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People of Northern Ireland
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| Field | Value | |
|---|---|---|
| group | Northern Irish | |
| population | 1,903,173 (2021) | |
| 19.78% identified themselves as Northern Irish, down from 29.44% in 2011. | ||
| popplace | Throughout Northern Ireland; and to a lesser degree the Republic of Ireland and Great Britain (highest proportions in Liverpool, Manchester and Newcastle upon Tyne) | |
| rels | Predominantly Christianity (45.7% Roman Catholic, 43.7% Protestant, especially Presbyterianism, Anglicanism and Methodism) | |
| languages | {{plainlist | |
| related |
19.78% identified themselves as Northern Irish, down from 29.44% in 2011.
- English (Ulster English)
- Irish (Ulster Irish)
- Ulster Scots}}
Northern Irish people are those born in Northern Ireland who, at the time of their birth, have at least one parent who is a British citizen, an Irish citizen, or otherwise entitled to reside in Northern Ireland indefinitely under the Belfast Agreement.The Good Friday Agreement guarantees the "recognition of the birthright of all the people of Northern Ireland to identify themselves and may identify as Irish or British, However people born in Northern Ireland are automatically British citizens if their parents are British citizens or settled in the United Kingdom, no matter what they identify as, also people in Northern Ireland are entitled to Irish citizenship, which is not automatic and needs to be applied for.{{cite web |archive-date=22 November 2013 |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20131122194559/http://cain.ulst.ac.uk/events/peace/docs/agreement.htm#annex |url-status=dead
Most Northern Irish people either identify as British, Northern Irish, Irish, or a combination thereof. The 20th century conflict known as The Troubles, which ended in effect in 1999, was primarily caused by tensions between people who had these different identites, and their connections to religion (Anglican protestants and Catholics).
National identity
In Northern Ireland, national identity is complex and diverse. The question of national identity was asked in the 2021 census with the three most common identities given being British, Irish and Northern Irish. Most people of Protestant background consider themselves British, while a majority of people of Catholic background self-describe as Irish. Many people from both communities consider themselves to have a distinct Northern Irish or Ulster identity. This has origins in the 17th-century Plantation of Ulster.
In the early 20th century, most Ulster Protestants and Catholics saw themselves as Irish, with Protestants mostly considering "Irish" to be a distinct category of "British", like Scottish or Welsh. Following the Home Rule Crisis and Irish War of Independence, Protestants gradually began to turn away from Irish identity, By 1978, following the worst years of the conflict, there had been a large shift in identity amongst Protestants, with the majority (67%) now calling themselves British and only 8% calling themselves Irish. This shift has not been reversed. Meanwhile, the majority of Catholics have continued to see themselves as Irish.
From 1989, 'Northern Irish' began to be included as an identity choice in surveys, and its popularity has grown since then. However, surveys show that Northern Ireland identity tends to have different meanings for Catholics and Protestants. Surveys also show that those choosing 'Northern Irish' alone regard their national identity as less important than those choosing British and Irish.
In recent Northern Ireland censuses, respondents could choose more than one national identity. In 2021:
- 42.8% identified as British, alone or with other national identities
- 33.3% identified as Irish, alone or with other national identities
- 31.5% identified as Northern Irish, alone or with other national identities
The main national identities given in recent censuses were:
| National identity of Northern Ireland residents | Identity | 2011 | 2021 |
|---|---|---|---|
| British only | 39.9% | 31.9% | |
| Irish only | 25.3% | 29.1% | |
| Northern Irish only | 20.9% | 19.8% | |
| British & Northern Irish | 6.2% | 8.0% | |
| Irish & Northern Irish | 1.1% | 1.8% | |
| British, Irish & Northern Irish | 1.0% | 1.5% | |
| British & Irish | 0.7% | 0.6% |
The numbers for each identity were as follows:
1,137,546 respondents total.
