The economy in Derry/Londonderry has contracted 21% since the restoration of the Northern Ireland Assembly in 2007.
This article (Part I) begins by summarising the evidence that substantiates the claim that Derry is an economic outlier – suffering from a level of financial and social deprivation that is quite unique within Northern Ireland (and even the UK). The second article (Part II) will consider the range of reasons why the city finds itself in such a perilous state today. And the third and final article (Part III) will conclude with an analysis of what can be done to enable Derry to genuinely fulfil its potential and role as NI’s second city and as an important cross-border regional capital – particularly in light of Brexit. [...] Whilst further evidence abounds to prove that Derry is the UK and Northern Ireland’s economic problem child, the above should provide sufficient proof that the city does indeed suffer from a cocktail of high unemployment, high deprivation, low qualifications, low wages, low home ownership, low entrepreneurship and a high dependency upon public sector employment – all of which anchors it at the bottom of the pile in Northern Ireland. And while post-Troubles NI as a whole continues to converge with the rest of the UK on many key economic indicators, it is leaving it’s own second city firmly behind as it does so. Stormont – we have a problem. Part II of this article will go on to consider how Derry has ended up in this economic position, and what has made Derry so poor.