern Ireland’s population is expected to hit 1.9 million by 2020.
As of 2012 there are 1.82 million people in the region.
According to the Statistics and Research Agency, the number is expected to increase by around 10,000 each year of the next decade due to more births than deaths.
Dr David Marshall from the agency said the latest data suggests an older society is emerging.
He explained: “Over the next decade, the population is expected to grow by 10,000 each year – reaching 1.9 million in 2020. Today’s new figures also point to our older population continuing to grow and increasingly shaping Northern Ireland society.
“As an example, the number of people aged 85 and over is set to rise by 50% in ten years.”
Official population projections are published for the four UK regions every year at the request of the UK National Statistician and Registrars General for Scotland and NI.
Over the longer term, it is expected that NI’s total population will reach two million by 2036.
