# Biggest and smallest places in Northern Ireland by population (2025)

Belfast was the most populated of Northern Ireland’s 11 councils in 2025 (population estimate 351,927).

Fermanagh and Omagh was the least populated (117,663). The middle council, Lisburn and Castlereagh, had 152,367.

| Rank | Area | Population estimate |
| --- | --- | --- |
| 1 | [Belfast](https://openindex.co.uk/belfast) | 351,927 |
| 2 | [Armagh City, Banbridge and Craigavon](https://openindex.co.uk/armagh-city-banbridge-and-craigavon) | 223,044 |
| 3 | [Newry, Mourne and Down](https://openindex.co.uk/newry-mourne-and-down) | 182,884 |
| 4 | [Ards and North Down](https://openindex.co.uk/ards-and-north-down) | 165,407 |
| 5 | [Derry City and Strabane](https://openindex.co.uk/derry-city-and-strabane) | 152,659 |
| 6 | [Lisburn and Castlereagh](https://openindex.co.uk/lisburn-and-castlereagh) | 152,367 |
| 7 | [Mid Ulster](https://openindex.co.uk/mid-ulster) | 152,292 |
| 8 | [Antrim and Newtownabbey](https://openindex.co.uk/antrim-and-newtownabbey) | 148,487 |
| 9 | [Causeway Coast and Glens](https://openindex.co.uk/causeway-coast-and-glens) | 141,752 |
| 10 | [Mid and East Antrim](https://openindex.co.uk/mid-and-east-antrim) | 139,964 |
| 11 | [Fermanagh and Omagh](https://openindex.co.uk/fermanagh-and-omagh) | 117,663 |

Source: Mid-year population estimates, ONS population estimates. Period: 2025. Period: 2025.

## Other rankings of this measure

- [UK](https://openindex.co.uk/rankings/population-estimate/uk)
- [England](https://openindex.co.uk/rankings/population-estimate/england)
- [Scotland](https://openindex.co.uk/rankings/population-estimate/scotland)
- [Wales](https://openindex.co.uk/rankings/population-estimate/wales)
- [North East](https://openindex.co.uk/rankings/population-estimate/north-east)
- [North West](https://openindex.co.uk/rankings/population-estimate/north-west)
- [Yorkshire and The Humber](https://openindex.co.uk/rankings/population-estimate/yorkshire-and-the-humber)
- [East Midlands](https://openindex.co.uk/rankings/population-estimate/east-midlands)
- [West Midlands](https://openindex.co.uk/rankings/population-estimate/west-midlands)
- [East of England](https://openindex.co.uk/rankings/population-estimate/east-of-england)
- [London](https://openindex.co.uk/rankings/population-estimate/london)
- [South East](https://openindex.co.uk/rankings/population-estimate/south-east)
- [South West](https://openindex.co.uk/rankings/population-estimate/south-west)

- [The map](https://openindex.co.uk/map/population-estimate)
- [Source and method](https://openindex.co.uk/sources/population-estimate)

## How to cite

Source: Open Index, openindex.co.uk. Link to this page, https://openindex.co.uk/rankings/population-estimate/northern-ireland.

Open Index's own text and the figures it works out are licensed under CC BY 4.0 (https://creativecommons.org/licenses/by/4.0/). Source data keeps its publishers' licences, named with each figure. Give each figure's period and source with it.

Snapshot 2026.10.9. The HTML page: https://openindex.co.uk/rankings/population-estimate/northern-ireland