Population shifts in West Belfast

The Protestant/Unionist population along Shankill Road has dropped from approximately 85,000 at the beginning of the Troubles in the early 1970's to approximately 30,000 today. Meanwhile, the Catholic/Republican population along the Falls Road has increased substantially. These trends seem to be consistent throughout the urban area of Belfast. Protestant communities continue to move outward toward edge of the city and the suburbs while the Catholic population as a whole is rising.

View along the busy Falls Road