FactCheckNI
FactCheckNI is Northern Ireland’s first and only dedicated not for profit fact checking and training service. Accuracy matters.
- Fact checked: Nearly all pornographic deepfakes depict women; a stark reminder that online harms disproportionately affect women and girls. Read our full article ⬇️
- Independent fact checking is vital to democracy and public trust in NI. Our work supports informed public debate by checking claims transparently and impartially. If you value evidence-based discussion,support our work: crowdfunder.co.uk/p/factcheckni #NorthernIreland #criticalthinking
- 📈Trade between NI, GB and Ireland has increased in recent years. 👉 While the figures cited in support of the Windsor Framework are broadly accurate, trade volumes were already rising before the framework was agreed in 2023, meaning the data alone does not show its impact on trade.
- Read our full analysis 👉 factcheckni.org/articles/eco...
- 📊Are Northern Ireland’s breastfeeding rates among the lowest in Europe? A new @FactCheckNI analysis finds that while international data comparisons are imperfect, current evidence suggests NI lags behind the rest of the UK - and the UK sits near the bottom in Europe. Read the full breakdown 👇
- Do nearly 1 in 20 over-50s in Northern Ireland suffer from PTSD? New research says 4.74% are living with PTSD right now, and almost 60% say their worst trauma is Troubles-related. Understanding the facts matters. Read our full analysis 👉 factcheckni.org/articles/men...
- A new year doesn’t need louder opinions, it needs clearer facts. In 2026, FactCheckNI will keep checking claims, explaining the evidence, and separating fact from spin in Northern Ireland. Because accuracy still matters.
- Northern Ireland still has the largest disability employment gap in the UK - but have the numbers shifted recently? 🔍 Read our fact-check to find out. #DisabilityEmployment #FactCheckNI 🔗 factcheckni.org/articles/emp...
- Former DUP MP Ian Paisley Jr. recently claimed that proportionally, more loyalists than republicans went to prison during the Troubles. FactCheckNI reviewed the evidence and found big gaps in the data. Our verdict? Unsubstantiated.
- Behind every statistic on Violence Against Women and Girls is a real person - but if the data’s unclear, how can we fight it? Our article explores the serious gaps in how NI’s justice system records and understands VAWG. Read more here 👉 factcheckni.org/articles/exp...
- Who’s responsible for Lough Neagh’s phosphorus pollution? Agriculture (61%) leads, while wastewater & septics tanks adds 30%. Read our full analysis here 👉 factcheckni.org/articles/lou... #LoughNeagh #FactCheckNI #NIEnvironment
- 🎓Does Northern Ireland really have a shortage of local uni places? NI’s universities face a challenge: demand outstrips supply. But the story is more complicated than it seems - with funding caps, student choices, and migration all in the mix. 📊 Read our full analysis 👇 #HigherEdNI #Education
- 👥 Northern Ireland is getting older. There are now more people aged 70+ than children under 10. What does this mean for our future health, pensions & policies? Read more ➡️ factcheckni.org/articles/dem... #northernireland #demographics #factcheckni
- Does Belfast have the 2nd highest number of asylum seekers in the UK, and do almost a fifth of them live in BT12, as claimed by DUP MLA Edwin Poots? ❌ No. 📊Belfast ranks 20th overall. 👥With 0.6% of the local population (1 in 167 people). ➡️ No data confirms the BT12 claim.
- 📊 FactCheckNI has a new series exploring NI’s demographics-exploring age,religion and place of birth. These articles are designed to be a reference point for what’s changed and what’s stayed the same over time. ➡️First up: place of birth.Where were people who call NI home born?
- Does Belfast really house more “illegal migrants” than every other UK city except Glasgow? Turns out, no. This FactCheckNI article slices through the noise with clear, evidence-based insight. Read our full analysis 👉 factcheckni.org/articles/imm... #FactCheckNI #NorthernIreland #Belfast
- 🌍 Who comes to the UK, and what are they entitled to? Most UK migrants are here legally - and unauthorised migrants have very limited entitlements. In this article we unpack the facts behind the headlines. 👉 Read the full explainer here: factcheckni.org/articles/exp...
- We recently published an analysis of what is known about Violence Against Women and Girls in Northern Ireland, focusing on the criminal justice system and, in particular, the statistical records maintained by the PSNI.
- Crime in NI: Have reoffending rates risen to nearly 75%? UUP MLA Doug Beattie recently claimed: “[R]e-offending rates in Northern Ireland have gone from 70% in 2016 to around 74% in 2024”. Was he right? No.
- Is bad information impacting the communities or groups you work with? Thousands have benefitted from our training sessions in fact-checking and critical thinking skills. Find out how NI’s first and only fact checking organisation can support you. factcheckni.org/training/
- Who migrates to the UK and what are they entitled to? 🔺Immigration has been a recurring theme in UK, Irish and global politics over the last number of years. In some cases there have been protests, riots and attacks on people who are perceived not to be ‘local’.
- This July, FactCheckNI is 10! For a decade, we’ve been checking facts, tackling misinformation, and championing critical thinking in NI. Stick with us as we keep holding power to account and standing up for evidence and integrity.
- Housing in NI: Are rents rising faster in Belfast than in London? Yes - overall, when considering all the available data and the quality of that data, there is plenty of evidence to support the claim that rents in Belfast are increasing at a higher rate than those in London.
- What we don’t know about Violence Against Women and Girls in Northern Ireland. 🔺Violence Against Women and Girls (VAWG) is a big problem under a bright spotlight. But what do we really know about it? #VAWG #NorthernIreland
- The House of Commons voted on amendments to abortion law last week. 🔺None of the proposals directly affect Northern Ireland. 🔺Based on the amendment that did ultimately pass, coming changes will mean that the law in England and Wales is much closer to how things work here.
- Immigration in NI: Did a local bus company recently drop off a “bus load” of migrants in Lisburn? No. This is a good example of how photos shared on social media can be misinterpreted or misleading.
