The Welsh Affairs Committee has today launched a new inquiry
looking at population change in Wales.
Wales has a larger proportion of older people than elsewhere in
the UK – it is higher than all English regions apart from the
South West. The number of 15 to 64-year-olds has also fallen by
2.5% between 2011 and 2021.
This is part of a larger picture that population growth in Wales
appears to be slowing. Between 2001 and 2011, the population in
Wales grew by 5.5%, but between 2011 and 2021, this reduced to
1.4%. Across Wales, some areas are seeing higher growth rates
than elsewhere, with Newport, Cardiff and Bridgend all seeing
significant rises in population. However, some local authorities
are reporting lower populations in 2021 compared to 2011 such as
Blaenau Gwent, and concerningly, many of these areas are
Welsh-speaking heartlands such as Ceredigion and Gwynedd.
Through this inquiry, the Committee seeks to understand the
reasons for population change and its impacts. It will examine
what mitigations could be put in place by the UK Government to
meet the potential challenges of population change.
Welsh Affairs Committee Chairman, , said:
“The population of Wales is changing. Growth is slowing
overall, while some areas such as Ceredigion are seeing an
outright decline in residents. The population is getting older
across the whole of Wales, and Cardiff, Newport and Bridgend are
the only places that have experienced an increase in the number
of working age people. Our Committee wants to shine a spotlight
on these trends and ask what they mean for Wales.
“We are especially keen to understand why younger people
appear to be leaving Wales – particularly in areas that are Welsh
speaking. We will specifically be
looking at the impact these trends have on the Welsh economy and
labour market, and the implications for public
services.”
Terms of reference
The Committee is inviting written submissions by Friday 22
September. These should focus on, but not be limited to:
- What are the underlying drivers of changes in Wales’s
population highlighted by the 2021 Census, in particular
depopulation and ageing in some areas?
- Are young people leaving Wales? Why?
- What are the main impacts of the decreasing number of
economically active people in Wales?
- What will the impact of population trends be on the demand
for and delivery of public services, including housing, education
and healthcare?
- What steps should the Government take to mitigate the
challenges of population change in Wales? How can young people be
incentivised to stay?
- How can educated and skilled migrants be encouraged to fill
labour shortages?
- How important is migration, both from within the UK and
outside the UK, to enable Wales to grow its population and
minimise the reduction in the numbers of people of working age?
- Does the Shortage Occupation List and the Skilled Migrants
list currently meet Wales’s needs?
- How can the UK Government’s immigration targets better
reflect Wales’s social and economic needs?
