Peter Donaghy
@peterdonaghy.bsky.social
Belfast based spreadsheet guy
I made another data dashboard for my site - this one shows UK government spending per head for the regions and countries of the UK by category. salmonofdata.com/dashboards/u...
November 28, 2025 at 7:58 PM
I made another data dashboard for my site - this one shows UK government spending per head for the regions and countries of the UK by category. salmonofdata.com/dashboards/u...
You can see some of the consumer staples that have increased the most in price. A kilo of mince, for example, is up 36% since last year, and has more than doubled since 2020.
November 24, 2025 at 8:21 PM
You can see some of the consumer staples that have increased the most in price. A kilo of mince, for example, is up 36% since last year, and has more than doubled since 2020.
The latest UK regional spending data was published this week. Northern Ireland spent £16.1k per head in 2024-25, £3k more than England (£13.1k). Incapacity, disability and injury benefits were the single biggest difference (£941), followed by agriculture (£417).
November 23, 2025 at 2:19 PM
The latest UK regional spending data was published this week. Northern Ireland spent £16.1k per head in 2024-25, £3k more than England (£13.1k). Incapacity, disability and injury benefits were the single biggest difference (£941), followed by agriculture (£417).
San Marino scoring after 2 minutes in a game they're trying to lose on purpose
November 18, 2025 at 8:08 PM
San Marino scoring after 2 minutes in a game they're trying to lose on purpose
Possibly concerning news for Sinn Féin? For nearly 3 decades, the SF share of the vote at Irish general elections has been correlated with the length of the title of Rob Zombie's most recent album. If the pattern continues, it could be ominous for SF at the next general election.
October 13, 2025 at 10:30 PM
Possibly concerning news for Sinn Féin? For nearly 3 decades, the SF share of the vote at Irish general elections has been correlated with the length of the title of Rob Zombie's most recent album. If the pattern continues, it could be ominous for SF at the next general election.
It's striking how there was very little change in the demographic makeup of Northern Ireland for the first 50 years after partition, followed by rapid change in the 50 years from 1971.
factcheckni.org/articles/dem...
factcheckni.org/articles/dem...
September 29, 2025 at 9:29 PM
It's striking how there was very little change in the demographic makeup of Northern Ireland for the first 50 years after partition, followed by rapid change in the 50 years from 1971.
factcheckni.org/articles/dem...
factcheckni.org/articles/dem...
Incredible stuff
September 23, 2025 at 8:58 PM
Incredible stuff
The shortest distance across the border from England to Scotland is over 130 miles
September 23, 2025 at 8:34 PM
The shortest distance across the border from England to Scotland is over 130 miles
I wonder why spending on schools in Northern Ireland has fallen so far behind GB since 2020.
September 21, 2025 at 9:09 PM
I wonder why spending on schools in Northern Ireland has fallen so far behind GB since 2020.
An obviously unsustainable situation. When the Millennials approach retirement age, there will be fewer than 2 working age people for every person over 65 across Europe, with the ratio in Italy close to 1:1. Without enough taxpayers to pay for pensions the system will collapse.
September 13, 2025 at 3:48 PM
An obviously unsustainable situation. When the Millennials approach retirement age, there will be fewer than 2 working age people for every person over 65 across Europe, with the ratio in Italy close to 1:1. Without enough taxpayers to pay for pensions the system will collapse.
Figures for the Belfast, Northern and South Eastern Trusts show that median times have increased since 2023, with one in twenty waiting around six years or longer on waiting lists (306 weeks).
September 11, 2025 at 8:39 PM
Figures for the Belfast, Northern and South Eastern Trusts show that median times have increased since 2023, with one in twenty waiting around six years or longer on waiting lists (306 weeks).
Incredibly, it has now been nearly two years since the last Northern Ireland-wide hospital waiting statistics were published because of the ludicrous time it has taken to roll out the new "encompass" patient record system.
September 11, 2025 at 8:38 PM
Incredibly, it has now been nearly two years since the last Northern Ireland-wide hospital waiting statistics were published because of the ludicrous time it has taken to roll out the new "encompass" patient record system.
The latest imagery is partially obscured by cloud but it's obviously not great.
September 9, 2025 at 10:34 PM
The latest imagery is partially obscured by cloud but it's obviously not great.
Comparing the Copernicus imagery of Lough Neagh between 2023 and 2025 shows how the blue-green algae situation has been even worse this year.
September 9, 2025 at 10:33 PM
Comparing the Copernicus imagery of Lough Neagh between 2023 and 2025 shows how the blue-green algae situation has been even worse this year.
