The features of the population

Age Profile

Within the Armagh and Dungannon area there is a largely 'young' population. Almost 40% of the population is aged 19 years or under compared to the Northern Ireland average of 32.5%.

Although the elderly population aged 65 years and over only constitutes 12% of the overall population there are some wards where there are higher than average proportions of older people. The majority of the 65+ population live in extremely rural areas which have high scores within the deprivation indices. Evidence shows that living in such deprived areas leads to poorer health, reduced opportunities and lower life expectancy.

Population Growth

The population of the area has grown by 3% in the Armagh locality and 4% in the Dungannon locality from the time of the 1991 Census to 1997. This is against a population growth of 6% in Northern Ireland as a whole.

Population Density

Population density is below the average for Northern Ireland highlighting the rural nature of the Armagh and Dungannon area. Most wards are rural and, in general, have dispersed populations. This presents issues of isolation, social exclusion and accessibility to services and opportunities.

Whilst the average number of persons per square kilometre in Northern Ireland is 122, the figures for Armagh and Dungannon are 79 persons and 61 persons respectively.