evidence: Northern Ireland population to hit almost 2m by 2026, with 25% rise in people aged 65 and over Northern Ireland's population is expected to reach almost two million by 2026, with an explosion in the number of people aged over 65. [...] The number of people aged 65 and over is expected to increase by 25% across the region, with this proportion of the population set to outnumber children by 2028.