Population projections for the North suggest that nationalists may eventually overtake unionists as the majority community. The projections, based on 1998 mid-year estimates, cover all areas of the North up until 2013.
Compiled by the Statistics and Research Agency, the figures show rates of population growth in predominantly nationalist areas west of the River Bann to be greater than that in unionist areas.
Key figures indicate that the population in Derry is expected to grow by 14 per cent in the next 13 years against a projected decrease of 5 per cent in Belfast.
Other findings of the projections include a prediction that the overall population will grow by 6 per cent, with the number of pensioners expected to increase by 24 per cent.