Northern Ireland’s economy expanded by 16.5 percent between 2015 and 2023, compared with 11 percent growth for the United Kingdom as a whole.

Cross-border trade with the Republic of Ireland is now at its highest level since partition.

The Irish government this week pledged €230 million to the local rail network.

Under the Northern Ireland Protocol, the region retains access to the European Union single market for goods, creating a special trading status that has coincided with the economic upswing.

The 2021 census recorded more people from a Catholic background than a Protestant background for the first time. In the 2022 Assembly elections, nationalist parties won a majority of seats.

Northern Ireland no longer has representation in the European Parliament following the UK’s withdrawal from the EU.