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Belfast · Northern Ireland

Belfast, in numbers.

Belfast’s plans combine a new cultural attraction with guidance for housing and development in historic neighbourhoods.

Belfast council area. Every figure carries its own date.

The short version

People living in the area

351,927

Mid-2025 · Belfast

Show the workings

Published mid-year estimate for the whole local authority area. This is not automatically the population of the named city settlement.

All usual residents

Source and method →

Average home price

£185,000

July 2026 · Belfast

Show the workings

Published UK House Price Index average price, all property types and all buyers, not seasonally adjusted. Entire series comes from the 2026-07 official full-file release, preserving its historical revisions and exact area codes. It is a mix-adjusted average, not the median price paid.

Shown to the nearest £1,000. Published value: £184,768.

Homes in the local authority area

Source and method →

How the area has changed

Belfast had 23,232 more residents in 2025 than in 2001 (7.1% more). That is a change in the whole council area, not just the city centre.

Population over time

2001 to 2025

Belfast · people

322.3k338.4k354.5k20012025
Data table and workings

All ages, both sexes, usual residents. Source series rebased to the 2021/2022 censuses; latest revisions replace older estimates.

These estimates cover the whole authority, including any surrounding towns and countryside.

Historical boundaries/revisions follow the source series; null years are not zero.

Population over time — Belfast
Periodpeople
1996These figures are missing.
1997These figures are missing.
1998These figures are missing.
1999These figures are missing.
2000These figures are missing.
2001328,695
2002328,471
2003327,176
2004326,268
2005325,483
2006325,985
2007327,383
2008330,052
2009331,763
2010333,489
2011333,895
2012334,322
2013335,881
2014337,872
2015340,194
2016341,111
2017341,915
2018343,690
2019345,391
2020344,994
2021344,992
2022348,005
2023350,533
2024352,390
2025351,927
Source →

Average home price over time

January 2005 to July 2026

Belfast · Cash prices, before allowing for inflation

£68.6k£139.7k£210.8kJanuary 2005July 2026
Data table and workings

Published UK House Price Index average price, all property types and all buyers, not seasonally adjusted. Entire series comes from the 2026-07 official full-file release, preserving its historical revisions and exact area codes. It is a mix-adjusted average, not the median price paid.

Prices are in pounds at the time, not adjusted for inflation.

Whole local authority area; not a typical home listing or the budget needed by a first-time buyer.

Provisional estimates can be revised. Historical boundaries follow the exact published source code; no old-code series has been relabelled.

Northern Ireland uses quarterly house-price observations repeated across months; repeated months are not new transactions.

