The number of businesses operating in Northern Ireland increased by 1.9 percent over the year to March 2026, marking the twelfth consecutive year of increase following a period of decline from 2008 to 2014. This is according to the latest Northern Ireland Inter-Departmental Business Register (IDBR) statistics, which were released this week by the Northern Ireland Statistics & Research Agency (NISRA).
The statistics also show that most businesses in Northern Ireland are micro-sized (89.4 percent or 73,880) and nearly four in 10 (38.5 percent or 31,830) have a turnover of less than £100,000, whilst 13.1 percent (10,870) have a turnover over £1 million.
Construction saw the largest growth in percentage terms of the four headline industries over the year to 2026, and non-Northern Irish-owned businesses increased by 18.0 percent (355) over the five years to 2026.
Also released by NISRA were the latest Northern Ireland Labour Market Statistics, showing that the number of employees receiving pay through HMRC PAYE in NI in May 2026 was 820,100 representing an increase of 1.3 percent over the year. Earnings data indicated that NI employees had a median monthly pay of £2,462 in May 2026, which was unchanged over the month and an increase of £94 (4.0 percent) over the year. The statistical report and associated tables are available here.
Finally, the Northern Ireland Economic Output Statistics, also published by NISRA, show that output in the services sector increased by 0.9 percent over the first quarter of 2026 and by 2.3 percent over the year. Retail output in NI saw a quarterly increase of 2.1 percent in Quarter 1 2026 and an increase of 1.8 percent over the year. Production sector output saw an increase of 2.1 percent over the first quarter of 2026 and increased by 7.6 percent over the year.
The detailed statistical bulletins are all available on the NISRA website.
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