1997 Belfast City Council election

Elections to Belfast City Council were held on 21 May 1997 on the same day as the other Northern Irish local government elections. The election used nine district electoral areas to elect a total of 51 councillors, most representing the more heavily populated north and west.

Unionists lost overall control of Belfast City Council for the first time in its history, with Alliance holding the balance of power between unionists and nationalists. Alban Maginness from the SDLP became the first nationalist Lord Mayor.

Election results
Note: "Votes" are the first preference votes.

Districts summary
!rowspan=2 align="left"|Ward ! %
 * - class="unsortable" align="centre"

!Cllrs

! %

!Cllrs

! %

!Cllrs

! %

!Cllrs

! %

!Cllrs

! %

!Cllrs

! %

!Cllrs

! %

!Cllrs

!rowspan=2|Total Cllrs

!colspan=2 bgcolor="" | Sinn Féin !colspan=2 bgcolor="" | UUP !colspan=2 bgcolor=""| SDLP !colspan=2 bgcolor="" | DUP !colspan=2 bgcolor="" | Alliance !colspan=2 bgcolor="" | PUP !colspan=2 bgcolor="" | UDP !colspan=2 bgcolor="white"| Others
 * - class="unsortable" align="center"
 * align="left"|Balmoral
 * 0.0
 * 0
 * bgcolor="40BFF5"|31.5
 * bgcolor="40BFF5"|2
 * 26.1
 * 2
 * 13.9
 * 1
 * 17.0
 * 1
 * 3.5
 * 0
 * 4.6
 * 0
 * 3.4
 * 0
 * 6
 * align="left"|Castle
 * 11.4
 * 1
 * bgcolor="40BFF5"|27.0
 * bgcolor="40BFF5"|2
 * 20.9
 * 1
 * 24.6
 * 1
 * 11.9
 * 1
 * 0.0
 * 0
 * 1.8
 * 0
 * 2.4
 * 0
 * 6
 * align="left"|Court
 * 0.0
 * 0
 * 27.8
 * 2
 * 0.0
 * 0
 * 19.0
 * 1
 * 1.5
 * 0
 * bgcolor="#2B45A2"|32.8
 * bgcolor="#2B45A2"|1
 * 12.9
 * 1
 * 6.0
 * 0
 * 5
 * align="left"|Laganbank
 * 15.1
 * 1
 * 25.1
 * 2
 * bgcolor="#99FF66"|27.4
 * bgcolor="#99FF66"|2
 * 5.1
 * 0
 * 12.2
 * 1
 * 7.0
 * 0
 * 0.0
 * 0
 * 8.1
 * 0
 * 5
 * align="left"|Lower Falls
 * bgcolor="#008800"|79.7
 * bgcolor="#008800"|4
 * 0.0
 * 0
 * 16.2
 * 1
 * 0.0
 * 0
 * 0.4
 * 0
 * 0.0
 * 0
 * 0.0
 * 0
 * 3.7
 * 0
 * 5
 * align="left"|Oldpark
 * bgcolor="#008800"|44.8
 * bgcolor="#008800"|3
 * 16.3
 * 1
 * 16.3
 * 1
 * 4.7
 * 0
 * 1.2
 * 0
 * 11.2
 * 1
 * 3.0
 * 0
 * 2.5
 * 0
 * 6
 * align="left"|Pottinger
 * 8.6
 * 0
 * bgcolor="40BFF5"|29.3
 * bgcolor="40BFF5"|2
 * 2.7
 * 0
 * 26.5
 * 2
 * 7.7
 * 1
 * 20.9
 * 1
 * 1.5
 * 0
 * 2.8
 * 0
 * 6
 * align="left"|Upper Falls
 * bgcolor="#008800"|68.1
 * bgcolor="#008800"|4
 * 0.0
 * 0
 * 29.1
 * 1
 * 1.4
 * 0
 * 0.6
 * 0
 * 0.0
 * 0
 * 0.0
 * 0
 * 0.8
 * 0
 * 5
 * align="left"|Victoria
 * 0.0
 * 0
 * bgcolor="40BFF5"|31.7
 * bgcolor="40BFF5"|2
 * 0.0
 * 0
 * 31.0
 * 2
 * 31.2
 * 2
 * 0.0
 * 0
 * 0.0
 * 0
 * 5.9
 * 0
 * 7
 * - class="unsortable" class="sortbottom" style="background:#C9C9C9"
 * align="left"| Total
 * 27.6
 * 13
 * 20.1
 * 13
 * 15.6
 * 7
 * 12.1
 * 7
 * 9.2
 * 6
 * 9.2
 * 3
 * 2.4
 * 1
 * 3.8
 * 0
 * 51
 * }
 * 6
 * 9.2
 * 3
 * 2.4
 * 1
 * 3.8
 * 0
 * 51
 * }
 * }

Balmoral
1993: 2 x UUP, 2 x DUP, 1 x SDLP, 1 x Alliance

1997: 2 x UUP, 2 x SDLP, 1 x Alliance, 1 x DUP

1993-1997 Change: SDLP gain from DUP

Castle
1993: 2 x UUP, 2 SDLP, 1 x DUP, 1 x Independent Unionist

1997: 2 x UUP, 1 x DUP, 1 x SDLP, 1 x Alliance, 1 x Sinn Féin

1993-1997 Change: Alliance and Sinn Féin gain from UUP and SDLP, Independent Unionist joins UUP

Court
1993: 2 x UUP, 1 x DUP, 1 x PUP, 1 x Independent Unionist

1997: 2 x UUP, 1 x PUP, 1 x DUP, 1 x UDP

1993-1997 Change: UDP gain from Independent Unionist

Laganbank
1993: 2 x UUP, 2 x SDLP, 1 x Alliance

1997: 2 x UUP, 1 x SDLP, 1 x Sinn Féin, 1 x Alliance

1993-1997 Change: Sinn Féin gain from SDLP

Lower Falls
1993: 4 x Sinn Féin, 1 x SDLP

1997: 4 x Sinn Féin, 1 x SDLP

1993-1997 Change: No change

Oldpark
1993: 3 x Sinn Féin, 2 x UUP, 1 x SDLP

1997: 3 x Sinn Féin, 1 x SDLP, 1 x UUP, 1 x PUP

1993-1997 Change: PUP gain from UUP

Pottinger
1993: 3 x DUP, 2 x UUP, 1 x Alliance

1997: 2 x DUP, 2 x UUP, 1 x PUP, 1 x Alliance

1993-1997 Change: PUP gain from DUP

Upper Falls
1993: 3 x Sinn Féin, 2 x SDLP

1997: 4 x Sinn Féin, 1 x SDLP

1993-1997 Change: Sinn Féin gain from SDLP

Victoria
1993: 3 x UUP, 2 x Alliance, 2 x DUP

1997: 2 x UUP, 2 x Alliance, 2 x DUP, 1 x Independent Unionist

1993-1997 Change: Independent Unionist gain from UUP