Northern Ireland is experiencing the fastest population growth in the United Kingdom.
The number of people rose to 1.7 million, according to figures from the Office for National Statistics for June 2005.
The rest of the United Kingdom experienced a sharp rise to more than 60 million residents - but less than Northern Ireland's 0.8 per cent growth.
One population expert said increased births and the flood of migrant workers from eastern and southern Europe caused the upsurge in the North.
Figures showed 608,239 people aged under 25 lived in Northern Ireland. There were 22,611 births between mid-2004 and last year, and the survey recorded 202,678 people aged over 60.
Population projections to 2044 expect over 1.8 million people residing there with numbers peaking in 2031.
Overall, the UK had 60.2 million inhabitants, the biggest annual rise since 1962. The population has been rising since the Industrial Revolution in Britain. It was 42 million in 1911.