Local authority · N09000003 · Northern Ireland
Belfast
Download every figure (CSV) JSON
What the official statistics say about Belfast. Figures published for this area are shown first; figures that apply because they are national are shown separately and say so. Nothing here is estimated for the area from a national number.
Key figures
4 of 6 measures have a published figure for Belfast · no figure for population, house price to pay ratio. Each figure is the publisher’s own, for the period named beside it.
01 Getting better or worse
−1
net · Latest twelve months of each measure
joint 67th highest of 361 areas with a published figure
How this figure was worked out
Worse: house prices +7.7% (June 2025 to June 2026). No change available: recorded crime (The data.police.uk street-level archive covers England and Wales. Police Scotland does not supply it, and Northern Ireland is published separately by the PSNI. ); private rents (ONS publishes private rents by local authority for England and Wales. Scotland is published for broad rental market areas and Northern Ireland for the country as a whole, so neither has a council-level figure here. ); median full-time pay (ASHE covers Great Britain by local authority. Northern Ireland earnings are published separately by NISRA. ); Band D council tax (MHCLG publishes Band D levels for English billing authorities. Wales, Scotland and Northern Ireland set council tax and rates under their own governments and publish separately. ).
Arithmetic on published figures. Nothing is weighted, smoothed or modelled, so the sum can be checked by hand.
See the map · Civometry calculation on Home Office, ONS, HM Land Registry and MHCLG figures · Civometry calculation
02 Population
No published figure
No mid-2025 estimate published for this area.
See the map · NISRA: Mid-year population estimates for Northern Ireland, administrative area totals
03 Average house price
£184,768
£ · Latest published: June 2026
▲ +7.7% over June 2025 to June 2026the 45th lowest of 360 areas with a published figure
United Kingdom average, June 2026: £272,188
See the map · HM Land Registry: UK House Price Index: average prices
04 All claimants
3.8%
% of 16–64 · Latest published: July 2026
▼ −0.2 pp over July 2025 to July 2026joint 102nd highest of 361 areas with a published figure
United Kingdom, July 2026: 3.9%
See the map · ONS: Claimant count by sex and age (Nomis)
05 All recorded crime
92
per 1,000 · Latest published: Year ending March 2025
▼ −3.2% over Year ending March 2024 to Year ending March 2025the 1st highest of 11 areas with a published figure
Northern Ireland, Year ending March 2025: 50
See the map · Police Service of Northern Ireland: Police Recorded Crime in Northern Ireland: annual tables
06 House price to pay ratio
No published figure
No median full-time annual pay published for this area (2025).
See the map · HM Land Registry: UK House Price Index: average prices · Civometry calculation
In Belfast, average house price was £184,768 (June 2026), all claimants was 3.8% (July 2026) and all recorded crime was 92 (Year ending March 2025). (Source: HM Land Registry, ONS, Police Service of Northern Ireland, via Civometry.)
Population change, year by year
The same decomposition for every published year in Belfast: births and deaths, net moves within the UK, net international migration, and the ONS’s balancing item.
| Year | Births | Deaths | Moves within UK (net) | International (net) | Other | Total change |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Year to mid-2012 | 4,983 | 3,124 | −1,208 | −323 | +99 | +427 |
| Year to mid-2013 | 4,769 | 3,115 | +466 | −955 | +394 | +1,559 |
| Year to mid-2014 | 4,686 | 2,912 | −675 | +456 | +436 | +1,991 |
| Year to mid-2015 | 4,623 | 3,268 | +188 | +693 | +86 | +2,322 |
| Year to mid-2016 | 4,563 | 3,086 | −888 | −482 | +810 | +917 |
| Year to mid-2017 | 4,470 | 3,193 | −929 | −611 | +1,067 | +804 |
| Year to mid-2018 | 4,202 | 3,201 | −439 | +916 | +297 | +1,775 |
| Year to mid-2019 | 4,237 | 3,132 | −645 | +578 | +663 | +1,701 |
| Year to mid-2020 | 4,053 | 3,451 | −766 | −1,207 | +975 | −396 |
| Year to mid-2021 | 3,882 | 3,179 | −3,971 | +1,661 | +1,605 | −2 |
| Year to mid-2022 | 3,837 | 3,328 | −846 | +3,351 | −1 | +3,013 |
| Year to mid-2023 | 3,639 | 3,442 | −2,912 | +4,893 | +350 | +2,528 |
| Year to mid-2024 | 3,532 | 3,313 | −2,323 | +3,566 | +395 | +1,857 |
Years to mid-2024 are the ONS’s rebased back series, made consistent with Census 2021 — its figures deliberately differ from the estimates published at the time. Every cell is a published figure; the total is the sum of net moves, natural change and other, which is our addition. A dash is a year the source does not publish for this area, never a zero.
