Wales: population and official figures
Wales is a nation of the United Kingdom, number 10 of 12 by population. Wales had an estimated 3,186,581 residents at mid-2024, 4.6% of the UK population of 69.28 million, and 3.7% more than the 3,073,788 counted ten years earlier.
3,186,581
£31,484
£601.8
58.5
64.6%
26.1%
£15,155
96
In depth
- Economy, jobs and prices in Wales: Gross domestic product in Wales was £31,484 per head in 2024, 76% of the UK figure of £41,627 and 2nd lowest of 12 UK nations and English regions; ten years earlier, in 2014, it was £21,559.
- Health in Wales: A girl born in Wales in 2022 to 2024 could expect 58.5 years in good health (UK 60.9), down from 61.9 years in 2017 to 2019; that is 2nd lowest of 12 among UK nations and regions.
- Education in Wales: 64.6% of working-age adults in Wales held qualifications at Level 3 (A level or Higher equivalent) or above in 2023, against 67.7% for the UK (5th lowest of 12), up from 64.1% in 2022.
- Poverty and living standards in Wales: 26.1% of children under 16 in Wales lived in relative low-income families after housing costs in 2024-25, compared with 26.0% across the UK and 26.2% a year earlier; only 5 of the 12 UK nations and regions had a lower rate.
- Government budget and revenue in Wales: HM Treasury counted £48,293 million of identifiable public spending in Wales in 2024-25, 5.2% of the UK total, up from £44,992 million in 2020-21.
- Government and politics in Wales: The Welsh Government accounted for £16,372 million of spending in Wales in 2024-25 according to HM Treasury's Country and Regional Analysis, the main measure of how much the devolved government itself spends.
How old is the population of Wales?
The median age in Wales was 42 in 2024 (UK 40), and 21.7% of residents were aged 65 or over, against 19.0% across the UK.
Source: Office for National Statistics · saved copyOther nations of the United Kingdom
- South East 9,642,942
- London 9,089,736
- North West 7,737,414
- East of England 6,576,306
- West Midlands 6,187,204
- South West 5,889,695
- Yorkshire and the Humber 5,672,962
- Scotland 5,546,900
- East Midlands 5,063,164
- North East 2,760,678
- Northern Ireland 1,927,855
Up a level: the United Kingdom · government and power in the United Kingdom
Sources
- Senedd Research, Welsh Parliament: Senedd election 2026: Research Briefing, read 23 October 2026 · saved copy (SHA-256 93062e83c48f…)
- Office for National Statistics: Explore Local Statistics: all datasets (spreadsheet generated 22 October 2026), read 23 October 2026 · saved copy (SHA-256 ae2f3a7b3960…)
- HM Treasury: Country and Regional Analysis 2025: A tables, read 23 October 2026 · saved copy (SHA-256 9a6a7af9e2bd…)
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