POPULATION

Northern Ireland has the smallest population of the countries of the United Kingdom. The population is fairly static, as migration roughly balances natural increase. The birth rate is much higher than in Great Britain. Consequently Northern Ireland has a young population, with relatively fewer older people. The population is unevenly distributed, sparse over the uplands, heavy in the valleys, and greater in the east than in the west. Since the 1950s, Belfast, like other British cities, has lost population, especially from its centre, and has shared in the decline of mainland cities.