Gawd just seen his interview on BBC Sport, poor lad must be in an awful place mentally. Sad to see him so broken. I know folks don’t like him but just hope he’s getting some support from professionals.

Northern Ireland vs China (2026) — Salaries, Healthcare, Cost of Living and Purchasing Power

I’ve been comparing the cost of living in Belfast, Northern Ireland, with Changsha, China. Some of the differences are pretty surprising.

All figures converted using £1 ≈ ¥8.93.

---

💰 Salary and Monthly Savings

Comparing two working professionals living alone, ordering a takeaway every weekend, eating at a restaurant once a month, and allowing for shopping and leisure.

Northern Ireland (Belfast)
Gross salary: £37,100/year (2025 median full-time salary)
Take-home pay: £2,519/month
Total monthly expenses: £1,827

Monthly savings: £692
Annual savings: £8,304
Savings rate: 27.5%

China (Changsha)
Gross salary: ¥17,000/month (£1,903), based on an actual logistics/supply-chain job offer
Take-home pay: £1,496/month
Total monthly expenses: £691

Monthly savings: £805
Annual savings: £9,660
Savings rate: 53.8%

Sources: NI official earnings · UK tax · China tax

---

💸 Purchasing Power — The Interesting Part

Despite earning over £1,000 less per month after deductions, the worker in Changsha potentially saves £113 more each month.

But the biggest difference is what those savings can actually buy locally.

🇬🇧 Belfast
Savings: £692/month
Savings rate: 27.5%
One month’s savings covers 0.77 months of rent
One month’s savings covers 0.38 months of total living expenses

One year’s savings covers 4.5 months of living expenses

🇨🇳 Changsha
Savings: £805/month
Savings rate: 53.8%
One month’s savings covers 2.99 months of rent
One month’s savings covers 1.16 months of total living expenses

One year’s savings covers 14 months of living expenses

In other words, the worker in Changsha could potentially build up a year’s worth of living expenses substantially faster.

---

🏠 Rent

One-bedroom city-centre apartments:
🇬🇧 Belfast: £899/month
🇨🇳 Changsha: £196/month

For the budgets above, I’ve allowed £900 in Belfast and £269 in Changsha to avoid assuming the cheapest accommodation.

Sources: Belfast rent · Changsha rent

---

🍜 Takeaways and Restaurants

Estimated prices:
Cheap restaurant meal: 🇬🇧 £15 vs 🇨🇳 £2
Restaurant meal for two: 🇬🇧 £70 vs 🇨🇳 £17
Weekly takeaway order: 🇬🇧 £20 vs 🇨🇳 £3.92

Monthly food budget:

🇬🇧 Belfast
Groceries: £240
1 takeaway/week: £87
1 restaurant visit/month: £20
Total: £347/month

🇨🇳 Changsha
Groceries: £146
1 takeaway/week: £17
1 restaurant visit/month: £6
Total: £169/month

---

🛒 Everyday Living Costs

Public transport monthly pass: 🇬🇧 £64 vs 🇨🇳 £11
Broadband per month: 🇬🇧 £33 vs 🇨🇳 £10
Utilities (85m² flat): 🇬🇧 £176 vs 🇨🇳 £42

---

🏥 Healthcare

🇬🇧 Northern Ireland
NHS GP and hospital care: Generally free
Waiting for first consultant-led outpatient appointment: 504,537 people
Median wait: 59.1 weeks, 53.7% waited over a year

🇨🇳 China
Public hospital outpatient registration: £1.12–£2.80
Average hospital outpatient visit: £40 (before insurance)
No directly comparable nationwide waiting-time statistics

NHS is free at the point of use, while in China you pay for quicker hospital access.

---

💷 Income Taxes

🇬🇧 Northern Ireland
Tax-free allowance: £12,570/year
Income tax: 20%, 40%, 45%
Employee NI: 8%, then 2%

£30,000 gross = ~£2,093 take-home/month

🇨🇳 China
Standard deduction: ¥60,000/year
Progressive tax: 3%–45%
Social insurance and housing-fund deductions apply

¥17,000/month ≈ £1,496 take-home

---

🏡 Buying Property

🇬🇧 Belfast:** £185,000 average house pric**e
🇨🇳 Changsha: £84,450 for 80m² resale apartment

---

👴 Retirement

🇬🇧 UK State Pension age:** 68
Full new State Pension: **£1,046/month

🇨🇳 China:
Men’s retirement age rising to 63
Women’s to 55–58
Pension varies by contributions and location

---

My Takeaway

The most surprising part is not just how much cheaper China is, but how that changes the value of your savings.

