Written question WQ90361

The latest data for Wales estimate that our population has grown by 2.2% between mid-2011 and mid-2022, from 3.06 million in mid-2011 to 3.13 million in mid-2022.

This is lower than the population growth seen in all other UK countries. During the same period, the population of England is estimated to have grown by 7.5%, the population of Northern Ireland is estimated to have grown by 5.3% and the population of Scotland is estimated to have grown by 2.6%. Note, however, that the data for Scotland is not directly comparable with the rest of the UK as it is based on their Census 2022 data. Unlike for the rest of the UK, mid-year estimates for Scotland for 2022 are not yet available.

The Welsh Government has commissioned the Wales Centre for Public Policy (WCPP) to conduct a review and synthesis of the best available evidence on how different countries are responding to the fiscal challenges of population ageing and decline, particularly in terms of policy approaches to maintaining and increasing the size of the young and working-age populations. The WCPP will publish its final report in early 2024, accompanied by expert think pieces and blogs.