Stories

Wed, 24 Jun 2026

Wed, 24 Jun 2026 How has Northern Ireland's economy fared since Brexit?

A decade on from Brexit, BBC News NI's John Campbell looks at whether the region has benefited from having dual access to the EU and GB markets.
1. Dual Market Access: NI has a special deal that allows it to trade goods with both the UK and the EU without tariffs or quotas. This is credited for driving economic growth. 2. Manufacturing Growth: Manufacturing output surged by 9% in NI last year, while industrial production for the UK as a whole was flat. 3. Export Data: Export data shows that since the Windsor Framework came into effect in March 2023, NI's exports to the EU have risen by over 10%, while UK exports have fallen by over 16%. 4. Business Services Growth: The business services sector has expanded by 24% in real terms over the past decade, ahead of the UK average. 5. Delayed Recovery: Economist Richard Ramsey suggests that NI's economy was delayed in recovering from a deep recession after 2008, leading to "catch-up growth". 6. Structural Shift: The growth of the business services sector is attributed to global companies setting up near-shore operations centers in Belfast. The article concludes that while Brexit has had some positive effects on NI's economy, particularly through dual market access, other factors such as a delayed recovery and structural shift have also played a significant role.