Northern Ireland: £692/month saved — 27.5% savings rate
China: £805/month saved — 53.8% savings rate

Lower costs in Changsha mean those savings cover far more months of living expenses.

If you’ve lived in both Northern Ireland and China, where did your money go further?

Ive been considering the move and after this research I am very inclined to give it a try! Especially the instant access to doctors, having more savings each month even when considering also you have better spending power there as a take away can cost literal pounds compared to here being £25.

Would anyone else consider the move to China or where would you consider moving too given the opportunity?

I need some advice, so I would see what the good Northern Irish people of Reddit would say, but please provide sensible answers.

I travel on the train to work every day and I've noticed this boy at the station - he's really cute and handsome. I'm too nervous to approach him, but I really want to chat to him and get to know him. I noticed him looking in my direction once, and he's let me on the train before him twice; the second time he gave me a shy smile when I said thank you to him.

What should I do?

Does anyone know of any places to train how to weld with the view to getting an apprenticeship/traineeship? Was too late to apply to Met/NRC but am very keen on learning so I can leave my current industry. Maybe there is no other options but if there are any good ones anyone knows of I’d really be willing to travel anywhere in the country. Thanks for any help.

Poor fella seems in a bad way, emotional interview said its his last time playing competitive snooker and wanted to bow out where it all started for him in Belfast and the Waterfront.

He has had personal issues last few months, really never seen him that down beat before. More important than ever that men talk to someone. Sport needs to highlight that more imo.

https://www.irishnews.com/news/northern-ireland/british-soldiers-helped-set-up-bogus-military-checkpoint-to-murder-two-catholic-friends-court-told-SP76JFQRCZDDVM3QEFBDPETJFE/

British soldiers helped set up bogus military checkpoint to murder two Catholic friends, court told

Hearing told a ‘significant proportion’ of UDR soldiers were also members of the UDA, UVF, and other Protestant extremist groups

Serving British soldiers helped set up a bogus military checkpoint to murder two Catholic friends returning home from a Gaelic football match, the High Court heard today.

Two Ulster Defence Regiment men and a Royal Ulster Constabulary officer were allegedly involved in the killing of Sean Farmer and Colm McCartney in Co Armagh in August 1975.

A senior investigator also claimed the “vast, vast majority” of a tight-knit loyalist terror unit responsible for the sectarian attack were members of the security forces.

Details emerged in a lawsuit being taken against the Ministry of Defence (MoD) over suspected collusion with the killers.

Mr Farmer, 32, and Mr McCartney, 22, were shot dead at the dummy cordon in Altnamackin, near Newtownhamilton, as they travelled back from attending an All-Ireland semi-final between Derry and Dublin at Croke Park.

They were targeted by the so-called Glenanne Gang, a notorious UVF faction linked to 120 deaths at the height of the Troubles.

The family of Mr Farmer, from Moy in Co Tyrone, has already obtained undisclosed damages and an apology from the Chief Constable to settle a separate claim against the PSNI.

One of his four sons is also suing the MoD for alleged malfeasance in public office and negligence. Liability is denied in the action.

Opening the family’s case, Desmond Fahy KC claimed the killings took place at a UDR checkpoint.

Men wearing the regiment’s uniforms and carrying automatic weapons were present at the scene, it was alleged.

Mr Farmer was shot six times in the back and again in the side of the head as he lay face down on the ground.

Counsel cited Historical Enquiries Team (HET) findings that the roadside ploy was set up to target Catholics coming home from the match.

“This was not simply a case of two men being murdered by unidentified gunmen,” Mr Fahy said.

“It was an attack perpetrated through the use of an apparent military checkpoint, in circumstances where the evidence implicates serving members of the very security forces charged with protecting the public.”

He argued that the involvement of rogue police and soldiers in the Glenanne Gang’s activity is now an “irrefutable fact”.