Until this year, Northern Ireland had cheaper electricity than the UK average, but prices are now marginally higher. Prices in the Republic are around 18% higher but NI still one of the most expensive electricity markets worldwide (prices 17% higher than France and 108% higher than the US).
September 7, 2025 at 10:18 PM
Until this year, Northern Ireland had cheaper electricity than the UK average, but prices are now marginally higher. Prices in the Republic are around 18% higher but NI still one of the most expensive electricity markets worldwide (prices 17% higher than France and 108% higher than the US).
Something I hadn't realised - Ireland has the most expensive electricity in the world (apart from 65k population Bermuda), with prices 59% higher than France and 2.4 times higher than average prices in the United States.
September 7, 2025 at 7:40 PM
Something I hadn't realised - Ireland has the most expensive electricity in the world (apart from 65k population Bermuda), with prices 59% higher than France and 2.4 times higher than average prices in the United States.
The UK and Ireland are far from the most severe amongst developed economies - by 2050 there will be around 1.2 people aged 25-64 for every person over 65 in Italy and Spain.
August 25, 2025 at 11:30 PM
The UK and Ireland are far from the most severe amongst developed economies - by 2050 there will be around 1.2 people aged 25-64 for every person over 65 in Italy and Spain.
A massive shift underway in Ireland as well; when the early 80s baby boom approach retirement age there will be fewer than 1.8 people aged 25-64 for every person aged over 65, down from 5 in 2008.
August 25, 2025 at 10:55 PM
A massive shift underway in Ireland as well; when the early 80s baby boom approach retirement age there will be fewer than 1.8 people aged 25-64 for every person aged over 65, down from 5 in 2008.
In the UK in 1950 there were 5 people aged 25-64 for every person over 65. When the Millennials start to reach retirement age in the 2050s there'll be fewer than 2, falling to 1.4 by the end of the century. That seems... unworkable?
August 25, 2025 at 10:44 PM
In the UK in 1950 there were 5 people aged 25-64 for every person over 65. When the Millennials start to reach retirement age in the 2050s there'll be fewer than 2, falling to 1.4 by the end of the century. That seems... unworkable?
Surprising that the increase in the foreign born population in the UK in the 2020s wasn't that large by European standards over the period; much smaller than in Ireland or Austria. And the immigrant population % in the United States has barely increased since 2015.
July 29, 2025 at 8:44 PM
Surprising that the increase in the foreign born population in the UK in the 2020s wasn't that large by European standards over the period; much smaller than in Ireland or Austria. And the immigrant population % in the United States has barely increased since 2015.
Looking at the updated UN migration data for 2024:
- Share of the UK population born abroad up 1.5 percentage points from 2020-24; lower than most other European states
- Ireland’s foreign-born population share rose by 4.0 points in four years; one of the highest rises globally
- Share of the UK population born abroad up 1.5 percentage points from 2020-24; lower than most other European states
- Ireland’s foreign-born population share rose by 4.0 points in four years; one of the highest rises globally
July 27, 2025 at 11:42 AM
Looking at the updated UN migration data for 2024:
- Share of the UK population born abroad up 1.5 percentage points from 2020-24; lower than most other European states
- Ireland’s foreign-born population share rose by 4.0 points in four years; one of the highest rises globally
- Share of the UK population born abroad up 1.5 percentage points from 2020-24; lower than most other European states
- Ireland’s foreign-born population share rose by 4.0 points in four years; one of the highest rises globally
The sunsets in Adjara are straight out of Breath of the Wild
July 16, 2025 at 5:28 PM
The sunsets in Adjara are straight out of Breath of the Wild
At a very rainy Mikheil Meskhi Stadium in Tbilisi last weekend for the Georgia v Ireland rugby match.
July 16, 2025 at 5:23 PM
At a very rainy Mikheil Meskhi Stadium in Tbilisi last weekend for the Georgia v Ireland rugby match.
Sinn Féin at the 2029 Westminster election when Reform announce that they're running candidates
June 18, 2025 at 2:07 PM
Sinn Féin at the 2029 Westminster election when Reform announce that they're running candidates
The main driver behind changing attitudes on the constitutional question in Northern Ireland over the last decade has been the shift amongst Alliance Party supporters. 88% of those responding in 2012 thought that NI should stay in the UK; this has fallen to 52% in 2024.
June 8, 2025 at 5:17 PM
The main driver behind changing attitudes on the constitutional question in Northern Ireland over the last decade has been the shift amongst Alliance Party supporters. 88% of those responding in 2012 thought that NI should stay in the UK; this has fallen to 52% in 2024.