Northern Ireland Civil Service workforce continues to age
Date published:
New official statistics published today by NISRA statisticians in the Department of Finance (DoF) present an overview of diversity and equality in the Northern Ireland Civil Service (NICS) at 1 January 2026 and how it has changed over time.
Key findings
- At 1 January 2026, there are 24,679 staff in the NICS. Of these, 273 (1.1%) are in the most senior grades (Grade 5 and above), lower than the equivalent proportion in the Civil Service in Great Britain (1.5% as at 31 March 2025).
- Females make up 50.2% of the NICS workforce in 2026, broadly in line with their share of the economically active population (49.5%). Female representation at the most senior grades has risen significantly to 44.3%, up from 11.3% in 2000 and 37.3% in 2016.
- Catholic staff now make up 50.8% of the NICS workforce, up from 41.7% in 2000 and 49.0% in 2016. This is close to the Catholic share of the economically active population (51.6%). Catholic representation has increased at all grades since 2016, with the largest increases at the most senior levels (Grade 5 and above).
- The NICS workforce is ageing. The percentage of staff aged 55 or over has risen from 17.2% in 2016 to 28.3% in 2026, just over one and a half times the equivalent share in the wider economically active population. The median age of NICS staff is now 47 years, up from 45 in 2016. By contrast, only 2.3% of NICS staff are aged 16-24, compared with 13.7% in the economically active population.
- The proportion of staff who declared a disability remains below the wider population benchmark. 6.5% of NICS staff declared a disability, compared with 10.2% in the economically active population.
- 0.9% of NICS staff (201 staff) are from an ethnic minority, 2.1 percentage points lower than the economically active population (3.0%). This compares with 18.0% in the GB Civil Service. Data on ethnicity was missing for 7.9% of staff and those cases are excluded from this figure.
About this publication
This report provides an overview of diversity and equality in the NICS. It includes an analysis of composition and how that composition has changed over time.
Where appropriate, comparisons are made with the wider labour market and the Civil Service in Great Britain (GB).
Further information
Read the full report: Equality Statistics for the Northern Ireland Civil Service
View data tables and background information: Equality Statistics for the Northern Ireland Civil Service - 2026 | Northern Ireland Statistics and Research Agency