Two central strands of evidence were advanced to support the Farmer family’s case: the weapons used in the shooting; and the individuals allegedly implicated.

UDR personnel Robert McConnell, Robert James Frazer and former member Robin Jackson were all named in court, along with RUC Constable Laurence McClure.

Based on a British Army report from two years before the killings, Mr Fahy claimed it was known that a “significant proportion” of UDR soldiers were also members of the UDA, UVF, and other Protestant extremist groups.

Those relationships allegedly enabled the transfer of weapons and ultimately facilitated murders.

“For a substantial period, the defendant’s predecessors were acutely aware of the connections and associations between their organisation and those responsible for murders and attacks on innocent Catholics,” the barrister submitted.

Mr Fahy added: “More than fifty years have passed since Sean Farmer left his home to attend a Gaelic football match and never returned.

“It is inconceivable that loyalist terrorists could have planned and carried out this attack, using UDR intelligence, equipment and guns, without the involvement of personnel in the service and employment of the (MoD).”

Mark Robinson KC, for the defendant, repeatedly disputed the allegations that serving members of the regiment were involved.

He insisted that the plaintiff’s case was based on hearsay and not evidence.

Later in the hearing, however, former HET investigator Steven Morris told the court that anyone carrying out bogus checkpoints in UDR uniforms was “most likely members of the UDR”.

He described allegations that McConnell and McClure were also linked to the murders of brothers John Martin, Brian and Anthony Reavey in Whitecross, Co Armagh in January 1976 as suggesting they were part of a small, close-knit gang.

Asked by Mr Fahy who else may have featured in the unit, Mr Morris replied: “The vast, vast majority were members of the security forces.”

The case continues.

Whenever I was bored as a young whipper-snapper back in the 80s, I’d get the phone book out, ring Sinn Féin offices and shout obscenities down the phone.

What awful things did you get up to during the Troubles that you’d like to come clean about?

Taken from the Holylands Spotted IG page. Be careful out there.

Northern Ireland vs England vs Scotland: How do we actually compare?
I’ve been looking into how Northern Ireland compares with England and Scotland on healthcare, wages, economic performance and public spending.
There’s often discussion about Northern Ireland being underfunded, having lower living costs, or simply being worse off because of its size. Rather than relying on anecdotes, I wanted to compare some actual government statistics.
All figures below are from official sources, with the year included because the latest available data differs by category.

1. A&E waiting times (June 2026)
Percentage of patients admitted, transferred or discharged within four hours:
Country
Within 4 hours
Northern Ireland
42.8%
England
75.0%
Scotland
67.9%
In Northern Ireland, fewer than half of A&E attendances were completed within four hours. The figure was around three-quarters in England and over two-thirds in Scotland.
These are each country’s reported overall four-hour figures. Differences in A&E classifications and reporting mean they aren’t perfectly identical measures.
Sources: NI Department of Health | NHS England | Public Health Scotland

2. Cancer treatment waiting times (2026)
Percentage starting first cancer treatment within 62 days of an urgent suspected-cancer referral:
Country
Within 62 days
Northern Ireland
28.4%
England
69.9%
Scotland
73.6%
Northern Ireland’s figure is for April–June 2026, as is Scotland’s. England’s figure is for June 2026.
There are also differences in which referral routes are included, particularly in England and Scotland, so these aren’t completely like-for-like. Nevertheless, the gap in reported performance is substantial.
Northern Ireland also reported that just 6.2% of urgent suspected-breast-cancer referrals were seen by a specialist within 14 days during April–June 2026.
Sources: NI cancer waiting times | NHS England cancer statistics | Scotland cancer waiting times

3. Hospital outpatient waiting lists (June 2026)
Northern Ireland had:
504,537 patients awaiting their first consultant-led outpatient appointment.
A median waiting time of 59.1 weeks.
53.7% of those patients waiting over one year.
Scotland reported approximately 496,349 ongoing new outpatient waits, of which 14,238 (around 2.9%) had exceeded one year.
These are not fully harmonised statistics, so they shouldn’t be interpreted as an exact like-for-like comparison. England primarily reports consultant-led referral-to-treatment pathways rather than precisely the same first-outpatient measure, making a three-country comparison difficult.
But the proportion of extremely long outpatient waits reported in Northern Ireland is particularly concerning.
Sources: NI outpatient statistics | Public Health Scotland | NHS England RTT data

