Population

Overview - Demographic Trends

Newry and Mourne has a population of 82,943 (1991 Census) representing 5.6% of the NI population of 1,481,959 people. The major town Newry has a population of 21,633 (1991 Census). It should also be noted that Newry & Mourne had the highest rate of natural population growth (15.3%) of the 26 District Council areas on NI during the period between the 1981 and 1991 Census. The following table provides demographic statistics on Newry and Mourne and Northern Ireland. Relative to other regions in Europe, Newry has a very young and growing population, 33% under the age of 15 years as highlighted in the Table below.

In terms of housing, per the 1991 Census, Newry & Mourne averaged better than the rest of NI with 64.1% being owner occupied and 29.3% Housing Executive (Public Sector Housing).

Unemployment Statistics

(See Appendix 2 for most recent statistics as at September 1998) (DQ: we need to update this)

It is encouraging to note that relevant to 1991 when unemployment in Newry and Mourne stood at 21.8%, there has been a 50.9% reduction in real terms. Hopefully this trend can be maintained.