Average home price over time — Belfast
Period£
January 200599,462
February 200599,462
March 200599,462
April 2005100,209
May 2005100,209
June 2005100,209
July 2005109,200
August 2005109,200
September 2005109,200
October 2005110,309
November 2005110,309
December 2005110,309
January 2006111,901
February 2006111,901
March 2006111,901
April 2006126,613
May 2006126,613
June 2006126,613
July 2006142,578
August 2006142,578
September 2006142,578
October 2006161,123
November 2006161,123
December 2006161,123
January 2007175,792
February 2007175,792
March 2007175,792
April 2007192,571
May 2007192,571
June 2007192,571
July 2007201,368
August 2007201,368
September 2007201,368
October 2007184,911
November 2007184,911
December 2007184,911
January 2008167,298
February 2008167,298
March 2008167,298
April 2008158,769
May 2008158,769
June 2008158,769
July 2008148,673
August 2008148,673
September 2008148,673
October 2008126,849
November 2008126,849
December 2008126,849
January 2009120,278
February 2009120,278
March 2009120,278
April 2009126,514
May 2009126,514
June 2009126,514
July 2009128,951
August 2009128,951
September 2009128,951
October 2009126,931
November 2009126,931
December 2009126,931
January 2010121,149
February 2010121,149
March 2010121,149
April 2010119,520
May 2010119,520
June 2010119,520
July 2010115,719
August 2010115,719
September 2010115,719
October 2010106,795
November 2010106,795
December 2010106,795
January 2011100,857
February 2011100,857
March 2011100,857
April 2011101,168
May 2011101,168
June 2011101,168
July 2011100,009
August 2011100,009
September 2011100,009
October 201196,769
November 201196,769
December 201196,769
January 201288,174
February 201288,174
March 201288,174
April 201289,830
May 201289,830
June 201289,830
July 201288,415
August 201288,415
September 201288,415
October 201285,242
November 201285,242
December 201285,242
January 201382,847
February 201382,847
March 201382,847
April 201385,459
May 201385,459
June 201385,459
July 201388,418
August 201388,418
September 201388,418
October 201390,114
November 201390,114
December 201390,114
January 201490,702
February 201490,702
March 201490,702
April 201495,102
May 201495,102
June 201495,102
July 201497,479
August 201497,479
September 201497,479
October 201499,057
November 201499,057
December 201499,057
January 201599,621
February 201599,621
March 201599,621
April 2015102,113
May 2015102,113
June 2015102,113
July 2015106,369
August 2015106,369
September 2015106,369
October 2015106,529
November 2015106,529
December 2015106,529
January 2016104,613
February 2016104,613
March 2016104,613
April 2016112,366
May 2016112,366
June 2016112,366
July 2016111,957
August 2016111,957
September 2016111,957
October 2016112,262
November 2016112,262
December 2016112,262
January 2017110,359
February 2017110,359
March 2017110,359
April 2017113,149
May 2017113,149
June 2017113,149
July 2017115,554
August 2017115,554
September 2017115,554
October 2017114,975
November 2017114,975
December 2017114,975
January 2018115,963
February 2018115,963
March 2018115,963
April 2018118,148
May 2018118,148
June 2018118,148
July 2018121,513
August 2018121,513
September 2018121,513
October 2018124,027
November 2018124,027
December 2018124,027
January 2019121,398
February 2019121,398
March 2019121,398
April 2019122,559
May 2019122,559
June 2019122,559
July 2019126,056
August 2019126,056
September 2019126,056
October 2019124,622
November 2019124,622
December 2019124,622
January 2020126,664
February 2020126,664
March 2020126,664
April 2020127,832
May 2020127,832
June 2020127,832
July 2020129,244
August 2020129,244
September 2020129,244
October 2020133,020
November 2020133,020
December 2020133,020
January 2021134,746
February 2021134,746
March 2021134,746
April 2021138,034
May 2021138,034
June 2021138,034
July 2021141,823
August 2021141,823
September 2021141,823
October 2021139,649
November 2021139,649
December 2021139,649
January 2022143,891
February 2022143,891
March 2022143,891
April 2022147,392
May 2022147,392
June 2022147,392
July 2022154,405
August 2022154,405
September 2022154,405
October 2022151,785
November 2022151,785
December 2022151,785
January 2023149,391
February 2023149,391
March 2023149,391
April 2023148,990
May 2023148,990
June 2023148,990
July 2023156,540
August 2023156,540
September 2023156,540
October 2023153,230
November 2023153,230
December 2023153,230
January 2024154,921
February 2024154,921
March 2024154,921
April 2024158,406
May 2024158,406
June 2024158,406
July 2024167,277
August 2024167,277
September 2024167,277
October 2024169,319
November 2024169,319
December 2024169,319
January 2025170,049
February 2025170,049
March 2025170,049
April 2025171,606
May 2025171,606
June 2025171,606
July 2025177,759
August 2025177,759
September 2025177,759
October 2025178,802
November 2025178,802
December 2025178,802
January 2026181,424
February 2026181,424
March 2026181,424
April 2026184,768
May 2026184,768
June 2026184,768
July 2026184,768
Source →

What could change locally?

opportunity

Fit Belfast Stories into a working historic neighbourhood

Belfast Stories is at design and planning stage, alongside agreed guidance for the Cathedral Quarter and waterfront.

The attraction could bring new public space and creative activity, but needs to fit residents, businesses and the historic setting. Guidance is not planning permission.

What could help →

strength

Make room for homes people can afford

The average home price is £185,000 (July 2026) in Belfast council area. This is about £18,000 lower than the Northern Ireland average for the same month.

Housing costs matter most alongside earnings and the number of affordable homes available. A local average cannot tell us whether a particular household can afford its home.

What could help →

opportunity

Plan homes and care around an older population

14.7% of people in Belfast council area were aged 65 or over (21 March 2021).

Age alone does not mean poor health or a need for care. Accessible homes, reliable transport and support close to home matter as people get older.

What could help →

The full local action plan →

Plans with a local address

Royal Avenue and North Street, Belfast

Belfast Stories

The former Bank of Ireland site is planned as a visitor attraction, creative hub and public space.

Design and planning stage; 2030 opening target · source does not state a status date

Responsible body: Belfast City Council

Progress, funding and source

The council investment page describes design stage three and an April 2026 planning-submission programme. The 2030 opening and visitor forecasts are targets, not delivered results.

Cost
Not established by the evidence checked.
Funding
Not established by the evidence checked.
Area covered
No official project-to-ward mapping has been verified; no ward allocation is inferred from the city name.

No verified ward footprint is assigned.

Belfast Stories →

Source checked 2026-10-17. A plan or announcement is not proof of completion.

How to track delivery →

Cathedral and Northeast Quarter; Sailortown, Greater Clarendon and City Quays

Cathedral Quarter and waterfront planning guidance

New guidance aims to shape housing and mixed-use development while protecting historic places.

Supplementary planning guidance agreed · evidence dated 2026-04-21

Responsible body: Belfast City Council

Progress, funding and source

The Planning Committee agreed two non-statutory masterplans. Guidance helps assess applications but does not itself grant permission or fund developments.

Cost
Not established by the evidence checked.
Funding
Not established by the evidence checked.
Area covered
No official project-to-ward mapping has been verified; no ward allocation is inferred from the city name.

No verified ward footprint is assigned.

Council agrees supplementary planning guidance for historic areas of Belfast →

Source checked 2026-10-17. A plan or announcement is not proof of completion.

How to track delivery →
All local projects and plans →