Title

Population density per square kilometre of land area (1991 onwards), by Welsh local authorities

Last update

July 2024 July 2024

Next update

Summer 2025

Publishing organisation

Welsh Government

Source 1

Mid-year population estimates, Office for National Statistics

Source 2

Standard area measurements, Office for National Statistics

Contact email

stats.popcensus@gov.wales

Designation

National Statistics

Lowest level of geographical disaggregation

Local authorities

Geographical coverage

Wales

Languages covered

English and Welsh

Data licensing

You may use and re-use this data free of charge in any format or medium, under the terms of the Open Government License - see http://www.nationalarchives.gov.uk/doc/open-government-licence

General description

This dataset provides population density estimates in persons per square kilometre for the local authorities in Wales for the period from 1991 onwards. The figures are derived by dividing the mid-year population estimates by the latest land area estimates in square kilometres, measured at the mean high water mark, and excluding areas of inland water as recommended by the Office for National Statistics. The supporting population and area estimates are included in the dataset.

It should be noted that there are some definitional changes for mid-2020 (particularly affecting the migration components) compared with mid-2019 populations estimates data, and it is advised users read the Quality and Methodology Information section on the Office for National Statistics website.

For Wales, the mid-2021 population estimates are the first population estimates to be based on Census 2021.

Internal migration estimates for mid-2023 have been produced using a different method to previous years, following a change to the variables available in the Higher Education Statistics Agency (HESA) data.

This material is Crown Copyright and may be re-used (not including logos) free of charge in any format or medium, under the terms of the Open Government Licence.

Data collection and calculation

See weblinks

Frequency of publication

Annual

Data reference periods

Data are produced and reported annually and relate to the 30 June of each year for 1991 onwards, although the land area data is unchanged throughout the dataset and taken to be the latest available standard area measurements.

Users, uses and context

The data presented here are used to understand the different levels of population density in each of the local authorities in Wales, and how this is changing over time.

Rounding applied

Data are provided on an unrounded basis although the Office for National Statistics advises that the population estimates data found in this datasets and presented separately are rounded to the nearest 100 where practical.

Revisions information

The data presented here reflect changes made to population estimates from 2001 to 2010 in re-basing the data to be consistent with the results of Census 2011 (see weblinks).

Mid-2012 to mid-2016 subnational population estimates for Wales and England were revised on the 22 March 2018, following methodological improvements (see weblinks).

On 23 November 2023, the data set from 2012 to 2020 for Wales and England was rebased to be consistent with the results of Census 2021.

On 15 July 2024 estimates for mid-2022 were revised by the ONS to account for updated estimates of international migration for Wales and England.

Land area measurement is taken to be the latest available standard area measurements for all years in the dataset therefore population density for some local authorities may differ slightly when compared to previous versions of this table.

Statistical quality

See weblinks

Keywords

Population; density; land area

Weblinks

https://www.ons.gov.uk/peoplepopulationandcommunity/populationandmigration/populationestimates/methodologies/midyearpopulationestimatesqmi

https://www.ons.gov.uk/peoplepopulationandcommunity/populationandmigration/populationestimates/bulletins/annualmidyearpopulationestimates/latest

https://ons.maps.arcgis.com/home/search.html?t=content&q=tags%3A%22Standard%20Area%20Measurements%22

Name

POPU1009