The population of Northern Ireland is projected to increase by more than 100,000 in the next 15 years, the British government's statistics and research agency said today.
The increase in numbers will be almost entirely of people of pensionable age.
The rise will have little or nothing to do with the popularity of the North drawing migrants to its shores.
There will be a net gain of 2,000 through migration and 106,000 through natural population growth - more births than deaths, according to the statisticians.
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At the same time the number of pensioners will go up by 97,000, and by 2023 there will be more of them than children under 16.