Number of over 85s are on the increase

Published last week by the NI Statistics & Research Agency (NISRA), the ‘estimates of the population aged 85 and over’ contain details of the proportion of that age group by the 11 new Local Government Districts, mid-2014.

It is estimated that there were 34,400 people aged 85 and over living in Northern Ireland at June 30, 2014, 41.3 per cent more than was the case 10 years previously in mid-2004.

In mid-2014, 1.9% of the Northern Ireland population was aged 85 and over.

The proportion of people aged 85 and over ranged from 1.4 per cent (2,000 people) in Derry & Strabane to 2.4 per cent (3,800 people) in North Down and Ards.

As the Local Government District with the largest population in NI, Belfast also had the largest number of people aged 85 and over (7,000 people).

The statistics revealed, however, that Belfast Local Government District only had the third highest proportion of people aged 85 and over at 2.1%, after North Down & Ards (2.4%), and Mid & East Antrim (2.1%).

Other District percentages were revealed as - Antrim & Newtownabbey (1.8%), Lisburn & Castlereagh (1.9%), Causeway Coast & Glens (1.9%), Fermanagh & Omagh (1.9%), Armagh Banbridge & Craigavon (1.7%), Newry Mourne & North Down (1.7%), Mid Ulster (1.6%) and Derry & Strabane (1.4%).