South Down is Northern Ireland’s 4th-largest constituency by population, with 115,172 residents as of the 2024 mid-year estimate. It covers 1,250.4 square kilometres — the 5th-largest constituency by area — giving it the 13th-highest population density in Northern Ireland, at 92.1 people per square kilometre.
Who represents you
Turnout in South Down at the 2022 Assembly election was 66.2%. The constituency currently elects five MLAs:
- Cathy Mason — Sinn Féin (Committee Chair)
- Colin McGrath — Social Democratic & Labour Party
- Andrew McMurray — Alliance Party
- Sinéad Ennis — Sinn Féin
- Diane Forsythe — Democratic Unionist Party
Health
Life expectancy in South Down runs above the Northern Ireland average for both sexes: 79.9 years for men (NI average 78.8) and 83.6 years for women (NI average 82.5), based on 2021–2023 data.
Disease prevalence is a mixed picture for 2024–2025, with hypertension, asthma and atrial fibrillation running above the NI average, while diabetes, chronic kidney disease and cancer run below it.
Education
School leavers in South Down run slightly below the NI average for 2023–2024 — 85.8% achieved at least 5 GCSEs at grades A*–C or equivalent, against an NI average of 87.4%.
Economy and benefits
The employment rate in South Down rose from 72.5% in 2014 to 80.3% in 2024, running above the Northern Ireland average of 74.3%. Benefits claims run close to the NI average across most categories — for instance, 17.2% of the population claims Retirement Pension, against an NI average of 16.9%.
Data sources
Figures are drawn from the NI Assembly Research and Information Service’s Constituency Profiles dashboard, sourced from NISRA, the Department of Health, the Department of Education, the Department for Communities and the Police Service of Northern Ireland. Most recent update: April 2026.
Track South Down’s MLAs and constituency page at mlas.news/constituency/south-down/.