The most recent data shows productivity in Northern Ireland (NI) is 11% below the UK average. NI also lags behind the Republic of Ireland, where productivity is around 8% higher than the UK average.
Despite the majority of the productivity drivers on the dashboard being red, NI saw a rapid improvement in its ranking between 2020 and 2021, moving up to 7th place from previously being last of the UK’s twelve regions. This was due to the highest productivity growth of any UK region, at 6.7% in real terms.
This meant NI’s gap to the UK closed significantly, shrinking by 5 percentage points. This gap has previously remained relatively stable, at between 15% and 20%. NI’s improved performance means the gap is now at its lowest recorded level.
Authors: Ruth Donaldson (Queen’s University Belfast), David Jordan (Queen’s University Belfast), John Turner (Queen’s University Belfast)
