Northern Ireland School Meals Census: Annual Uptake Statistics

Northern Ireland's annual statistical release on school meal uptake. The data is collected via a school meals census by the Department of Education (Northern Ireland) and is designated as Official Statistics. The dataset was last updated on 2026-07-08.

Use Cases

• Analyze trends in school meal uptake over time based on the annual census data.
• Assess the reach of child nutrition support programs across Northern Ireland based on school-level participation.
• Inform policy decisions on school food funding and eligibility based on uptake statistics.

Strengths

• Data is designated as Official Statistics, suggesting a formal collection and publication process.
• The dataset is updated annually, providing a time series for analysis.
• The source agency is explicitly stated as the Department of Education (Northern Ireland).

Limitations

• Column-level documentation is absent; field semantics must be inferred after download.
• Row count is unknown, which may limit suitability assessment.
• Freshness should be verified as the last update timestamp is in the future (2026-07-08).

Provenance

Source

Department of Education (Northern Ireland)

Collection Method

Annual school meals census.

Freshness

Annual; last updated 2026-07-08 13:32:50.353162.

Geography

Northern Ireland