Local government in Northern Ireland is divided among 11 single-tier districts known as local government districts (abbreviated LGDs) and formerly known as district council areas (DCAs). Councils in Northern Ireland do not carry out the same range of functions as those in the rest of the United Kingdom; for example they have no responsibility for education, road-building or housing (although they do nominate members to the advisory Northern Ireland Housing Council). Their functions include planning, waste and recycling services, leisure and community services, building control and local economic and cultural development. The collection of rates is handled centrally by the Land and Property Services agency of the Northern Ireland Executive.

Local government districts (since 2015)

The 11 districts first had their boundaries determined in 2012. Elections were held to the new councils in 2014, and they assumed the powers of the previous councils in 2015. Basic geographical statistics are shown below. Previously (between 1972 and 2015) the country was divided into 26 smaller districts.

+ Local government districts of Northern Ireland No. on map District Council Type No. of wards/cllrs District electoral areas Land area Population () Density Population of largest settlement (2021) (km2) (mi2) (/km2) (/mi2) 3 Antrim and Newtownabbey Antrim and Newtownabbey Borough Council District, borough 40 7: Airport, Antrim, Ballyclare, Dunsilly, Glengormley Urban, Macedon, Three Mile Water 67,112: Metropolitan Newtownabbey 2 Ards and North Down Ards and North Down Borough Council District, borough 40 7: Ards Peninsula, Comber, Bangor Central, Bangor East and Donaghadee, Bangor West, Holywood and Clandeboye 64,122: Bangor 6 Armagh City, Banbridge and Craigavon Armagh City, Banbridge and Craigavon Borough Council District, city, borough 41 7: Armagh, Banbridge, Craigavon, Cusher, Lagan River, Lurgan, Portadown 72,721: Craigavon Urban Area including Aghacommon 1 Belfast Belfast City Council District, city(1888) 60 10: Balmoral, Botanic, Black Mountain, Castle, Collin, Court, Lisnasharragh, Oldpark, Ormiston, Titanic 291,386: Belfast City 8 Causeway Coast and Glens Causeway Coast and Glens Borough Council District, borough 40 7: Bann, Ballymoney, Benbradagh, Coleraine, Causeway, Limavady, The Glens 24,560: Coleraine 10 Derry City and Strabane Derry City and Strabane District Council District, city 40 7: Ballyarnett, Derg, Faughan, Foyleside, Sperrin, The Moor, Waterside 84,884: Derry City 11 Fermanagh and Omagh Fermanagh and Omagh District Council District 40 7: Enniskillen, Erne East, Erne North, Erne West, Mid Tyrone, Omagh, West Tyrone 20,353: Omagh Town 4 Lisburn and Castlereagh Lisburn and Castlereagh City Council District, city(2002) 40 7: Downshire East, Downshire West, Killultagh, Lisburn North, Lisburn South, Castlereagh East, Castlereagh South 51,447: Lisburn City 7 Mid and East Antrim Mid and East Antrim Borough Council District, borough 40 7: Ballymena, Bannside, Braid, Carrick Castle, Coast Road, Knockagh, Larne Lough 31,308: Ballymena 9 Mid Ulster Mid Ulster District Council District 40 7: Carntogher, Clogher Valley, Cookstown, Dungannon, Magherafelt, Moyola, Torrent 16,361: Dungannon 5 Newry, Mourne and Down Newry, Mourne and Down District Council District 41 7: Crotlieve, Downpatrick, Newry, Rowallane, Slieve Croob, Slieve Gullion 28,026: Newry

Elections Councillors are elected for a four-year term of office under the single transferable vote (STV) system. Elections were last held on 18 May 2023. To qualify for election, a councillor candidate must be: at least 18 years of age, and a Commonwealth of Nations or European Union citizen In addition, they must either: be a local elector for the district, or have, during the whole of the 12-month period prior to the election, either owned or occupied land in the district, or else resided or worked in the district

The following gallery contains maps of local election results from 1993 onwards, with each District Electoral Area coloured according to the party that won the most first preference votes, and darker colours indicating a majority of first preference votes.