Rates per 1,000 residents
The same population flows, adjusted for Belfast’s size, so they can be compared with any other area’s: each year’s flow divided by the population that mid-year, times 1,000.
| Per 1,000 residents | Year to mid-2012 | Year to mid-2024 |
|---|---|---|
| Births | 14.9 | 10.0 |
| Deaths | 9.3 | 9.4 |
| Moved here from abroad | 12.3 | 18.5 |
| Left for abroad | 13.3 | 8.4 |
| International migration, net | -1.0 | 10.1 |
| Moves within the UK, net | -3.6 | -6.6 |
A Civometry calculation, not a published figure: ONS publishes these flows and the population, but not the rates. Net rates are signed — below zero means more left than arrived. Rates are crude, not age-standardised, so areas with very different age structures still differ for reasons size cannot remove. Each link shows the full recipe and every year.
Between the censuses
How Belfast’s religion, ethnic-group and country-of-birth make-up changed between the 2011 and 2021 censuses, category by category. The two censuses compared.
Crime
No recorded-crime data is loaded for this area. Coverage.
Published for this area
- People claiming unemployment-related benefitsJuly 2026 · down 6.6% on a year earlier · ONS, published 18 August 20268,800people
- Claimants as a proportion of residents aged 16 to 64July 2026 · down 0.2 points on a year earlier · ONS, published 18 August 20263.8%
- House price annual changeJune 2026 · down 0.6 points on a year earlier · HM Land Registry, published 20 August 20267.7%
- Average house priceJune 2026 · up 7.7% on a year earlier · HM Land Registry, published 20 August 2026£184,768
- Population by local authorityMid-2024 · up 0.5% on a year earlier · ONS, published 26 September 2025352,390people
- Crimes recorded by the police in Northern IrelandYear ending March 2025 · down 3.0% on a year earlier · Police Service of Northern Ireland, published 28 November 202532,264crimes
- Crimes recorded in Northern Ireland per 1,000 peopleYear ending March 2025 · down 3.2% on a year earlier · Police Service of Northern Ireland, published 28 November 202592per 1,000 population
National figures that apply here
These are not measured for Belfast; they are the figure for the nation or the UK, shown because they apply to everyone in it.
- Average Band D council tax (England average)Year ending March 2027 · up 4.9%£2,392
- Unemployment rate (UK)2026 Q2 · up 0.2 points4.9%
- Universal Credit caseload (Great Britain)Year ending March 2025 · up 16.3%5,473,000households
- Persistent absence (England)2024/25 academic year · down 1.8 points18.1%
- Average annual electricity bill (UK)2025 · down 1.3%£1,069
Then and now
The first and last years published for Belfast, and the difference between the two. Both figures are published for this area; the difference is those two numbers subtracted, which you can check by hand.
- -1,208Year to mid-2012-2,323Year to mid-2024
Net internal migration by local authority
In Belfast, net internal migration by local authority fell from -1,208 in Year to mid-2012 to -2,323 in Year to mid-2024, a change of 1,115 or 92.3% (ONS).
How this figure was worked out
-2,323 in Year to mid-2024 − -1,208 in Year to mid-2012 = −1,115, which is 92.3% of the figure for Year to mid-2012.
