Northern Ireland's number of over 85s rose by 28% in decade

The number of people aged 85 or more in Northern Ireland rose by 28% in the decade from 2010 to 2020, according to newly published statistics.

This demographic, referred to as the "oldest old", has grown almost six times faster than the population of Northern Ireland as a whole.

The figures come from the NI Statistics and Research Agency (Nisra).

By June 2020, the number of people aged 85 or more living in Northern Ireland had risen to 39,500 people.

The oldest old make up 2.1% of Northern Ireland's population - lower than Wales (2.7%), England (2.5%) and Scotland (2.3%), but higher than the Republic of Ireland (1.6%).

The latest mid-2020 annual estimate is only a few months into the coronavirus pandemic.

However over the year (2019-20), growth in the number of people aged 85 or more in Northern Ireland was at 1.9%, lower than the average annual growth rate over the past decade 2.5%.

The report's authors say the slower growth is, in part, due to markedly more deaths occurring in this cohort between March and June 2020.

Women account for nearly two thirds - 65% - of the oldest old.

The new statistics also point to an estimated 350 people aged 100 or more living in Northern Ireland, equivalent to two centenarians for every 10,000 people living in Northern Ireland.

Over the decade 2010-20 the overall growth in the 85 and over group has been higher in Northern Ireland, at 28.1%, than in Great Britain with 20.6%, but lower than the Republic of Ireland's figure of 44.6%.

Statistics published by Nisra in June showed that Northern Ireland's population grew by its slowest rate in more than 20 years in 2020.

The growth of just 0.1% to 1.89 million was due to the coronavirus pandemic and Brexit, Nisra said.

Natural growth - the number of births minus the number of deaths - was the lowest since 2001.

There was also net emigration - more people leaving than arriving - for the first time since 2013.