THE NUMBER of older people in Fermanagh is continuing to grow, while the working age population is continuing to fall.
Last week the NI Statistics and Research Agency (NISRA) released its mid-year population estimates, which detail the number of people living in the North as of June 30th, 2022. These are the most up-to-date official figures available.
According to these figures, as of June 30th last year, there were 117,000 people living in the Fermanagh and Omagh area. That is an increase of 100 people on the previous year, a population increase of 0.1 percent.
NISRA said this increase was attributed to a “natural growth” of 200 people in the area – that is, more births than deaths – combined with the loss of 200 people due to net migration, as well as “negligible other changes.”
The figures also showed that over the past ten years there has been a 2.5 percent increase in the local population, which has grown by 2,800 people since June 2012.
While there has been little remarkable change in the number of people living here over the past year, the most significant insight offered by the figures concerned the age make-up of the local population.
Over the year from June 2021 to June 2022, the number of people aged over 65 in the Fermanagh and Omagh area increased by 500, a rise of 2.3 percent.
Meanwhile, the number of people of working age, from 16-64-years-old, fell by 500.
This is a trend that has been ongoing for the past decade in the area.
Since mid 2012 there has been a 32.4 percent increase in the number of people over 65 in the local area, up from 16,700 to 22,100, with the biggest increase – 33.6 percent – seen in the 65-84 age group.
Over that same period there was a 3.4 percent drop in the working age population, with 2,500 less people aged 16-64 living here.
Across the North there was a general population grew by 0.3 percent, with an increase of 6,000 people.
With regard age, there was a 1.9 percent increase in the over 65 population.
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