Car Insurance Price Index: Northern Ireland

The average cost of car insurance in Northern Ireland was £626.66 in 2025.

This shows a 7% drop compared to 2024 (£671). That’s £204 less than the cost of insuring a car in London, but still higher than in many other UK regions.

At CompareNI, we’ve analysed the latest data so drivers can see how premiums in Northern Ireland stand in 2025.

Find out what people are paying in your council area, age group, and how the numbers stack up against the rest of the UK.

Average NI car insurance costs in 2025

The average cost of NI car insurance has fallen throughout 2025. So much so that drivers with renewal dates in August could have paid an average of £110 less than those who renewed in March. 

Whether prices will continue to decrease will depend on factors such as inflation, the cost of repairs and labour, the volume of claims received by insurers, and the availability of common repair parts.

Month	Average annual premium
January ‘24	£662.88
February ‘24	£687.58
March ‘24	£680.40
April ‘24	£681.58
May ‘24	£665.69
June ‘24	£667.27
July ‘24	£647.75
August ‘24	£641.64
September ‘24	£673.28
October ‘24	£685.55
November ‘24	£703.96
December ‘24	£659.93
January ‘25	£668.05
February ‘25	£625.92
March ‘25	£656.97
April ‘25	£623.41
May ‘25	£586.96
June ‘25	£575.72
July ‘25	£571.60
August ‘25	£546.56
September ‘25	£554.73

Which NI council area has the highest car insurance costs?

Naturally, Belfast and Derry/Londonderry have some of the highest car insurance premiums in Northern Ireland. The Belfast average is currently £876, while Derry City and Strabane stands at £672. 

This is a common trend with larger cities, as they typically have higher crime rates and road risks like congestion and a higher number of road users. These can all affect a driver’s likelihood of needing to make a claim, so they are reflected in premium costs. 

The cheapest car insurance costs in NI are currently found in Ards and North Down (£538), and Causeway Coast and Glens (£554), with residents saving around £338 a year when compared to drivers in Belfast.

NI council area	Average premium
Antrim and Newtownabbey	£621.82
Ards and North Down	£538.06
Armagh, Banbridge and Craigavon	£605.19
Belfast City Council	£876.45
Causeway Coast and Glens	£554.66
Derry City and Strabane	£671.57
Fermanagh and Omagh	£581.60
Lisburn and Castlereagh	£621.03
Mid Ulster	£650.57
Mid and East Antrim	£565.22
Newry, Mourne and Down	£624.15

The average cost of NI car insurance compared to UK regions

While NI used to be one of the cheapest regions in the UK to insure a car, it has jumped up the regional price rankings throughout 2025. While it ranked 10 out of 12 in 2024, NI has now jumped up to position 3. 

Overall, this is more in line with historical costs, where NI car insurance prices were some of the highest in the UK. But these new price trends are something to keep an eye on going into 2026.

Rank	UK region	Average cost
1	London	£830.73
2	West Midlands	£704.02
3	Northern Ireland	£626.66
4	North West England	£615.82
5	Yorkshire	£621.56
6	East Midlands	£579.69
7	South East England	£545.05
8	East of England	£553.86
9	North East England	£521.64
10	Scotland	£518.34
11	Wales	£502.96
12	South West England	£479.20

NI car insurance costs for different age groups

At an average of £1,470.51, young drivers in Northern Ireland face some of the highest insurance costs in the UK, second only to London. 

Premiums fall sharply as drivers move into the 25-34 age group, with an average drop of 45%. This decline is steeper than in most other regions, suggesting insurers see young NI drivers as particularly high risk.

For drivers aged 35-64, premiums are closer to the UK average and in some cases even lower than in England and Wales. But this trend reverses for older drivers. 

At 65 and above, motorists in NI pay more than their peers in most other regions, indicating that both the youngest and oldest drivers in NI face higher costs compared with the rest of the UK. 

Region	17-24	25-34	35-44	45-64	65+
London	£1,478.58	£1,092.90	£859.34	£659.81	£551.72
Northern Ireland	£1,470.51	£801.64	£584.33	£456.36	£466.14
Yorkshire	£1,201.72	£916.66	£707.87	£470.89	£403.18
West Midlands	£1,192.64	£1,001.36	£759.04	£514.47	£442.63
North West England	£1,113.99	£917.69	£705.88	£484.61	£421.09
East Midlands	£1,025.88	£842.30	£636.18	£454.26	£386.94
East of England	£971.90	£811.96	£616.27	£440.28	£382.95
North East England	£966.07	£786.73	£621.53	£403.14	£358.09
Scotland	£962.97	£777.57	£597.42	£407.71	£362.08
South East England	£928.85	£782.70	£602.05	£447.40	£399.31
Wales	£894.64	£729.53	£542.42	£360.31	£325.05
South West England	£823.43	£688.97	£518.34	£352.24	£334.91

Young people (Aged 17–21): average premiums by NI District Council

Across every council area, premiums rise from age 17 to 18, often by £200–£400, before falling consistently at ages 19, 20 and 21.

Belfast City Council is consistently the most expensive area, with premiums significantly higher than all other councils:

• At age 18, Belfast exceeds £3,060, around £600–£1,100 more than many rural councils.
• Even by age 21, average Belfast premiums remain high at £1,777.75, well above the NI average.

Areas such as Causeway Coast & Glens, Mid Ulster, and Fermanagh & Omagh show particularly sharp reductions by age 20 and 21, dropping below £1,000 at 21.

At age 17 and 18, the difference between the cheapest and most expensive councils can exceed £1,200. By age 21, that difference shrinks considerably. This implies that where a young driver lives is especially influential at the earliest stages of driving, but its impact lessens as experience increases.

NI council area	17	18	19	20	21
Ards & North Down	£1,771.97	£2,011.76	£1,387.11	£1,099.72	£1,002.50
Armagh City, Banbridge & Craigavon	£1,987.92	£2,227.31	£1,547.15	£1,244.65	£1,057.46
Causeway Coast & Glens	£1,785.81	£2,115.48	£1,312.81	£943.12	£977.29
Mid & East Antrim	£1,884.98	£1,982.77	£1,320.47	£1,215.52	£1,001.61
Belfast City Council	£2,664.70	£3,060.63	£2,326.41	£2,290.71	£1,777.75
Mid Ulster	£2,262.38	£2,424.07	£1,585.27	£1,129.93	£913.58
Newry, Mourne & Down	£2,092.11	£2,224.43	£1,515.14	£1,369.09	£1,081.87
Lisburn & Castlereagh	£2,292.37	£2,273.75	£1,841.73	£1,502.23	£1,239.97
Derry & Strabane	£2,162.94	£2,376.37	£1,842.21	£1,450.71	£1,229.35
Fermanagh & Omagh	£2,281.11	£1,996.56	£1,500.21	£1,099.87	£981.62
Antrim & Newtownabbey	£2,220.29	£2,276.12	£1,690.26	£1,097.48	£1,155.03

Data source – These statistics come from an unbiased random sample of over 100,000 quotes from real NI and UK customers using our comparison system.

This article is intended as generic information only and is not intended to apply to anybody’s specific circumstances, demands or needs. The views expressed are not intended to provide any financial service or to give any recommendation or advice. Products and services are only mentioned for illustrative rather than promotional purposes.