East Belfast is Northern Ireland’s 13th-largest constituency by population, with 97,370 residents as of the 2024 mid-year estimate. It covers 55.3 square kilometres — the 15th-largest constituency by area — giving it the 4th-highest population density in Northern Ireland, at 1,760.8 people per square kilometre.
Who represents you
Turnout in East Belfast at the 2022 Assembly election was 62.5%. The constituency currently elects five MLAs:
- Andy Allen MBE — Ulster Unionist Party
- David Brooks — Democratic Unionist Party
- Joanne Bunting — Democratic Unionist Party (Minister)
- Naomi Long — Alliance Party (Minister)
- Peter McReynolds — Alliance Party
Health
Life expectancy in East Belfast runs slightly below the Northern Ireland average for both sexes: 78.5 years for men (NI average 78.8) and 82.2 years for women (NI average 82.5), based on 2021–2023 data.
Disease prevalence is a mixed picture. Rates of diabetes, asthma, coronary heart disease and mental health conditions run above the NI average per 1,000 patients (2024–2025 data), while hypertension, chronic kidney disease and cancer run below it.
Education
School leavers in East Belfast outperform the NI average across the attainment measures tracked for 2023–2024 — for example, 89.1% 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 East Belfast rose from 74.9% in 2014 to 81.2% in 2024, running well above the Northern Ireland average of 74.3%. Benefits claims run at or slightly below the NI average across most categories — for instance, 10.7% of the population claims Personal Independence Payment, against an NI average of 11.4%.
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 East Belfast’s MLAs and constituency page at mlas.news/constituency/east-belfast/.