13 published years spanning 12 years, from ONS. Years before the current series come from Internal migration net by local authority, 2012 to 2024, held as a separate series so the two are never mixed inside one figure.
In Belfast, net internal migration by local authority fell from -1,208 in Year to mid-2012 to -2,323 in Year to mid-2024, a change of 1,115 or 92.3% (ONS).
Civometry · Belfast - 4,107Year to mid-20126,515Year to mid-2024
International migration into a local authority
In Belfast, international migration into a local authority rose from 4,107 in Year to mid-2012 to 6,515 in Year to mid-2024, a change of 2,408 or 58.6% (ONS).
How this figure was worked out
6,515 in Year to mid-2024 − 4,107 in Year to mid-2012 = 2,408, which is 58.6% of the figure for Year to mid-2012.
13 published years spanning 12 years, from ONS. Years before the current series come from International migration in by local authority, 2012 to 2024, held as a separate series so the two are never mixed inside one figure.
In Belfast, international migration into a local authority rose from 4,107 in Year to mid-2012 to 6,515 in Year to mid-2024, a change of 2,408 or 58.6% (ONS).
Civometry · Belfast - 4,430Year to mid-20122,949Year to mid-2024
International migration out of a local authority
In Belfast, international migration out of a local authority fell from 4,430 in Year to mid-2012 to 2,949 in Year to mid-2024, a change of 1,481 or 33.4% (ONS).
How this figure was worked out
2,949 in Year to mid-2024 − 4,430 in Year to mid-2012 = −1,481, which is 33.4% of the figure for Year to mid-2012.
13 published years spanning 12 years, from ONS. Years before the current series come from International migration out by local authority, 2012 to 2024, held as a separate series so the two are never mixed inside one figure.
In Belfast, international migration out of a local authority fell from 4,430 in Year to mid-2012 to 2,949 in Year to mid-2024, a change of 1,481 or 33.4% (ONS).
Civometry · Belfast - -323Year to mid-20123,566Year to mid-2024
Net international migration by local authority
In Belfast, net international migration by local authority rose from -323 in Year to mid-2012 to 3,566 in Year to mid-2024, a change of 3,889 or 1204.0% (ONS).
How this figure was worked out
3,566 in Year to mid-2024 − -323 in Year to mid-2012 = 3,889, which is 1204.0% of the figure for Year to mid-2012.
13 published years spanning 12 years, from ONS. Years before the current series come from International migration net by local authority, 2012 to 2024, held as a separate series so the two are never mixed inside one figure.
In Belfast, net international migration by local authority rose from -323 in Year to mid-2012 to 3,566 in Year to mid-2024, a change of 3,889 or 1204.0% (ONS).
Civometry · Belfast - 4,983Year to mid-20123,532Year to mid-2024
In Belfast, births by local authority fell from 4,983 in Year to mid-2012 to 3,532 in Year to mid-2024, a change of 1,451 or 29.1% (ONS).
How this figure was worked out
3,532 in Year to mid-2024 − 4,983 in Year to mid-2012 = −1,451, which is 29.1% of the figure for Year to mid-2012.
13 published years spanning 12 years, from ONS. Years before the current series come from Births by local authority, 2012 to 2024, held as a separate series so the two are never mixed inside one figure.
In Belfast, births by local authority fell from 4,983 in Year to mid-2012 to 3,532 in Year to mid-2024, a change of 1,451 or 29.1% (ONS).
Civometry · Belfast - 3,124Year to mid-20123,313Year to mid-2024
In Belfast, deaths by local authority rose from 3,124 in Year to mid-2012 to 3,313 in Year to mid-2024, a change of 189 or 6.0% (ONS).
How this figure was worked out
3,313 in Year to mid-2024 − 3,124 in Year to mid-2012 = 189, which is 6.0% of the figure for Year to mid-2012.