National Identity by Religion (2011)
Those people in Northern Ireland who fall into the category of other religions amounts to less than one percent of the population.
| National Identity | All | Catholic | Protestant and other Christian | Other religions | No religion |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| British | 48.4% | 12.9% | 81.6% | 50.1% | 55.9% |
| Irish | 28.4% | 57.2% | 3.9% | 12.4% | 14.0% |
| Northern Irish | 29.4% | 30.7% | 26.9% | 18.0% | 35.2% |
| English, Scottish or Welsh | 1.6% | 0.8% | 1.5% | 2.9% | 5.2% |
| All other | 3.4% | 4.4% | 1.0% | 29.1% | 7.1% |
Detail by Religion (2011)
Note that Northern Ireland is made up of approximately 42% Protestant; 41% Roman Catholic; 17% no religion; and 0.8% other religions.
| National Identity | All | Catholic | Protestant and other Christian | Other religions | No religion |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| British only | 39.9% | 10.3% | 68.3% | 42.4% | 42.9% |
| Irish only | 25.3% | 53.2% | 2.1% | 8.1% | 9.4% |
| Northern Irish only | 20.9% | 26.9% | 14.5% | 12.0% | 23.7% |
| British and Northern Irish only | 6.2% | 0.9% | 11.1% | 3.3% | 7.9% |
| Irish and Northern Irish only | 1.1% | 2.0% | 0.2% | 0.5% | 0.8% |
| British, Irish and Northern Irish only | 1.0% | 0.8% | 1.0% | 1.0% | 2.1% |
| British and Irish only | 0.7% | 0.8% | 0.5% | 0.7% | 1.0% |
| English, Scottish or Welsh only | 1.0% | 0.6% | 0.8% | 2.1% | 3.5% |
| Other | 4.0% | 4.7% | 1.6% | 29.9% | 8.7% |
| **Total** | **100.0%** | **100.0%** | **100.0%** | **100.0%** | **100.0%** |
National Identity by District (2011)
| District | British | Irish | Northern Irish | English, Scottish or Welsh | All Other |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Antrim | 55.2% | 20.1% | 30.4% | 2.3% | 3.9% |
| Ards | 73.6% | 7.5% | 31.9% | 1.9% | 1.5% |
| Armagh | 44.4% | 32.4% | 27.1% | 1.1% | 3.9% |
| Ballymena | 69.0% | 11.1% | 27.9% | 1.4% | 3.8% |
| Ballymoney | 60.6% | 16.4% | 30.9% | 1.7% | 1.7% |
| Banbridge | 61.1% | 16.2% | 31.8% | 1.5% | 1.8% |
| Belfast | 43.2% | 34.8% | 26.8% | 1.5% | 5.1% |
| Carrickfergus | 76.5% | 5.3% | 30.3% | 2.1% | 1.8% |
| Castlereagh | 66.2% | 14.7% | 31.3% | 1.5% | 2.6% |
| Coleraine | 62.4% | 14.5% | 31.6% | 2.0% | 3.2% |
| Cookstown | 37.3% | 33.5% | 32.1% | 1.2% | 3.7% |
| Craigavon | 48.3% | 25.6% | 28.7% | 1.4% | 6.4% |
| Derry | 23.7% | 55.0% | 24.6% | 1.4% | 2.0% |
| Down | 40.2% | 32.2% | 34.1% | 1.9% | 2.0% |
| Dungannon | 30.9% | 38.8% | 27.1% | 0.9% | 9.6% |
| Fermanagh | 37.2% | 36.1% | 29.5% | 1.7% | 3.1% |
| Larne | 69.8% | 10.1% | 31.4% | 2.1% | 1.2% |
| Limavady | 42.2% | 32.0% | 30.7% | 1.5% | 1.4% |
| Lisburn | 55.6% | 24.7% | 28.7% | 2.0% | 2.4% |
| Magherafelt | 31.4% | 42.7% | 29.8% | 1.0% | 2.8% |
| Moyle | 38.6% | 34.1% | 32.1% | 2.2% | 1.4% |
| Newry and Mourne | 20.2% | 53.0% | 27.6% | 1.2% | 4.3% |
