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.

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

References Edit