13 published years spanning 12 years, from ONS. Years before the current series come from Deaths by local authority, 2012 to 2024, held as a separate series so the two are never mixed inside one figure.
In Belfast, deaths by local authority rose from 3,124 in Year to mid-2012 to 3,313 in Year to mid-2024, a change of 189 or 6.0% (ONS).
Civometry · Belfast - 1,859Year to mid-2012219Year to mid-2024
Births minus deaths by local authority
In Belfast, births minus deaths by local authority fell from 1,859 in Year to mid-2012 to 219 in Year to mid-2024, a change of 1,640 or 88.2% (ONS).
How this figure was worked out
219 in Year to mid-2024 − 1,859 in Year to mid-2012 = −1,640, which is 88.2% of the figure for Year to mid-2012.
13 published years spanning 12 years, from ONS. Years before the current series come from Natural change by local authority, 2012 to 2024, held as a separate series so the two are never mixed inside one figure.
In Belfast, births minus deaths by local authority fell from 1,859 in Year to mid-2012 to 219 in Year to mid-2024, a change of 1,640 or 88.2% (ONS).
Civometry · Belfast - 99Year to mid-2012395Year to mid-2024
Other population change by local authority
In Belfast, other population change by local authority rose from 99 in Year to mid-2012 to 395 in Year to mid-2024, a change of 296 or 299.0% (ONS).
How this figure was worked out
395 in Year to mid-2024 − 99 in Year to mid-2012 = 296, which is 299.0% of the figure for Year to mid-2012.
13 published years spanning 12 years, from ONS. Years before the current series come from Other population change by local authority, 2012 to 2024, held as a separate series so the two are never mixed inside one figure.
In Belfast, other population change by local authority rose from 99 in Year to mid-2012 to 395 in Year to mid-2024, a change of 296 or 299.0% (ONS).
Civometry · Belfast
Compare Belfast with another place
Every figure both areas publish, side by side, from its own publisher with the period named:
- Belfast and Birmingham
- Belfast and Leeds
- Belfast and North Yorkshire
- Belfast and Somerset
- Belfast and Cornwall
- Belfast and Buckinghamshire
Or open any two areas as /compare/places/<area>/<area> — the address carries the whole comparison.
Since you moved here
Pick the year you arrived, and see what every series published for Belfast said then and says now, with the periods named. Belfast since you moved here, or read the whole run year by year.
Where these figures come from
Every figure above is published by the body named here, for the release named here. Figures marked as a Civometry calculation are arithmetic on those published figures and are not official statistics.
| Publication | Used for | Release read |
|---|---|---|
| Civometry calculation on Home Office, ONS, HM Land Registry and MHCLG figures | Getting better or worse | recorded crime: 12 months to June 2026 against the 12 months before · private rents: Change over 12 months: July 2025 to July 2026 · house prices: Change over 12 months: June 2025 to June 2026 · median full-time pay: Change over 12 months: 2024 to 2025 · Band D council tax: Change over 12 months: Year ending March 2026 to Year ending March 2027 |
| NISRA: Mid-year population estimates for Northern Ireland, administrative area totals | Population | NISRA mid-year estimates (mid-2024 edition); NRS mid-year estimates time series (mid-2025 edition); ONS mid-year estimates, mid-2025 edition (2023 boundaries) |
| HM Land Registry: UK House Price Index: average prices | Average house price, House price to pay ratio | UK House Price Index: June 2026, released 2026-08-20; average house price: UK House Price Index: June 2026; median full-time annual pay: 2025 provisional |
| ONS: Claimant count by sex and age (Nomis) | All claimants | Claimant count, July 2026, released 2026-08-18 |
| Police Service of Northern Ireland: Police Recorded Crime in Northern Ireland: annual tables | All recorded crime | Annual trends in police recorded crime, 1998/99 to 2024/25, released 2025-11-28 |
Not yet published here
Income, employment, benefits by area, health, education and religion for Belfast are on the way where an open official source exists; where one does not, the data gaps register says why. Local claimant counts are behind a login.