Upper Bann is Northern Ireland’s largest constituency by population, with 132,687 residents as of the 2024 mid-year estimate. It covers 381.6 square kilometres — the 12th-largest constituency by area — giving it the 7th-highest population density in Northern Ireland, at 347.7 people per square kilometre.
Who represents you
Turnout in Upper Bann at the 2022 Assembly election was 62.5%. The constituency currently elects five MLAs:
- John O’Dowd — Sinn Féin (Minister)
- Jonathan Buckley — Democratic Unionist Party (Committee Chair)
- Doug Beattie MC — Ulster Unionist Party
- Eóin Tennyson — Alliance Party
- Diane Dodds — Democratic Unionist Party
Health
Life expectancy in Upper Bann is close to the Northern Ireland average: 78.7 years for men (NI average 78.8) and 82.8 years for women (NI average 82.5), based on 2021–2023 data.
Disease prevalence runs below the NI average across most conditions tracked for 2024–2025, including hypertension, diabetes and asthma, while chronic kidney disease and non-diabetic hyperglycaemia run above it.
Education
School leavers in Upper Bann run below the NI average for 2023–2024 — 85.4% 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 Upper Bann rose from 74.7% in 2014 to 76.7% in 2024, running above the Northern Ireland average of 74.3% (up from 67.7% in 2014). Benefits claims run at or below the NI average across most categories — for instance, 15.5% 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 Upper Bann’s MLAs and constituency page at mlas.news/constituency/upper-bann/.