1. About this report

This report provides an overview of Northern Ireland’s raw material consumption, commonly referred to as the material footprint. It presents estimates for 2001 to 2023 with breakdowns by material group and estimates per person (per capita) over time.

Further information on the data sources and methodology is available in the background notes.


2. Key Points

Total Material Footprint

38.5

million tonnes in 2023

Material Footprint

20.1

tonnes per person in 2023

Non-Metallic Minerals

46%

of total footprint in 2023

Key points

  • Northern Ireland’s material footprint decreased by 0.9% from 2022 to 38.5 million tonnes in 2023.

  • The material footprint in 2023 is around 33% higher than a recent low point recorded in 2020 which coincided with the onset of the COVID-19 pandemic.

  • Non-metallic minerals were the largest material group and accounted for 46% of the material footprint in 2023.

  • Material footprint per person decreased slightly from 20.3 tonnes in 2022 to 20.1 tonnes in 2023.

  • Northern Ireland’s material footprint was 20.1 tonnes per person in 2023 compared with 17.5 tonnes for the UK.

Definition

Material footprint:

A consumption-based measure of the primary raw materials required to meet the demand for goods and services consumed by Northern Ireland residents. The measure captures raw materials required throughout the supply chain, regardless of where in the world they are extracted.

These raw materials include:

  • non-metallic minerals such as sand, gravel and limestone
  • biomass such as crops, timber and fish
  • fossil fuels such as coal, oil and natural gas
  • metal ores such as iron ore and copper ore

Material footprint is also referred to as raw material consumption.


3. Material Footprint Analysis

Material footprint by material group

Northern Ireland’s material footprint was estimated at 38.5 million tonnes in 2023. This was a decrease of 0.9% compared with 38.9 million tonnes in 2022.

The latest estimate for 2023 was 15.6% higher than in 2001 and 6.4% below the series peak in 2005.

Over the longer term the material footprint has fluctuated. Northern Ireland’s material footprint rose to a series peak in 2005 and remained broadly stable until 2007. There was a decline of around 32% between 2007 and the series low in 2010. Since 2010 there has been more fluctuations seen in the material footprint. The material footprint in 2023 is around 33% higher than a recent low point recorded in 2020 which coincided with the onset of the COVID-19 pandemic. This was primarily driven by increases in 2021 and 2022.

Figure 1: Non-metallic minerals have consistently made up the largest share of Northern Ireland’s material footprint

Time series showing Northern Ireland’s material footprint (million tonnes), 2001 to 2023.

Source: University of Leeds

Non-metallic minerals were the largest component of Northern Ireland’s material footprint in 2023 and accounted for 46%. Biomass accounted for 26%, followed by fossil fuels at 18% and metal ores remained the smallest group at 10%.

Non-metallic minerals have consistently accounted for the largest share of Northern Ireland’s material footprint. Changes in non-metallic minerals have generally followed a similar pattern and fluctuations as the total material footprint.

Biomass consumption has been comparatively stable over most of the time series and remains below the series peak in 2005. There was an increase of 6.5% in biomass consumption between 2022 and 2023 which continued the rise from a recent low point in 2020.

Fossil fuel consumption showed a general period of decline between 2008 and 2020. Fossil fuel consumption decreased by 15.1% between 2022 and 2023 but remains above pre-pandemic levels in 2019.

Metal ores have consistently been the smallest material group, but their share of the material footprint has increased over time. This represents an increase from around 5% of the total material footprint in 2001 to around 10% in 2023.

Material footprint per capita

Northern Ireland’s total material footprint is influenced by both consumption patterns and population size. Presenting the footprint per person allows trends to be compared over time while accounting for changes in the population.

Northern Ireland’s material footprint was estimated at 20.1 tonnes per person in 2023. This was 1.4% lower than in 2022.

The footprint per person reached its highest level of 23.9 tonnes in 2004 and its lowest level of 15.2 tonnes in 2020. The 2023 estimate was 16.2% lower than the peak and 1.6% higher than at the start of the series in 2001.

The Northern Ireland estimate was 20.1 tonnes per person compared with 17.5 tonnes for the UK. Northern Ireland had a higher material footprint per person than the UK for most of the time series.

Figure 2: Northern Ireland’s material footprint per person has generally declined since the mid-2000s despite recent fluctuations

Time series showing Northern Ireland’s material footprint per person (tonnes), 2001 to 2023.

Source: University of Leeds and NISRA 2025 Mid-Year Population Estimates for Northern Ireland

Material consumption increased from 15.2 tonnes per person in 2020 to 20.1 tonnes in 2023. This reflected an increase of around 33% in total material consumption alongside a relatively modest 1% increase in population over the same period. Between 2022 and 2023, a slight fall in total material consumption combined with continued population growth resulted in a small decrease in material consumption per person.