History

The current pattern of 11 local government districts was established on 1 April 2015, as a result of the reform process that started in 2005.

The previous pattern of local government in Northern Ireland, with 26 councils, was established in 1973 by the Local Government (Boundaries) Act (Northern Ireland) 1971 and the Local Government Act (Northern Ireland) 1972 to replace the previous system established by the Local Government (Ireland) Act 1898. The system was based on the recommendations of the Macrory Report, of June 1970, which presupposed the continued existence of the Government of Northern Ireland to act as a regional-level authority.

From 1921 to 1973, Northern Ireland was divided into six administrative counties (subdivided into urban and rural districts) and two county boroughs. The counties and county boroughs continue to exist for the purposes of lieutenancy and shrievalty.The Northern Ireland (Lieutenancy) Order 1975 (S.I. 1975 No.156) This system, with the abolition of rural districts, remains the model for local government in the Republic of Ireland.

In June 2002, the Northern Ireland Executive established a Review of Public Administration to review the arrangements for the accountability, development, administration and delivery of public services. Among its recommendations were a reduction in the number of districts. In 2005 Peter Hain, the Secretary of State for Northern Ireland, announced proposals to reduce the number of councils to seven. The names and boundaries of the seven districts were announced in March 2007.Revised Recommendations for new council boundaries unveiled (Press Release) Office of the Local Government Boundaries Commissioner, 30 March 2007 In March 2008 the restored Northern Executive agreed to create eleven new councils instead of the original seven.Foster announces the future shape of local government NI Executive, 13 March 2008 The first elections were due to take place in May 2011. However, by May 2010 disagreements among parties in the executive over district boundaries were expected to delay the reforms until 2015. In June 2010 the proposed reforms were abandoned following the failure of the Northern Ireland Executive to reach agreement. However, on 12 March 2012, the Northern Ireland Executive published its programme for government, which included a commitment to reduce the number of councils in Northern Ireland to 11.

Local government districts (1973 to 2015) The previous set of 26 councils, which preceded the current set of 11 councils, are shown on the below map. They had 583 wards in total – meaning 583 councillors, representing 102 district electoral areas.