4. Economic inactivity (June–August 2026)
Economic inactivity measures the proportion of working-age people (16–64) who are not employed and are not actively seeking or available for work.
Country
Economic inactivity
Employment rate
Northern Ireland
25.9%
72.5%
England
20.4%
75.6%
Scotland
22.6%
74.0%
Northern Ireland had the highest economic inactivity rate of any UK country or region.
This isn’t the same as unemployment. It includes people who are long-term sick, disabled, studying, caring for relatives or otherwise outside the labour market.
Northern Ireland actually had a very low unemployment rate of 2.1%, but a relatively large proportion of working-age residents were economically inactive.
Source: ONS – Regional labour market, October 2026

5. Disposable income (2024)
Gross disposable household income per person, after taxes and transfers but before household consumption spending:
Country
Annual amount
Northern Ireland
£22,258
England
£26,490
Scotland
£24,283
Northern Ireland’s disposable income per person was:
Approximately 16% lower than England.
Approximately 8.3% lower than Scotland.
This measure includes income from employment, self-employment and benefits, after taxes and other relevant deductions. It’s not the same as an individual’s take-home salary or what remains after rent and bills.
Source: ONS – Regional gross disposable household income, 2024

6. Median full-time earnings (April 2025)
Gross weekly pay for full-time employees, based on where employees live:
Country
Median weekly earnings
Northern Ireland
£715.60
England
£769.50
Scotland
£775.60
Northern Ireland’s median full-time weekly pay was approximately:
7% lower than England.
7.7% lower than Scotland.
Northern Ireland did, however, record strong earnings growth in 2025, with the median rising by over 7% on the workplace-based measure.
Lower housing costs in NI can offset part of the pay difference, but the figures still indicate lower typical gross earnings.
Sources: ONS – Annual Survey of Hours and Earnings 2025, residence-based Table 8 | NISRA – Northern Ireland earnings

7. Economic productivity (2023)
Productivity is economic output generated per hour worked.
Using the UK average as an index of 100:
Northern Ireland: 87.6
Scotland: 98.9
England: Around the UK average or slightly above overall, with substantial variation between English regions.
Northern Ireland’s output per hour was therefore approximately 12.4% below the UK average.
This doesn’t mean people in Northern Ireland work less hard. Productivity reflects factors such as investment, technology, infrastructure and the industries operating in an area.
Source: ONS – Regional and subregional labour productivity 2023

8. Public expenditure per person (2024–25)
Identifiable public expenditure per head:
Country
Annual spending per person
Northern Ireland
£16,116
England
£13,134
Scotland
£15,563
Northern Ireland received approximately:
22.7% more public spending per person than England.
3.6% more than Scotland.
This is interesting because NI has lower earnings and disposable income despite receiving more identifiable public expenditure per person.
Of course, higher spending isn’t automatically negative. It can reflect greater need, higher costs or spending decisions.
The ONS has also identified Northern Ireland as having the UK’s largest estimated net fiscal deficit per head in its 2022–23 regional public-finance figures.
Sources: HM Treasury – Country and Regional Analysis 2025 | ONS – Regional public sector finances

9. Goods, deliveries and the Windsor Framework
One disadvantage that isn’t captured by the economic statistics is the additional complexity of moving some goods into Northern Ireland from Great Britain.
Under the Windsor Framework:
Business-to-business parcels moving from Great Britain to Northern Ireland are subject to additional customs information requirements.
Eligible businesses can use simplified processes.
Ordinary business-to-consumer parcels don’t require individual customs declarations or customs duty.
This doesn’t mean every delivery restriction is caused by Brexit. Product safety and dangerous-goods shipping rules also matter.
But it does mean NI businesses face some requirements that businesses moving goods solely between England and Scotland don’t.
Source: HMRC – Windsor Framework parcel arrangements

