Towns and cities on the M4 corridor in south east Wales are growing rapidly as many other areas of the nation see a decline in population, the first figures released from the 2021 Census have revealed. Overall, the data show Wales is growing more slowly than had previously been thought.
Newport is the fastest growing city in Wales, with a 9.5% increase in population from 2011, according to the data from the Census, which is carried out every 10 years and is the most accurate way of tracking population changes across the UK. Cardiff, the Vale of Glamorgan and Bridgend also saw significant rises.
Yet many other areas of Wales saw declines in population led by parts of the south Wales Valleys, Swansea, and the Welsh-language heartlands of Ceredigion, Gwynedd, Anglesey and Conwy . Overall, Wales' population grew in the 10 years to 2021 but at a far slower rate than in England.
