List of Welsh principal areas

This is a list of the 22 principal areas of Wales[1][2] giving their most recent date of creation and the style by which they are known.

Population in Wales is concentrated in South Wales and the northeast; the remainder of the country is sparsely populated

The population and density are from the first results of the 2021 census from the Office for National Statistics.[3]

District Created Population Population

density/km2

Area km2 Type
Cardiff 1996 a 362,400 2,572 140 County (also a city)
Swansea 1996 a 238,500 632 378 County (also a city)
Rhondda Cynon Taf 1996 237,700 560 424 County borough
Carmarthenshire 1996 a 187,900 79 2,370[4] County
Caerphilly 1996 175,900 634 278 County borough
Newport 1996 a 159,600 838 190 County borough (also a city)
Flintshire 1996 ab 155,000 352 438 County
Bridgend 1996 145,500 580 246 County borough
Neath Port Talbot 1996 142,300 322 442 County borough
Wrexham 1996 135,100 268 498 County borough (also a city)
Vale of Glamorgan 1996 131,800 398 335 County borough
Powys 1974 133,200 26 5,180[5] County
Pembrokeshire 1996 a 123,400 76 1,590 County
Gwynedd * 1974 b 117,400 46 2,535[6] County
Conwy 1996 114,800 102 1,126 County borough
Denbighshire 1996 ab 95,800 114 844 County
Monmouthshire 1996 ab 93,000 110 850 County
Torfaen 1996 92,300 734 126 County borough
Ceredigion § 1996 71,500 40 1,795 County
Isle of Anglesey 1996 a 68,900 97 711 County
Blaenau Gwent 1996 66,900 615 109 County borough
Merthyr Tydfil 1996 a 58,800 528 111 County borough

* = Named as 'Caernarfonshire and Merionethshire' in legislation. Name changed by the council.

= Named as 'Neath and Port Talbot' in legislation. Name changed by the council.

= Named as 'Aberconwy and Colwyn' in legislation. Name changed by the council.

§ = Named as 'Cardiganshire' in legislation. Name changed by the council.

a = re-instated as a principal administrative authority after a gap

b = boundaries significantly altered in 1996 from its previous incarnation

See also Edit

References Edit

  1. ^ "Welsh Local Authority Links - WLGA". www.wlga.wales. Retrieved 2020-06-10.
  2. ^ "Local Government (Wales) Act 1994 - Schedule 1: The New Principal Areas". Legislation.gov.uk. The National Archives. 5 July 1994. Retrieved 2020-11-26.
  3. ^ "Population and household estimates, Wales: Census 2021 - Office for National Statistics". www.ons.gov.uk. Retrieved 2022-06-28.
  4. ^ "Carmarthenshire - Population Density (QS102EW)". UKCensusdata.com. Retrieved 2018-06-18.
  5. ^ "Powys - Population Density (QS102EW)". UKCensusdata.com. Retrieved 2018-06-18.
  6. ^ "Gwynedd - Population Density (QS102EW)". UKCensusdata.com. Retrieved 2018-06-18.