Summary
The data show several differences between Northern Ireland, England and Scotland:
Northern Ireland has substantially worse reported performance on some key NHS waiting-time measures.
A higher proportion of its working-age population is economically inactive.
Median full-time earnings and disposable income per person are lower.
Economic output per hour worked remains below the UK average and Scotland.
Identifiable public spending per person is higher, despite these economic challenges.
Businesses face some additional goods-movement requirements due to NI’s unique position under the Windsor Framework.
There are positives too. Northern Ireland has relatively affordable housing compared with many parts of Great Britain, relatively low unemployment, and some economic indicators have been improving.
It also matters that England’s national averages conceal huge differences between places like London and the North East.
My question is: given the higher public expenditure per person, why does Northern Ireland continue to perform so poorly on several of these indicators, particularly healthcare?
Is it mainly a question of how money is allocated, long-standing structural economic problems, workforce shortages, governance, or something else?
I’d be interested in hearing other people’s views, particularly from anyone who has lived or worked in both Northern Ireland and Great Britain.

No Notes. https://x.com/CircleLineBT/status/2112272671375593589

I got a quote to upgrade insulation in my loft (1930s terrace in Belfast), the company recommended increasing the amount of insulation and installing roof vents. However, they can’t install roof vents until I confirm if the roof tiles are asbestos or not. Any idea how I go about finding this out?

Anyone else abit sick of the fact that we are still facing issues from brexit like we can’t even order a portable power bank off Amazon to NI? Like what the hell how has this still not been resolved

Anyone else seen this issue where they can’t order things to here every sense Brexit?

Level up your skills and turn your passion for gaming into a career! Join a free online course and connect with game studios and professionals. Don’t miss this opportunity—spaces are limited! https://www.tiktok.com/@game.academy0/video/7616041507019050262

I let rooms out in my house on a short term basis to tourists visiting the country. I've been astounded by the amount of guests I have who check in and don't leave their room/house during their whole stay. Often only leave to nip to the shop and back.

Is this common, What is this mindset? Why would you pay all this money travelling then not actual travel?

Hello everyone:)

I hope its OK to share it here. If not please let me know and I will remove it 🙏

I’m a trainee psychologist working in the NHS Maternity and Neonatal Psychological Intervention Service. I’m currently looking for pregnant participants for non profit study on wellbeing and anxiety during pregnancy. This is an important area of maternal mental health where more research is needed. The findings may help us better understand the psychological factors linked with antenatal anxiety and how mental health support during pregnancy could be improved.

The study has received sponsorship and ethical approval from the University of Edinburgh.Ethics Committee Reference: 25-26CLPS111

If you have some time to spare or know someone who has, the study involves completing a short, anonymous online survey which takes around 20 minutes. If you would like to take part, please click the link below:

https://edinburgh.eu.qualtrics.com/jfe/form/SV_dmrLWMfpa4aV4Kq

If you have any questions, you are more than welcome to email me at [M.Domka@sms.ed.ac.uk](mailto:M.Domka@sms.ed.ac.uk)

Thank you so much for supporting pregnancy and maternal mental health research 🌷🙏

Hi all, 34M here and I have small amount of scoliosis but have always had bad posture.

Does anyone recommend anyone in NI that specialises in posture stretching or posture correction?

I went to a chiropractor a few years ago but it was just short "back cracking" and didn't make any difference

Thanks in advance

Anyone know of any places around Lisburn and West Belfast that have adult boxing classes? Trying to get back in to it and struggling to find somewhere to land

Cheers :)

Really hoping it hasn't closed down, literally the best sandwiches of all time but have noticed it being closed the last few times I went. I did notice the couple that run the spot weren't there for a while, hope they are both keeping well (not trying to pry just voicing concern!).

https://www.irishnews.com/news/business/northern-ireland-can-become-a-global-hub-for-trusted-ai-VKXBIADAHNHYNEKJ4EM2ZVCM4U/

Northern Ireland has spent decades building an economy around attracting investment, developing skills and punching above its weight in sectors such as aerospace, virtual production, cyber security and financial services.

The next challenge is ensuring it is not simply a consumer of AI, but a place at the forefront of developing AI.

Having grown up here, I’ve seen Northern Ireland’s size counted against it more often than I can remember.

But when it comes to AI, size may turn out to be its greatest strength.

