WQ86500 (e) Tabled on 28/10/2022

What is the Welsh Government's population projections for Wales over the next decade?

Answered by Minister for Finance and Local Government | Answered on 04/11/2022

The latest national population projections for Wales (interim 2020-based projections), published by the Office for National Statistics (ONS), estimate that the population of Wales is projected to continue to increase by 2.6%, from 3.17 million in mid-2020 to 3.25 million in mid-2030.

Since the publication of these projections the ONS has published population estimates from Census 2021. These showed that the population of Wales was estimated to be lower at Census Day (21 March 2021) than previous estimates had suggested.

The ONS plans to publish updated population projections for Wales, based on the latest census data, towards the end of 2023 (provisionally). The Welsh Government will then aim to publish updated population projections for local authorities and national parks within Wales as soon as possible afterwards.