Key Rural Issues publication - 2021

The Department of Agriculture, Environment and Rural Affairs (DAERA) today published ‘Key Rural Issues 2021’.

This publication presents publicly available data from a range of Government and non-Government sources, from a unique urban/rural perspective, in order to highlight key urban/rural differences and disparities across a range of domains.

Key statistics from the report are summarised below:

• Population growth from 2001-20 in rural areas has outstripped that in urban areas by a factor of almost 3 to 1 (20% to 7%)
• Rural workers (91%) are also much more likely to use private transport to commute than those from urban areas (76%)
• More than half (58%) of NI businesses are in rural areas, yet rural businesses account for less than a quarter (20%) of employees and around a quarter (25%) of total business turnover
• Just 18% of all overnight tourism visits to NI, and only 12% of associated expenditure took place in rural locations
• Levels of home ownership are higher in rural than in urban areas (80% to 65%), with house prices in rural areas higher on average than in towns and cities
• People living in rural areas were more likely to be in employment, with around three quarters (74%) employed either full or part-time
• People living in rural areas were more likely to report high happiness levels (44%) than those in urban areas (36%), and high life satisfaction (40% compared to 34%)
• Rural dwellers experience longer waiting times for emergency services than their urban counterparts, and waiting times are increasing
• Offences with a racist, sectarian or homophobic motivation increased in urban areas between 2019 and 2020, with little change in rural areas 

Further information can be found in the Key Rural Issues 2021 report published on the DAERA website.

Notes to editors: 

1. The Key Rural Issues 2021 report was prepared by Statistics and Analytical Services Branch, Department of Agriculture, Environment and Rural Affairs, Dundonald House, Upper Newtownards Road, Belfast, BT4 3SB.

2. The year of data is indicated in each table and figure, which will vary as the data is derived from multiple sources. The data may be subject to change at a later date due to revisions.

3. The Key Rural Issues 2021 report presents urban/rural statistical comparisons across the following domains:

• Population
• Education
• Employment
• Industry
• Travel and Tourism
• Crime and Poverty
• Connectivity and access to services
• Health, Wellbeing and quality of life
• Household Income, Housing and Poverty

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5. All media queries should be directed to the DAERA Press Office: pressoffice.group@daera-ni.gov.uk

6. The Executive Information Service operates an out of hours service for media enquiries only between 1800hrs and 0800hrs Monday to Friday and at weekends and public holidays. The duty press officer can be contacted on 028 9037 8110.

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