Car Insurance Price Index: Northern Ireland

The average cost of car insurance in Northern Ireland for 2026* stands at £668.80.

This average is higher than the overall UK average of £587.35, meaning drivers in Northern Ireland are paying approximately 13.9% more than the typical UK motorist.

At CompareNI, we’ve analysed the latest data so drivers can see how premiums in Northern Ireland stand in 2026.

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 2026

The average cost of NI car insurance had fallen throughout 2025 but has increased again in 2026. So much so that Northern Ireland is currently the 2nd most expensive region in the UK for car insurance.

Whether prices will continue to increase 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
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	£613.25
February ‘25	£586.99
March ‘25	£597.40
April ‘25	£623.41
May ‘25	£586.96
June ‘25	£575.72
July ‘25	£571.60
August ‘25	£546.56
September ‘25	£554.73
October ‘25	£588.79
November ‘25	£637.32
December ‘25	£660.76
January ‘26	£610.05
February ‘26	£628.97
March ‘26	£634.76
April ‘26	£660.28
May ‘26	£663.16
June ‘26	£669.87
July ‘26	£665.75
August ‘26	£661.05
September ‘26	£683.96

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 £892, while Derry City and Strabane stands at £722.

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 Causeway Coast and Glens (£583) and Ards and North Down (£594), with residents saving around £309 a year when compared to drivers in Belfast.

NI council area	Average premium
Antrim and Newtownabbey	£661.00
Ards and North Down	£593.66
Armagh, Banbridge and Craigavon	£654.79
Belfast City Council	£892.45
Causeway Coast and Glens	£583.05
Derry City and Strabane	£722.25
Fermanagh and Omagh	£626.10
Lisburn and Castlereagh	£665.73
Mid Ulster	£685.89
Mid and East Antrim	£598.54
Newry, Mourne and Down	£679.05

The average cost of NI car insurance compared to UK regions

While Northern Ireland was one of the cheapest regions in the UK to insure a car as recently as 2024 (ranking 10th out of 12 regions) it climbed the price rankings significantly throughout 2025. As of Q3 2026*, Northern Ireland has climbed further to become the 2nd most expensive region in the UK.

Overall, this shift is more in line with historical costs, where NI car insurance prices were frequently among the highest in the UK. These figures suggest that the upward trend seen over the last year is persisting as we move through 2026.

Rank	UK region	Average cost
1	London	£771.94
2	Northern Ireland	£668.80
3	West Midlands	£649.69
4	Yorkshire	£570.99
5	North West England	£562.77
6	East Midlands	£540.58
7	South East England	£528.38
8	East of England	£522.11
9	Scotland	£507.95
10	North East England	£486.36
11	Wales	£482.13
12	South West England	£470.56

NI car insurance costs for different age groups

At an average of £1,432, young drivers (17-24) in Northern Ireland now face the highest insurance costs in the UK, having overtaken London this quarter.

Premiums fall sharply as drivers move into the 25-34 age group, with an average drop of 43% to £811. This significant decline suggests that while insurers view the youngest NI drivers as particularly high risk, premiums stabilize quickly as they gain experience.

For drivers aged 35-44, premiums drop further to £600, which is actually lower than the average for the same age group in London, the West Midlands, and the North West. However, this trend shifts for the oldest demographics.

For motorists aged 65 and above, car insurance in Northern Ireland averages £526. While this represents the lowest lifetime premium for NI drivers, it is significantly higher than the UK-wide average of £415 for this age group. In fact, Northern Ireland is the second most expensive region in the UK for over-65s, surpassed only by London. This indicates that both the youngest and oldest drivers in the province continue to face a significant “location premium” compared with the rest of the UK.

Region	17-24	25-34	35-44	45-64	65+
London	£1,391.66	£1,006.94	£780.15	£628.05	£574.46
Northern Ireland	£1,432.22	£811.31	£600.01	£490.61	£525.98
Yorkshire	£1,114.99	£822.88	£650.39	£452.15	£397.75
West Midlands	£1,188.64	£911.96	£696.14	£497.59	£435.41
North West England	£1,042.64	£806.18	£648.57	£457.28	£413.31
East Midlands	£988.71	£783.86	£602.35	£437.52	£392.16
East of England	£934.53	£761.79	£576.71	£422.89	£392.66
North East England	£920.50	£727.06	£565.90	£372.74	£362.81
Scotland	£1,002.37	£751.26	£566.71	£403.58	£384.63
South East England	£917.61	£732.41	£581.84	£436.11	£413.24
Wales	£847.80	£671.19	£522.55	£353.89	£333.08
South West England	£848.50	£649.88	£503.38	£352.48	£352.61

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

Rather than spiking early on, premiums for young drivers in Northern Ireland now fall steadily with each year of age and experience. Across NI, the average premium for a 17-year-old driver (£2,223) falls by over 42% by the time they turn 21 (£1,282). Only two council areas — Lisburn & Castlereagh and Derry and Strabane — see a small rise between ages 17 and 18, before costs decline in line with the rest of the province.

Belfast City Council is consistently the most expensive area for young motorists, with premiums significantly higher than all other council areas at every age from 17 to 21:

• At age 17, Belfast premiums are highest at £2,851—around £932 more than the most affordable area, Ards and North Down (£1,918).
• By age 21, Belfast drivers still pay the most at £1,972, while Mid & East Antrim offers the cheapest premiums for that age at £1,046—a gap of £926.
• Despite falling costs across the board, the gap between Belfast and the cheapest areas remains wide throughout early adulthood, underlining a persistent “Belfast premium” for young drivers.

The data highlights how significant a factor location remains for new drivers, even as premiums fall with age. At age 17, the difference between the cheapest and most expensive council area is over £930, and a similar gap of £926 persists by age 21—showing the “Belfast premium” remains a consistent factor for young drivers throughout their early twenties.

NI council area	17	18	19	20	21
Ards & North Down	£1,918.32	£1,729.54	£1,611.68	£1,364.34	£1,216.97
Armagh City, Banbridge & Craigavon	£2,318.52	£2,033.98	£1,644.34	£1,340.38	£1,237.77
Causeway Coast & Glens	£2,023.53	£1,862.22	£1,621.84	£1,308.61	£1,187.04
Mid & East Antrim	£2,008.27	£1,702.06	£1,457.98	£1,153.64	£1,046.23
Belfast City Council	£2,850.51	£2,751.60	£2,573.61	£2,141.63	£1,972.00
Mid Ulster	£2,153.82	£2,038.81	£1,653.85	£1,377.86	£1,149.91
Newry, Mourne & Down	£2,449.17	£2,133.31	£1,720.32	£1,524.51	£1,222.52
Lisburn & Castlereagh	£1,933.17	£2,075.70	£1,822.65	£1,460.98	£1,436.91
Derry & Strabane	£2,253.65	£2,284.74	£1,777.62	£1,507.52	£1,362.89
Fermanagh & Omagh	£2,262.79	£1,917.18	£1,424.99	£1,275.29	£1,121.83
Antrim & Newtownabbey	£2,280.66	£1,977.67	£1,804.03	£1,306.58	£1,148.04

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.