No. on mapCouncilType (2011)No of wards/cllrs (2011)DEAs (1993-2011)Population of largest settlement (2011)Population (2011)Density (/km2)Area (km2)7Belfast City CouncilCity519 - Balmoral, Castle, Court, Laganbank, Lower Falls, Oldpark, Pottinger, Upper Falls, Victoria280,138 - Belfast City280,9622,33911519Lisburn City CouncilCity305 - Downshire, Dunmurry Cross, Killultagh, Lisburn Town North, Lisburn Town South45,370 - Lisburn City120,16524744713Derry City CouncilCity305 - Cityside, Northland, Rural, Shantallow, Waterside83,163 - Derry City107,87727638722Newry and Mourne District CouncilDistrict305 - Crotlieve, Newry Town, Slieve Gullion, The Fews, The Mournes26,967 - Newry99,48010090212Craigavon Borough CouncilBorough264 - Craigavon Central, Lurgan, Loughside, Portadown64,323 - Craigavon Urban Area including Aghacommon93,02322037823Newtownabbey Borough CouncilBorough254 - Antrim Line, Ballyclare, Macedon, University65,646 - Metropolitan Newtownabbey85,13953215124North Down Borough CouncilBorough254 - Abbey, Ballyholme and Groomsport, Bangor West, Holywood61,011 - Bangor79,900958812Ards Borough CouncilBorough234 - Ards East, Ards Peninsula, Ards West, Newtownards28,050 - Newtownards78,93719937614Down District CouncilDistrict234 - Ballynahinch, Downpatrick, Newcastle, Rowallane10,822 - Downpatrick69,7311036479Castlereagh Borough CouncilBorough234 - Castlereagh Central, Castlereagh East, Castlereagh South, Castlereagh West55,857 - Metropolitan Castlereagh67,242774854Ballymena Borough CouncilBorough244 - Ballymena North, Ballymena South, Bannside, Braid29,551 - Ballymena64,0449563216Fermanagh District CouncilDistrict234 - Enniskillen, Erne East, Erne North, Erne West13,823 - Enniskillen61,805321,8763Armagh City and District CouncilCity and district224 - Armagh City, Crossmore, Cusher, The Orchard14,777 - Armagh59,3498267110Coleraine Borough CouncilBorough224 - Bann, Coleraine Central, Coleraine East, The Skerries24,634 - Coleraine59,06711648615Dungannon and South Tyrone Borough CouncilBorough224 - Blackwater, Clogher Valley, Dungannon Town, Torrent14,340 - Dungannon57,852637841Antrim Borough CouncilBorough193 - Antrim North West, Antrim South East, Antrim Town23,375 - Antrim53,4288657725Omagh District CouncilDistrict213 - Mid Tyrone, Omagh Town, West Tyrone19,659 - Omagh51,356441,1306Banbridge District CouncilDistrict173 - Banbridge Town, Dromore, Knockiveagh16,637 - Banbridge48,3399745320Magherafelt District CouncilDistrict163 - Magherafelt, Moyola, Sperrin8,805 - Magherafelt45,0387257326Strabane District CouncilDistrict163 - Derg, Glenelly, Mourne13,172 - Strabane39,384458628Carrickfergus Borough CouncilBorough173 - Carrick Castle, Kilroot, Knockagh Monument27,998 - Carrickfergus39,1144728211Cookstown District CouncilDistrict163 - Ballinderry, Cookstown Central, Drum Manor11,599 - Cookstown37,0135462218Limavady Borough CouncilBorough153 - Bellarena, Benbradagh, Limavady Town12,032 - Limavady33,5365858617Larne Borough CouncilBorough153 - Coast Road, Larne Lough, Larne Town18,755 - Larne32,180923365Ballymoney Borough CouncilBorough163 - Ballymoney Town, Bann Valley, Bushvale10,402 - Ballymoney31,2246841821Moyle District CouncilDistrict153 - Ballycastle, Giant's Causeway, The Glens5,237 - Ballycastle17,05034480Total26 councils13 boroughs, 9 districts, 3 cities, 1 city and district583 wards102 District Electoral Areas280,138 - Belfast City1,812,23512814,137

Combinations of districts The districts are combined for various purposes.

ITL level 3 Following Brexit, the UK's Office for National Statistics withdrew from Eurostat, and it has since been using the International Territorial Level classification for UK subdivisions. Between 2021 and 2025, the subdivisions were unchanged from the final NUTS classification, with the "UKxxx" prefix replaced by "TLxxx". In the most recent ITL update, Northern Ireland's Level 3 subdivisions match the 11 Local Government Districts.

ITL code Name TLN06 Belfast TLN07 Armagh City, Banbridge and Craigavon TLN08 Newry, Mourne and Down TLN09 Ards and North Down TLN0A Derry City and Strabane TLN0B Mid Ulster TLN0C Causeway Coast and Glens TLN0D Antrim and Newtownabbey TLN0E Lisburn and Castlereagh TLN0F Mid and East Antrim TLN0G Fermanagh and Omagh

Eurostat NUTS level 3 (up to 2024) In the Eurostat Nomenclature of Territorial Units for Statistics (NUTS), Northern Ireland was divided into five parts at level 3.

ITL code NUTS code Name Area Population (2021) % of population TLN01 UKN01 Belfast 293,298 15.4 TLN02 UKN02 Outer Belfast Carrickfergus, Castlereagh, Lisburn, Newtownabbey, North Down 411,108 21.6 TLN03 UKN03 East Antrim, Ards, Ballymena, Banbridge, Craigavon, Down, Larne 467,290 24.6 TLN04 UKN04 North Ballymoney, Coleraine, Derry, Limavady, Moyle, Strabane 292,502 15.4 TLN05 UKN05 West and South Armagh, Cookstown, Dungannon, Fermanagh, Magherafelt, Newry and Mourne, Omagh 438,975 23.1

Former education and library boards There were five education and library boards (ELBs) in Northern Ireland.