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Changes in the population of Wales


The latest mid-year population figures for Wales have been released today. The headline figures are as follows:

  • As at 30th June 2007 there were 2,980,000 people resident in Wales. This is an increase of 14,100 on mid-2006 (0.5 per cent increase), slightly higher than the previous annual increase (12,300, or 0.4 per cent, between mid-2005 and mid-2006)
  • Migration and other changes provided a net addition to the population of 11,800 in the period mid-2006 to mid-2007. This compares to 10,500 for the previous twelve months.
  • The local authority with the largest population increase between mid-2006 and mid-2007 was Cardiff (1.1 per cent increase)
  • The only local authorities which showed a decrease in total population between mid-2006 and mid-2007 were Rhondda Cynon Taf (0.1 per cent decrease) and Blaenau Gwent (0.2 per cent decrease).
  • The number of children aged under 5 in Wales increased by 2.2 per cent between mid-2006 and mid-2007. All local authorities showed an increase in the number of children aged under 5 between mid-2006 and mid-2007. These increases ranged from a 0.4 per cent increase in Powys to a 4.7 per cent increase in Cardiff.
  • All local authorities showed an increase in the number of people of retirement age between mid-2006 and mid-2007. These increases ranged from a 0.9 per cent increase in Cardiff to a 3.2 per cent increase in Powys.

Since 2001, the main changes in the structure and distribution of the population are:

  • a fall in the number of Children aged 0-15 (as a proportion of the total population a decrease from over 20 per cent to 19 per cent)
  • an increase in those of Working age (to just over 60 per cent)
  • a rise in those of Retirement age (proportion increased from 20.1 per cent to 21.0 per cent)
  • the local authority areas (as currently constituted) showing a population decline are Merthyr Tydfil (down 1.0 per cent) and Blaenau Gwent (down 1.2 per cent)
  • those local authority areas with the greatest population growth are Powys (up 4.4 per cent) and Pembrokeshire (up 4.3 per cent)

Comments

Anonymous said…
The increases in Pop. for powys and pembs indicate movement from the southern english counties rather than higher birth rates.
Also second homers, where do they fit?
August 21, 2008 11:14 am
Anonymous said…
I noted the increase in the under 5 population in Cardiff. I would assume that is mostly due immigration (both from home and abroad). Then if there is a increase in the 0-15 population in Cardiff, then you cannot talk anymore about declining school rolls, and closing schools would be a bad idea in the longterm.

BTW I better add you to my blog!
August 21, 2008 2:46 pm
Professor Dylan Jones-Evans said…
MH - bloglink reciprocrated
August 21, 2008 8:23 pm
Anonymous said…
A number of commentators have been warning for some time now that a bulge in school roll numbers will be coming through the system which is interesting given the WAG plan to encourage LAs to close schools.
August 25, 2008 12:30 am
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