Our outcomes
Understanding the city’s populations indicators – our City Dashboard
To enable the Community Planning Partnership to understand Belfast’s changing dynamics and identify where to bring shared focus, we have developed a Data Insight Report (link opens in new window), published alongside this Statement of Progress. The report tracks our five bold ambitions for 2035 and 53 population indicators.
This comprehensive report helps us understand how we are delivering against the strategic outcomes for citizens, allowing the community planning partnership to reflect on the city’s evolving conditions and pinpoint areas needing collective attention. Our population indicators reflect the conditions of the whole population within the city and take account of wider societal, environmental, or economic shocks.
While this Statement of Progress highlights where the work of community planning partners has advanced Belfast Agenda ambitions and priority action plans, we recognise that shifting population indicators requires more than community planning alone. It demands time, sustained commitment and collaboration across all levels of government and society to achieve lasting impact.
You can find more information about the data shown in the tables on this page in the supplementary Data Insight Report (link opens in new window).
Everyone in Belfast benefits from a thriving and prosperous economy
| Indicator | Change from baseline position |
|---|---|
| City productivity levels | Improving |
| Investment into Belfast | Data development |
|
Size of the Belfast economy |
Improving |
| Total number of businesses | Improving |
| Number of business start-ups | Worsening |
| Number of business deaths | Worsening |
| Absolute poverty | Improving |
| Relative poverty | Improving |
| The total number of jobs in Belfast | Improving |
| Working-age employment rate | Improving |
| Employment rate by deprivation | Worsening |
| Economic inactivity rate (ex-students) | Improving |
| Average earnings | Improving |
| Total spend by external visitors | Improving |
| Supply of housing | Improving |
| Disability employment rate | Improving |
Belfast is a welcoming, fair and inclusive city for all
| Indicator | Change from baseline position |
|---|---|
| Number of victims of any crime | Improving |
| Number of hate-motivated crimes | No significant change |
| Proportion of people who feel safe | Data development |
| Number of ASB incidents | Improving |
| The number of people who agree that people from different backgrounds get on well together | Data development |
| Proportion of people who believe their cultural identity is respected by society | Worsening |
| Proportion of young people who think that local facilities are shared and open to all | Worsening |
Everyone in Belfast fulfils their potential
| Indicator | Change from baseline position |
|---|---|
| Proportion of working age population who have attained Level 4 or above | Improving |
| Proportion of school-leavers achieving Level 2 or above including maths and English | Improving |
| Gap between percentage of school leavers entitled to free school meals achieving at least Level 2, including English and maths, and their peers | Improving |
| Proportion of school-leavers entering employment, education or training | No significant change |
| School attendance rates | Worsening |
| Volunteering | Improving |
| Self-efficacy | No significant change |
| Proportion of working-age population with no qualifications | No significant change |
Everyone in Belfast experiences good health and well-being
| Indicator | Change from baseline position |
|---|---|
| Life expectancy at birth | No significant change |
| Gap in life expectancy by deprivation | Worsening |
| Proportion of babies born at a low birth weight | No significant change |
| Preventable deaths | Worsening |
| Adult obesity rate | Worsening |
| Child obesity rate (P1) | No significant change |
| Child obesity rate (Year 8) | No significant change |
| Proportion of population who smoke | Improving |
| Proportion of adults drinking above sensible drinking guidelines | Improving |
| Proportion of people who rank themselves as having high levels of wellbeing | Worsening |
| Proportion of adults who undertake at least 150 minutes of physical exercise per week | Data development |
| Number of households in housing stress | Worsening |
| Number of people in treatment for problem drug or alcohol misuse | Improving |
Belfast is a vibrant, attractive, connected and environmentally sustainable city
| Indicator | Change from baseline position |
|---|---|
| Air quality | Improving |
| Percentage of household waste that is reused. recycled or composted | Improving |
| Percentage of all journeys which are made by walking, cycling, or public transport | Data development |
| Visitor numbers | Improving |
| Engagement in culture and arts activities | No significant change |
| Number of miles of cycle lanes, footways and footpaths | Data development |
| Proportion of homes that are energy efficient | Data development |
| Satisfaction with Belfast as a place to live | Data development |
| Carbon emissions | Improving |
