Northern Ireland

Located on the island of Ireland, Northern Ireland is the only part of the UK with a land border — shared with the Republic of Ireland. It is known for its striking scenery, including the Giant’s Causeway, Mourne Mountains, and scenic loughs, as well as its vibrant capital city Belfast. The region’s identity reflects a unique mix of British and Irish heritage, shaped by a complex political history including The Troubles.

Northern Ireland is both a region and a country of the UK. It comprises six historic counties — Antrim, Armagh, Down, Fermanagh, Londonderry, and Tyrone — but is governed through 11 modern local government districts. The Northern Ireland Assembly in Belfast has devolved powers over education, health, justice, and other key services. Urban centres such as Belfast and Derry/Londonderry sit close to rural landscapes of farmland, mountains, and coastline, making the region compact yet geographically diverse.

Local Government Districts in Northern Ireland

Northern Ireland’s 11 local government districts, established in 2015 by merging 26 former councils, are single-tier authorities responsible for services such as planning, waste management, leisure facilities, and community development.

Local Authority District (LAD) is a statistical geography used by the ONS to describe areas governed by local authorities. LADs include: Non-metropolitan districts (often called district councils); Metropolitan districts; London boroughs; Unitary authorities; Council areas in Scotland; Local government districts in Northern Ireland. In total, there are around 360+ LADs across the UK.

International Territorial Levels in Northern Ireland Region

The International Territorial Levels (ITLs) are a hierarchical system of geographic boundaries used for statistical purposes in the UK, specifically for regional data analysis and international comparisons. It has three levels: ITL1, ITL2, and ITL3, with ITL1 being the broadest level and ITL3 the most detailed.

Northern Ireland Region is one of ITL 1 areas in the UK. It is then divided ino the following ITL 2 areas (names in bold letters) and ITL 3 areas.

  • Northern Ireland — Belfast ⁞ Armagh City, Banbridge and Craigavon ⁞ Newry, Mourne and Down ⁞ Ards and North Down ⁞ Derry City and Strabane ⁞ Mid Ulster ⁞ Causeway Coast and Glens ⁞ Antrim and Newtownabbey ⁞ Lisburn and Castlereagh ⁞ Mid and East Antrim ⁞ Fermanagh and Omagh
In the UK in total there are: 12 ITLs 1, 46 ITLs 2, and 182 ITLs 3. Our information about ITLs hierarchy and names is based on this ONS website: International geographies - Office for National Statistics.

Constituencies in Northern Ireland

The region has 18 parliamentary constituencies, spanning urban, suburban, and rural areas across all six historic counties. From Belfast’s densely populated city seats to the rural constituencies of Fermanagh and Tyrone, the political landscape is distinct from the rest of the UK. Representation is dominated by Northern Ireland–based parties including the Democratic Unionist Party (DUP), Sinn Féin, Social Democratic and Labour Party (SDLP), Ulster Unionist Party (UUP), and the cross-community Alliance Party.

There are 650 constituencies in the United Kingdom. These constituencies are the areas each represented by one Member of Parliament (MP) in the House of Commons.

Population of Northern Ireland

Northern Ireland is home to approximately 1.91 million people as of mid-2022. Covering around 13,550 square kilometres, the region has a population density of about 141 people per square kilometre.

Northern Ireland Population Compared to UK Regions' Figures
Northern Ireland Population Compared to other UK Regions

How it compares to the rest of the UK

  • Share of the population: Northern Ireland accounts for roughly 2.8% of the UK’s total population of 67.6 million.
  • Population density: At 141 people per km², Northern Ireland is much less crowded than England’s average of 438 per km², and notably closer to densities seen in countries such as Denmark or the Czech Republic.

Region detail pages