The Stormont Executive’s draft AI Strategy sets out a strong vision for AI in public services and business.

It also points to a much bigger opportunity. Northern Ireland could become a global AI hub at the forefront of unlocking the technology’s value.

The ingredients are here. An educated, adaptable workforce. World-class universities investing heavily in AI, data science and high-performance computing.

Cyber security expertise relied upon by global firms. And a public sector with a proven track record of embracing new technology.

At Dell Technologies, our goal is to become the first truly agentic AI company. What we have learned on that journey is that technology is only part of the answer.

The value comes from good data, a clear focus on where AI can make a real difference, keeping people at the centre of decisions, and building trust in new technology.

Rather than trying to replicate larger technology leaders, Northern Ireland should build on what makes it distinctive. Its scale, connectedness and collaborative culture create an opportunity to become a trusted proving ground for AI.

This would mean moving beyond one-off pilots and creating the conditions to deploy AI at scale. In education, AI could give teachers back hours lost on administration.

In healthcare, it could help doctors make better informed decisions. And in film production, it can reinforce Northern Ireland’s global leadership position.

None of that will happen without trust. Dell surveyed almost 3,000 global technology leaders and six in 10 said they had slowed or paused AI adoption because of security and compliance concerns.

That’s why sovereign AI matters. It means organisations and governments keeping control of their important data: where it is stored, where it is processed and who can access it.

For public services handling health records or benefits, that is not a technical detail. It is the basis of public confidence. Many businesses feel the same way about their customer data and intellectual property.

The draft AI Strategy recognises this, proposing locally controlled computing capacity.

Delivering that through the development of more sustainable data centres in Northern Ireland and building out sovereign AI capabilities for the public sector.

Sovereign AI is also a business opportunity. TensorX, a start-up on this island providing AI inferencing services to firms in Europe is scaling at speed given the strong demand for its services and looking to become a billion-dollar company.

The window will not stay open for long. Companies and investors deciding where to build AI capability are making those choices now. That’s why we need to move swiftly to implement the new strategy.

Northern Ireland will not win on size. It can win the AI race on proof.

If it gets the balance right between innovation, skills, sovereign infrastructure and above all trust, it can become far more than an adopter of AI.

It can show the world how AI can unlock real value for people, businesses and organisations.

Mark Hopkins is managing director of Dell Technologies Ireland and Northern Ireland

Random question here, but any of you have any experience with sex therapy up here or down south / UK at all? My heads completely wrecked and realized I desperately need help.

Hi, I keep seeing lots of black and white chequered flags and just wondering what they are really. They look exactly like flags you would see in a race. They're in a Nationalist area if that makes any difference

Thanks!

Just wondering how much anyone is paying to fit a kitchen at the moment? Sourced an ikea kitchen for 8000 including appliances which I thought is very reasonable but theyre quoting 4500 to fit it and they cant fit it until february, and Im being quoted 5000-6000 from other tradesmen to fit it instead. Is this the going rate at the moment? The kitchen is probably on the mid-smaller size.

I don't really know why I'm making this post especially at this time but I've been feeling horrible. Sorry, I'll try not to self-pity too much.

I'm a 3rd generation immigrant, my grandparents moved here. I've only ever lived here. My friends are here. Family of course. Hell I only speak english (despite the fact my grandparents speak urdu, just never picked it up).

I've been seeing all these really targeting posts against immigrants and so on, on r/askbrits and just in general. I have family from london so I often scour there. I just see so much hatred. People saying kick them all out. All of them are animals. Low iq barbarians. Those are just a few. I want to work in STEM hopefully and I love reading, I'm by no means a genius but I don't consider myself low iq, a barbarian, an animal or anything like that. Unrelated to these things I've already been struggling with my mental health for a few years, and now I feel as if on top of being a disappointment I'm hated by the only place I've known to be home too. It really hurts. I was spat on during the riots a bit ago now in belfast, when i was just walking through and it's stuck with me.

I try not to internalize this but it's so hard. It's so hard because im experiencing people in real life who clearly resent my origin and race and so on too without even getting to know me. I just want to be a good person and help my friends and community as does everyone in my family i think.

But yeah, I don't know where I was going with this so im sorry if it's quite disjointed. Just a rant.