| Newtownabbey | 66.5% | 13.4% | 31.2% | 1.3% | 2.4% |
| North Down | 71.1% | 9.1% | 33.0% | 3.0% | 2.4% |
| Omagh | 28.6% | 40.9% | 32.7% | 1.1% | 3.4% |
| Strabane | 33.0% | 39.2% | 31.8% | 1.4% | 1.3% |
National identity by religion or religion brought up in for each district (2011)
| District | Catholic | Protestant and other Christian | Other Religion or None | British | Irish | Northern Irish | All Other | British | Irish | Northern Irish | All Other | British | Irish | Northern Irish | All Other |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Antrim | 23.1% | 43.7% | 34.2% | 7.1% | 80.6% | 3.1% | 27.8% | 3.3% | 60.4% | 6.5% | 26.8% | 19.0% | |||
| Ards | 34.1% | 31.7% | 38.2% | 6.4% | 80.9% | 3.7% | 30.4% | 2.2% | 67.7% | 6.0% | 35.1% | 9.1% | |||
| Armagh | 7.1% | 62.5% | 28.7% | 6.2% | 81.6% | 3.6% | 25.7% | 2.3% | 49.3% | 10.5% | 25.1% | 25.3% | |||
| Ballymena | 24.6% | 38.9% | 34.7% | 11.0% | 83.6% | 2.7% | 25.7% | 2.5% | 62.3% | 6.5% | 28.4% | 14.4% | |||
| Ballymoney | 19.0% | 44.5% | 38.8% | 4.1% | 81.1% | 2.9% | 27.2% | 2.2% | 65.1% | 8.4% | 28.0% | 13.3% | |||
| Banbridge | 22.6% | 41.7% | 39.4% | 4.5% | 81.2% | 3.8% | 27.7% | 2.0% | 59.1% | 8.3% | 33.8% | 11.5% | |||
| Belfast | 11.7% | 64.3% | 25.0% | 5.6% | 78.3% | 5.5% | 28.7% | 3.6% | 47.7% | 13.3% | 27.5% | 26.3% | |||
| Carrickfergus | 41.1% | 24.6% | 35.6% | 10.7% | 82.0% | 3.0% | 29.2% | 2.4% | 68.3% | 5.3% | 33.7% | 8.5% | |||
| Castlereagh | 22.1% | 50.0% | 34.5% | 6.3% | 81.3% | 3.9% | 29.9% | 2.3% | 61.9% | 8.9% | 33.7% | 11.8% | |||
| Coleraine | 25.0% | 39.2% | 36.5% | 8.4% | 79.1% | 4.3% | 29.3% | 2.6% | 56.5% | 10.3% | 33.4% | 16.8% | |||
| Cookstown | 8.1% | 53.8% | 37.7% | 5.2% | 82.5% | 3.6% | 24.0% | 2.1% | 44.2% | 9.1% | 24.4% | 31.5% | |||
| Craigavon | 12.2% | 51.2% | 31.5% | 10.6% | 82.5% | 3.2% | 26.3% | 2.7% | 49.9% | 9.1% | 26.7% | 26.4% | |||
| Derry | 7.3% | 70.5% | 24.3% | 2.5% | 76.7% | 7.2% | 25.9% | 3.5% | 39.4% | 24.7% | 21.9% | 26.2% | |||
| Down | 20.1% | 47.4% | 37.1% | 2.9% | 77.4% | 5.6% | 28.7% | 3.6% | 52.1% | 14.4% | 32.1% | 16.7% | |||
| Dungannon | 5.7% | 57.6% | 28.6% | 13.0% | 79.6% | 4.5% | 24.5% | 3.0% | 33.3% | 12.0% | 22.8% | 42.1% | |||
| Fermanagh | 11.4% | 56.2% | 32.4% | 4.8% | 77.1% | 6.2% | 25.5% | 3.0% | 43.4% | 16.8% | 24.0% | 28.1% | |||
| Larne | 38.8% | 30.6% | 37.7% | 3.0% | 81.7% | 3.0% | 28.6% | 2.5% | 64.1% | 6.5% | 35.4% | 12.1% | |||
| Limavady | 18.1% | 50.5% | 34.4% | 2.5% | 79.8% | 4.1% | 24.9% | 2.5% | 51.4% | 10.9% | 28.8% | 18.7% | |||
| Lisburn | 16.5% | 58.6% | 27.8% | 4.3% | 80.2% | 4.7% | 29.0% | 3.2% | 62.2% | 8.8% | 30.3% | 13.9% | |||
| Magherafelt | 6.5% | 62.1% | 33.0% | 3.8% | 82.4% | 4.2% | 23.1% | 2.3% | 46.9% | 13.4% | 30.2% | 22.1% | |||
| Moyle | 14.6% | 53.1% | 35.3% | 2.8% | 76.3% | 5.0% | 27.8% | 3.3% | 49.4% | 17.8% | 23.8% | 19.8% | |||
