Northern Ireland had “significant and persistent regional disparities” in Gross Value Added (GVA) – which measures wages, rent, taxes and profits, minus the cost of inputs, it said. In 1998, Belfast had a GVA that was 42 per cent higher than the Northern Ireland average, but this was now 80 per cent, the study said. Contemporary economic policy attempts focuses on a “people in places” approach, which combines regeneration and infrastructure investment with training for workers and grants for businesses. UUEPC director Gareth Hetherington said the figures reflected weak business and consumer confidence combined with geopolitical uncertainty, to which Northern Ireland was not immune. However, the report highlighted how Northern Ireland was becoming a more service-dominated economy, with manufacturing falling back.

Source: The Irish Times January 21, 2026 12:03 UTC