// BBC HEALTH NEWS — SALUTE
Stormont 'failing to plan' for ageing population
Projections suggest the number of people aged over 65 in Northern Ireland will overtake the number of children by 2027
Northern Ireland's leaders have not absorbed the implications of a rapidly ageing society and are continuing to "plan for a population from a previous era" the Commissioner for Older People Siobhan Casey has warned.
In a new report, Casey said: "The ageing population is here, whether we are ready for it or not."
The report draws on official population projections which suggest that next year the number of people aged over 65 will overtake the number of children.
Northern Ireland's population as a whole is projected to fall slightly over the next 25 years but the population aged over 65 is projected to increase by almost 45%.
Casey said that is a positive reflection of improvements in life expectancy but brings challenges which need "long-term planning and coordinated action".
She said the healthcare system is already experiencing the impacts of an ageing society but there will also be implications for housing, public transport and workplaces.
"An ageing population is not simply a health and social care issue. It will affect almost every aspect of life," the report said.
"The reality is that Northern Ireland has yet to develop the coordinated and long-term approach needed to prepare for the scale of demographic change that lies ahead."
Siobhan Casey was appointed as Northern Ireland's commissioner for older people in March 2025