Productivity levels in ROI better than NI by 40%

THE Republic’s productivity levels have grown to 40% above Northern Ireland’s in the past 20 years, a report has found.

It also revealed that export intensity is an important factor in driving economic productivity.

The Economic and Social Research Institute think-tank, which produced and published the report in partnership with the Taoiseach’s Shared Island Unit, examined trends in productivity across both regions.

Productivity is measured as the gross value added per worker.

Among the report’s main findings were that productivity levels in the two regions were similar in 2000 but in the past two decades they have diverged, with the Republic’s increasing and Northern Ireland’s “trending downwards”.

As of 2020, Ireland’s productivity levels were 40% higher compared to Northern Ireland.

Prof Adele Bergin, said: “While some existing studies have compared Northern Ireland’s productivity to that of regions in GB, we believe that this is the first comprehensive study to compare productivity in Ireland and Northern Ireland.

“The research shows a widening productivity gap between Ireland and Northern Ireland.”