4. Further Information and Feedback

Background information and data sources

This report presents estimates of Northern Ireland’s raw material consumption, commonly referred to as the material footprint.

The analysis draws on two main sources:

  • Material footprint estimates produced by the University of Leeds (UoL), in agreement with the Department for Environment, Food and Rural Affairs (Defra);
  • Mid-year population estimates for Northern Ireland published by the Northern Ireland Statistics and Research Agency (NISRA). These estimates were used to derive per capita estimates.

Material footprint estimates for Northern Ireland are produced by UoL as part of the wider UK and England accounts, in agreement with Defra. This publication includes material footprint estimates up to 2023, the latest year for which data are currently available. This is in line with the latest data available for the UK and England. The Office for National Statistics (ONS) released the Material Footprint in the UK in May 2026. England’s Material Footprint was published by Defra in September 2026.

This publication supports monitoring of the material footprint indicator within the Decarbonisation priority of the Department for the Economy Business Plan 2025-26.

Methodology and additional information

UK consumption-based accounts are produced by the University of Leeds (UoL), using a Multi-Regional Input-Output (MRIO) model developed for Defra. The model combines data on economic activity, trade and supply chains to estimate the greenhouse gas emissions and global primary raw material extraction associated with goods and services consumed by UK residents. Further analysis is undertaken to derive results at a Northern Ireland level. The material footprint comprises non-metallic minerals, biomass, fossil fuels and metal ores.

Key methodological considerations

  • A hierarchical hybrid methodology is used to estimate final consumption for each devolved administration. This approach estimates the share of total UK expenditure attributable to each devolved region for different categories of goods and services and uses this to disaggregate the total UK footprint.
  • Expenditure profiles from the Living Costs and Food Survey (LCFS) are used to estimate Northern Ireland’s share of UK consumption for different goods and services. In the 2023/24 LCFS, the number of responding households was 2,909 in England, 523 in Scotland, 366 in Wales and 407 in Northern Ireland. Survey responses are weighted to ensure they are representative of households across the UK.
  • In addition, domestic consumption of gas and electricity data are incorporated to produce the estimates of consumption.
  • Northern Ireland estimates are available from 2001 onwards, reflecting the availability of comparable Living Costs and Food Survey data.

Readers are advised to consult the UK Consumption Account Methodology document. This can be found on the England’s Material Footprint page and contains further information on the methodology and accuracy.

Revisions

The material footprint estimates may be subject to revisions on an annual basis to reflect updates to the underlying data or improvements in methodology. The revisions included in the 2026 release reflect a methodological change relating to the adoption of FIGARO v2025 trade data for estimates from 2010 onwards. Further information is available in the UK Consumption Account Methodology document published on England’s Material Footprint page.

A summary of revisions to previously published Northern Ireland estimates is provided in the accompanying supplementary tables.

Limitations and caveats

Although internationally recognised methods are used to produce Northern Ireland’s material footprint statistics, estimating the raw materials used to produce imported goods and services is more challenging than estimating materials extracted and used within the UK. As a result, estimates relating to overseas supply chains are subject to greater uncertainty than estimates relating to domestic production.

Northern Ireland estimates are derived from UK results using additional modelling and assumptions. In particular, the approach assumes that the four UK countries consume imported products in similar proportions and source those products from similar regions of the world. While these assumptions are reasonable for many products, they may not fully reflect differences in consumption patterns between countries within the UK.

Availability of future Northern Ireland material footprint estimates is dependent on the continued production of the underlying University of Leeds estimates.

Supplementary tables

The data underlying the charts presented in this report are available in the supplementary tables published alongside this release. These are available on the Northern Ireland’s material footprint: 2001 to 2023 page.

Calculations and rounding

Per capita estimates are calculated using NISRA mid-year population estimates for Northern Ireland.

Total material footprint estimates are presented in million tonnes (Mt) in this publication, while per capita estimates are presented in tonnes per capita. Corresponding total material footprint estimates in kilotonnes (kt) are provided in the supplementary tables. One million tonnes (Mt) is equal to 1,000 kilotonnes (kt).

Percentage changes and tonnes per capita estimates are generally rounded to one decimal place. Percentage changes are calculated using unrounded figures and may therefore differ from those calculated using the rounded estimates shown in the publication charts. Other percentages are generally rounded to the nearest whole number. Totals may not sum exactly due to rounding.

Feedback

This publication is produced by Analytical Services Division, Department for the Economy.

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