Life in Northern Ireland v the rest of the UK: what does the data say?

As it marks 100 years since its foundation, a look at how the region is doing in education and jobs

One hundred years to the day after its foundation on 3 May 1921, Northern Ireland is outdoing the rest of the United Kingdom on many metrics.

The UK's smallest country has had the lowest unemployment rate on the British Isles for six consecutive quarters, reaching a record low in late 2019; tourism was booming pre-Covid; and it has the highest levels of wellbeing in the OECD.