| Newry and Mourne | 7.1% | 64.7% | 28.0% | 5.0% | 76.3% | 5.8% | 26.8% | 3.8% | 34.6% | 22.8% | 22.1% | 28.9% | |||
| Newtownabbey | 24.7% | 46.1% | 34.1% | 5.7% | 80.9% | 3.4% | 30.1% | 1.7% | 63.1% | 7.3% | 32.1% | 12.3% | |||
| North Down | 37.1% | 31.5% | 36.1% | 9.7% | 78.8% | 5.2% | 31.9% | 3.4% | 63.7% | 7.9% | 35.7% | 11.6% | |||
| Omagh | 8.7% | 55.7% | 36.0% | 4.4% | 78.5% | 4.9% | 25.0% | 2.5% | 40.6% | 15.9% | 23.7% | 28.9% | |||
| Strabane | 8.9% | 57.4% | 35.4% | 2.6% | 79.2% | 4.7% | 25.2% | 1.9% | 40.9% | 21.1% | 25.5% | 26.4% |
National Identity by Age (2011)
| Ages attained (years) | British | Irish | Northern Irish | English, Scottish or Welsh | All other |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 0 to 15 | 45.1% | 31.4% | 30.5% | 0.9% | 3.6% |
| 16 to 24 | 44.2% | 32.3% | 29.6% | 1.5% | 3.3% |
| 25 to 34 | 40.5% | 31.0% | 30.0% | 1.7% | 8.6% |
| 35 to 44 | 47.3% | 28.7% | 29.3% | 2.1% | 4.5% |
| 45 to 54 | 50.8% | 28.3% | 28.0% | 1.9% | 2.2% |
| 55 to 64 | 54.5% | 24.9% | 28.8% | 1.9% | 1.1% |
| 65 to 74 | 57.5% | 21.3% | 29.8% | 1.7% | 0.4% |
| 75 to 84 | 58.6% | 19.6% | 29.1% | 1.6% | 0.3% |
| 85 and over | 61.7% | 18.0% | 26.5% | 2.0% | 0.2% |
National identity surveys
In 1998 the Northern Ireland Life and Times Survey started asking respondents whether they think of themselves as British, Irish, Ulster, or Northern Irish. According to the 2019 survey of this series, individuals from Northern Ireland identify as:
- British (39%)
- Irish (25%)
- Northern Irish (27%)
- Ulster (1%)
- Other (8%)
In the 2007 Northern Ireland Life and Times Survey,{{cite web |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20090619104034/http://www.ark.ac.uk/nilt/2007/Community_Relations/index.html |url-status=dead |archive-date=19 June 2009 |access-date=9 October 2010
Northern Irish
- Very strongly 50%
- Not very strongly 34%
- Not at all 15%
- Don't know 0%
British
- Very strongly 37%
- Not very strongly 41%
- Not at all 22%
- Don't know 0%
Irish
- Very strongly 36%
- Not very strongly 41%
- Not at all 23%
- Don't know 0%
Ulster
- Very strongly 31%
- Not very strongly 40%
- Not at all 28%
- Don't know 1%
Languages
In the 2021 census of Northern Ireland, 95.37% of people spoke English as a First Language, with 1.10% speaking Polish, 0.49% speaking Lithuanian and 0.32% speaking Irish. In the 2021 Northern Ireland Census, 0.32% of the population (5,969 people) reported Irish as their main home language, up from 0.24% (4,164 people) in 2011, a 43% increase. Additionally, 12.4% (228,600 people) reported some ability in Irish, a 23.7% rise from 10.7% (184,898 people) in 2011, reflecting significant growth in Irish language usage, driven by increased Irish-medium education and legislative recognition, such as the Identity and Language Act of 2022. At the same time, 1.14% of the population said they could speak and read Ulster Scots.
