List of Welsh principal areas (original) (raw)

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

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

Principal areas of Wales

Names Style Datecreated Land area[2] Population (2024)[2] Density[2] Administrative centre
English Welsh (km2) (mi2) (/km2) (/mi2)
Isle of Anglesey Ynys Môn County 1996[a] 712 275 69,097 97 250 Llangefni
Blaenau Gwent County borough 1996 109 42 67,873 624 1,620 Ebbw Vale
Bridgend Pen-y-bont ar Ogwr County borough 1996 251 97 147,530 588 1,520 Bridgend
Caerphilly Caerffili County borough 1996 277 107 176,865 638 1,650 Ystrad Mynach
Cardiff Caerdydd County, city 1996[a] 141 54 383,919 2,724 7,060 Cardiff
Carmarthenshire Sir Gaerfyrddin County 1996[a] 2,370 920 190,800 80 210 Carmarthen
Ceredigion[b] County 1996 1,785 689 72,599 41 110 Aberaeron and Aberystwyth
Conwy[c] County borough 1996 1,126 435 114,891 102 260 Conwy
Denbighshire Sir Ddinbych County 1996[d] 837 323 98,202 117 300 Ruthin
Flintshire Sir y Fflint County 1996[d] 440 170 155,867 354 920 Mold
Gwynedd[e] County 1974[f] 2,535 979 120,813 48 120 Caernarfon
Merthyr Tydfil Merthyr Tudful County borough 1996[a] 111 43 58,972 529 1,370 Merthyr Tydfil
Monmouthshire Sir Fynwy County 1996[d] 849 328 94,930 112 290 Usk
Neath Port Talbot[g] Castell-nedd Port Talbot County borough 1996 441 170 143,249 325 840 Port Talbot
Newport Casnewydd County borough, city 1996[a] 190 73 167,899 882 2,280 Newport
Pembrokeshire Sir Benfro County 1996[a] 1,618 625 125,761 78 200 Haverfordwest
Powys County 1974 5,181 2,000 135,059 26 67 Llandrindod Wells
Rhondda Cynon Taf County borough 1996 424 164 242,844 573 1,480 Pontypridd
Swansea Abertawe County, city 1996[a] 378 146 251,304 666 1,720 Swansea
Torfaen County borough 1996 126 49 94,119 749 1,940 Pontypool
Vale of Glamorgan Bro Morgannwg County borough 1996 331 128 135,743 410 1,100 Barry
Wrexham Wrecsam County borough, city 1996 504 195 138,245 274 710 Wrexham

  1. ^ a b c d e f g Re-instated as a principal administrative authority after a gap

  2. ^ Named as 'Cardiganshire' in legislation. Name changed by the council.

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

  4. ^ a b c Re-instated as a principal administrative authority after a gap. Boundaries significantly altered in 1996 from its previous incarnation.

  5. ^ Named as 'Caernarfonshire and Merionethshire' in legislation. Name changed by the council.

  6. ^ Boundaries significantly altered in 1996 from its previous incarnation.

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

  8. ^ "Local Government (Wales) Act 1994 - Schedule 1: The New Principal Areas". Legislation.gov.uk. The National Archives. 5 July 1994. Retrieved 26 November 2020.

  9. ^ a b c "Mid-Year Population Estimates, United Kingdom, June 2024". Office for National Statistics. 26 September 2025. Retrieved 26 September 2025.