| Election Name: | 1938 Northern Ireland general election |
| Country: | Northern Ireland |
| Type: | parliamentary |
| Ongoing: | no |
| Previous Election: | 1933 Northern Ireland general election |
| Previous Year: | 1933 |
| Previous Mps: | List of members of the 4th House of Commons of Northern Ireland |
| Elected Mps: | MPs elected |
| Next Election: | 1945 Northern Ireland general election |
| Next Year: | 1945 |
| Seats For Election: | All 52 seats to the House of Commons of Northern Ireland 27 seats were needed for a majority |
| Election Date: | 9 February 1938 |
| Leader1: | James Craig |
| Leader Since1: | 7 June 1921 |
| Party1: | Ulster Unionist Party |
| Leaders Seat1: | North Down |
| Last Election1: | 36 seats, 43.5% |
| Seats1: | 39[1] |
| Seat Change1: | 3 |
| Popular Vote1: | 187,684 |
| Percentage1: | 56.8% |
| Swing1: | 13.3% |
| Leader2: | Thomas Campbell |
| Leader Since2: | 18 January 1934 |
| Party2: | Nationalist Party (Northern Ireland) |
| Leaders Seat2: | Belfast Central |
| Last Election2: | 9 seats, 13.2% |
| Seats2: | 8[2] |
| Seat Change2: | 1 |
| Popular Vote2: | 16,167 |
| Percentage2: | 4.9% |
| Swing2: | 8.3% |
| Leader4: | William Wilton |
| Leader Since4: | 1937 |
| Party4: | Independent Unionist Association |
| Leaders Seat4: | Belfast Oldpark (Defeated) |
| Last Election4: | Did not stand |
| Seats4: | 1 |
| Seat Change4: | 1 |
| Popular Vote4: | 28,459 |
| Percentage4: | 8.6% |
| Swing4: | New party |
| Leader5: | Harry Midgley |
| Leader Since5: | 1933 |
| Party5: | Northern Ireland Labour Party |
| Leaders Seat5: | Belfast Dock (Defeated) |
| Last Election5: | 2 seats, 8.5% |
| Seats5: | 1[3] |
| Seat Change5: | 1 |
| Popular Vote5: | 18,775 |
| Percentage5: | 5.7% |
| Swing5: | 2.8% |
| Map Size: | 400px |
| Prime Minister | |
| Posttitle: | Prime Minister after election |
| Before Election: | James Craig |
| Before Party: | Ulster Unionist Party |
| After Election: | James Craig |
| After Party: | Ulster Unionist Party |
The 1938 Northern Ireland general election was held on 9 February 1938. Like all previous elections to the Parliament of Northern Ireland, it produced a large majority for the Ulster Unionist Party, who won three-quarters of the seats.
The newly formed Ulster Progressive Unionist Association came second in vote share, but won no seats. 21 MPs were elected unopposed (40%), the vast majority of whom were Ulster Unionists.
| 39 | 8 | 2 | 3 | |
| UUP | Nationalist | IU | Oth |
|}
Electorate: 825,101 (464,860 in contested seats); Turnout: 71.1% (330,355).
| Constituency | From | To | ||
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Belfast Dock | ||||
| Belfast Pottinger | ||||
| Belfast Shankill | ||||
| Mourne | ||||
| Queen's University of Belfast | ||||
| South Armagh | ||||
| South Down | ||||
Only 31 of the 52 seats (60%) were actually contested.
| 1938 Northern Ireland general election (contested seats) | |||||||||||||||
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Party | Popular vote | Candidates | |||||||||||||
| Votes | % | Stood | Elected | % | |||||||||||
| Ulster Unionist | 187,684 | 56.8 | 29 | 25 | 80.6 | ||||||||||
| Progressive Unionist | 41,028 | 12.4 | 10 | 0 | — | ||||||||||
| Ind. Unionist Party | 28,459 | 8.6 | 6 | 1 | 3.2 | ||||||||||
| Ind. Unionist | 22,354 | 6.8 | 5 | 2 | 6.5 | ||||||||||
| Labour | 18,775 | 5.7 | 6 | 0 | — | ||||||||||
| Nationalist | 16,167 | 4.9 | 3 | 2 | 6.5 | ||||||||||
| Independent | 7,482 | 2.2 | 3 | 0 | — | ||||||||||
| Ind. Labour | 5,480 | 1.7 | 1 | 1 | 3.2 | ||||||||||
| Ind. Progressive Unionist | 2,926 | 0.9 | 1 | 0 | — | ||||||||||
| Total | 330,355 | 71.1 | 64 | 31 | — | ||||||||||
In 21 of the 52 seats (40%), only one candidate stood and they were elected unopposed without any votes cast. The vast majority of the MPs elected without a contest were Ulster Unionists.
| 1938 Northern Ireland general election (uncontested seats) | |||||||||||||||
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Party | Popular vote | Candidates | |||||||||||||
| Votes | % | Stood | Elected | % | |||||||||||
| Ulster Unionist | Unopposed | 14 | 14 | 66.7 | |||||||||||
| Nationalist | Unopposed | 6 | 6 | 28.6 | |||||||||||
| Labour | Unopposed | 1 | 1 | 4.8 | |||||||||||
| Total | 21 | 21 | 100 | ||||||||||||