Number and population of Northern Ireland

As most of us know from school, the capital of Great Britain is London, and the country consists of four provinces: England, Scotland, Wales, Northern Ireland. The population, its number and features are the subject of this article. Each of these regions has its own system of administrative division and has a significant degree of autonomy. The population of Northern Ireland, like the inhabitants of other provinces of Great Britain, is distinguished by a number of features. Therefore, it is advisable to consider each of the regions separately.

United Kingdom: General

Considering such provinces as England, Scotland, Wales, Northern Ireland, whose population differs from each other in a number of features, it is important to recall the history. In 1801 the Act of Union was concluded. Then the whole of Ireland was part of the United Kingdom. This continued until 1921. Southern Ireland became an independent state, and Northern remained the province of Great Britain.

The total population of the United Kingdom, according to data for 2015, is 54.9 million people. On this indicator, Great Britain is on the 78th place in the world. In terms of population density, the country is the fourth in the European Union. The last census showed that the majority (87.1%) is "white". Among the national minorities are groups such as Indians, Pakistanis, Bangladeshis and Chinese. The total share of Asians in the UK population is 7%. "Black" - 3%. For 95% of the inhabitants of the state, English is native.

Northern Ireland: population in dynamics

Consider historical data on the number of inhabitants of the province. In 1841, there were 1.649 million people living in Northern Ireland. The natural increase was negative. During the period from 1841 to 1851 the population of the province decreased by 12.5%. Over the next ten years, another 3.2%. In 1861 it was 1.397 million people. The natural increase was still negative. During the period from 1861 to 1871 the population decreased by 2.7%. Then over the next ten years another 4%.

From 1881 to 1891, the population of Northern Ireland declined by 5.3%. In 1891, the province already had a population of 1.236 million. From now until now, the natural increase is positive. In 1901, there were 1.237 million in Northern Ireland. The highest growth rate was recorded in the 1960s. Then for 10 years the population increased by 7.8%. In 2001, it was 1.685 million people. Over the next ten years, the population of Northern Ireland grew by 7.5%. According to forecasts, in 2017, 1.869 million people will live in the country.

Northern Ireland: population and population

This province is by far the smallest in the UK. Its area does not exceed 2.9% of the total, and the population of Northern Ireland is 5.7% of the total. Until 1921, the province was much larger. As part of Britain was the whole island. Now Ireland (South) is an independent country. She was part of the UK from 1801 to 1921.

Northern Ireland, whose population according to the 2011 census exceeds 1.8 million, is only 28.3% of the island's inhabitants. Over the past ten years, it increased by 7.5%. The density of the population is 133 people per square kilometer. This figure is half that of the UK average. However, the density of the population of the Republic of Ireland is only about 68 people per square meter. Most people live in the Belfast metropolitan area.

The average age from 2001 to 2011 increased from 34 to 37 years. The population is aging. The number of residents after 65 years in the last decade has increased by 2%. This leads to an increase in the burden on taxpayers. However, this trend is typical for all developed countries, including Britain. The largest group in the population of Northern Ireland are people aged 40 to 49 years. Their share exceeds 14.6%. The average family in the province has two children. Life expectancy for men is 77.2 years, for women - 80.8.

Ethnic composition

According to the results of the last census, about 98.21% of the province's population are "white". The proportion of Asians does not exceed 1%. "Black" - 0.2%.

Language groups

The population of Northern Ireland speaks mainly English. Two regional languages fall under the protection of the European Charter. Some immigrants also speak Polish. If we consider how many people in Northern Ireland consider their native English to be, then this is 98.86%. Some people also know Irish or Scottish. The second most prevalent is Polish. It is spoken by 1.02% of the population. Also residents speak Lithuanian, Gaelic, Portuguese, Slovak, Chinese, Tagalog, Latvian, Russian, Malay and Hungarian.

Religious confessions

The 2011 population census showed which population in Northern Ireland is on religious grounds. 40.8% consider themselves to be Catholics. The share of Presbyterians is 19.1%. In the UK there is an opposite situation. The majority of the population of the latter are Protestants.

The Church of Ireland is 13.7% of the population. This is almost 2% less than in 2001. The share of methodologists is 3%. Christians of various faiths are 82.3% of the population. The share of representatives of other religions is 0.8%. Atheists are 10.1% of the population of Northern Ireland. 6.8% of the inhabitants of the province did not indicate their religious affiliation during the 2011 census. Over the past ten years, only the number of Catholics has increased. Other confessions have declined. It should be noted that the 2001 census does not provide data on the number of atheists.

Passports

National identity remains a difficult topic for residents of Northern Ireland. Many consider themselves British. They consider the inhabitants of other provinces and themselves as members of one common nation. Others believe that the English, Welsh and Scots are foreigners. They believe that the Irish nation is one.

There is a link between the religious beliefs of residents and their views on national identity. Most Protestants see themselves as part of a single nation with the English, Welsh and Scots. Catholics often consider themselves Irish.

All the inhabitants of the province automatically receive a British passport at birth. It is no different from what is given in any other part of the UK. However, all those who were born in this province can get an Irish passport. And you can have both documents at the same time. It should be noted that 18.9% of the population do not have a passport. Most of the population draw up British documents. The passport of the Republic of Ireland has 20.8% of residents. Polish - 1%.