Emigration
In 2022, 24,700 people left NI to live elsewhere; just over half of these moved to other parts of the UK.
It is estimated that between 1921 and 1999, about half a million people left NI.
Rural settlements
In 2020, it was noted that 40% of people in NI live in a rural setting. It was also noted that over 49,000 people were involved in the farming industry (1 in 40 people).
References
Notes
References
- "Census 2021 main statistics identity tables | Northern Ireland Statistics and Research Agency".
- "NI Life and Times Survey - 2018 : NINATID".
- (2017). "The Troubles in Northern Ireland and Theories of Social Movements". Amsterdam University Press.
- [https://explore.nisra.gov.uk/area-explorer-2021/N92000002/ Country of Birth & Nationality] {{Webarchive. link. (6 December 2022 - 2021 Census)
- Walker, Brian. [http://www.belfasttelegraph.co.uk/opinion/british-or-irish-who-do-you-think-you-are-28461096.html "British or Irish - who do you think you are?"]. ''Belfast Telegraph'', 10 December 2008.
- as Irish and British nationality came to be seen increasingly as mutually exclusive. In 1968 – just before the onset of [[the Troubles]] – 39% of Protestants described themselves as British and 20% of Protestants described themselves as Irish, while 32% chose an [[Ulster]] identity.Moxon-Browne, Edward. [http://cain.ulst.ac.uk/othelem/research/nisas/rep1c2.htm#chap2 "National identity in Northern Ireland"]. ''Social Attitudes in Northern Ireland: First Report''. Blackstaff Press, 1991.
- ''Conflict and Consensus: A Study of Values and Attitudes in the Republic of Ireland and Northern Ireland''. Institute of Public Administration, 2005. pp.60-62
- Some organizations have promoted a distinct Northern Irish or Ulster identity as a way of overcoming sectarian division and recognizing the distinct [[Culture of Northern Ireland. culture]] and [[History of Northern Ireland
- "2021 Census. Main statistics for Northern Ireland: Statistical bulletin - National identity". [[Northern Ireland Statistics and Research Agency]] (NISRA).
- "Northern Ireland Census 2011 Key Statistics Summary Report".
- "Northern Ireland Neighbourhood Information Service".
- "Northern Ireland Neighbourhood Information Service".
- "Northern Ireland Neighbourhood Information Service".
- "Northern Ireland Neighbourhood Information Service".
- (2020-06-02). "2019 Survey: Do you think of yourself as British/Irish/Ulster/Northern Irish?". [[Northern Ireland Social and Political Archive.
- (17 May 2007). "2007 Survey: How strongly to you feel yourself to be British?". [[Northern Ireland Social and Political Archive.
- (17 May 2007). "2007 Survey: How strongly to you feel yourself to be Irish?". [[Northern Ireland Social and Political Archive.
- (17 May 2007). "2007 Survey: How strongly to you feel yourself to be Ulster?". [[Northern Ireland Social and Political Archive.
- (17 May 2007). "2007 Survey: How strongly to you feel yourself to be Northern Irish?". [[Northern Ireland Social and Political Archive.
- "Equality Commission for NI, ''Census 2021 Briefing: Release 2, Phase 1 Results, January 2023''".
- "Census 2021 main statistics language tables | Northern Ireland Statistics and Research Agency".
- "NI Statistics and Research Agency website, ''NI Migration (2022)''".
- (26 September 2023). "The Routledge Handbook of the Northern Ireland Conflict and Peace".
- (2 November 2015). "Mid-Year Population Estimates – Urban/Rural Change | Department of Agriculture, Environment and Rural Affairs".
- (28 October 2015). "Farm labour statistics in Northern Ireland | Department of Agriculture, Environment and Rural Affairs".
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