How life has changed in Wrexham: Census 2021

The population grew very little

Between the last two censuses (held in 2011 and 2021), the population of Wrexham increased by just 0.2%, from just over 134,800 in 2011 to around 135,100 in 2021.

This means Wrexham's population increased by a smaller percentage than the overall population of Wales. The population of Wales increased by 1.4%, from 3,063,000 to 3,107,000.

In 2021, Wrexham was home to around 1.9 people per football pitch-sized piece of land. This area was the 10th-least densely populated out of all 22 local authority areas across Wales.

This article generally uses percentages to enable comparisons over time and between areas. The percentage point change is also used to show the difference between the 2011 and 2021 percentages.

Population growth was lower in Wrexham than across Wales

Percentage population change, Wrexham and surrounding areas, 2011 Census to Census 2021

An older Wrexham

Between the last two censuses, the average (median) age of Wrexham increased by two years, from 40 to 42 years of age.

This area had a lower average (median) age than nearby Denbighshire (47 years) and had a similar average (median) age to Wales as a whole (42 years).

The median age is the age of the person in the middle of the group, meaning that one half of the group is younger than that person and the other half is older.

The number of people aged 65 to 74 years rose by around 2,500 (an increase of 20.3%), while the number of residents between 35 and 49 years fell by around 2,900 (10.2% decrease).

The share of residents aged between 65 and 74 years increased by 1.9 percentage points between 2011 and 2021

Change in number of Welsh language speakers

The percentage of Welsh speakers in Wrexham fell from 12.9% in 2011 to 12.2% in 2021.

In 2021, there were just over 700 fewer Welsh-speaking Wrexham residents (over the age of three years) compared with 2011. The number of people who did not speak Welsh increased by 2,400.

In nearby Denbighshire, 22.5% of people over the age of three years could speak Welsh, down from 24.6% at the 2011 Census. Across Wales, the percentage of Welsh speakers fell from 19.0% to 17.8%.

Cardiff was one of the few areas that saw an increase in the percentage of Welsh speakers (from 11.1% in 2011 to 12.2% in 2021), while Carmarthenshire saw the largest fall (from 43.9% to 39.9%).

The percentage of people who could speak Welsh in Wrexham decreased by 0.7 percentage points

Wrexham residents' country of birth

In the latest census, around 91,800 Wrexham residents said they were born in Wales. This represented 67.9% of the local population. The figure has decreased from just under 93,400 in 2011, which at the time represented 69.2% of Wrexham's population.

England was the next most represented, with just under 31,400 Wrexham residents reporting this country of birth (23.2%). This figure was down from around 31,500 in 2011, which at the time represented 23.4% of the population of Wrexham.

The number of Wrexham residents born in Poland rose from just under 2,700 in 2011 (2.0% of the local population) to just over 3,500 in 2021 (2.6%).

In 2021, 67.9% of Wrexham residents reported their country of birth as Wales

More lone parents

Wrexham saw Wales' second-largest percentage-point rise in the proportion of lone-parent households (from 11.3% in 2011 to 12.8% in 2021).

Wales' largest increase in the percentage of lone-parent households occurred in Neath Port Talbot (from 12.2% to 13.9%).

During this period, Wrexham overtook Swansea and Bridgend to become the Welsh local authority area with the seventh-highest percentage of lone-parent households.

The percentage of households including a lone parent in Wrexham increased by 1.5 percentage points

Marriage and civil partnership in Wrexham

Wrexham saw Wales' second-largest percentage-point fall in the proportion of people aged 16 years and over who were married (or in a civil partnership) (from 48.0% in 2011 to 43.8% in 2021).

Wales' largest decrease in the percentage of people aged 16 years and over who were married (or in a civil partnership) occurred in Neath Port Talbot (from 47.5% to 42.9%).

In 2021, Wrexham was ranked 14th-highest out of the 22 Welsh local authority areas for the percentage of adults who were married or in a civil partnership. In 2011, it was ranked 12th-lowest.

These figures include same-sex marriages and opposite-sex civil partnerships in 2021, neither of which were legally recognised in England and Wales in 2011. Same-sex marriages have been legally recognised in England and Wales since 2014 and opposite-sex civil partnerships have been recognised since 2019.

The percentage of adults who were married or in a civil partnership in Wrexham decreased by 4.1 percentage points

Fall in social renting

Wrexham saw Wales' largest percentage-point fall in the proportion of households in the social rented sector (from 22.4% in 2011 to 21.0% in 2021).

Flintshire saw the country's next largest decrease in the percentage of households in the social rented sector (from 15.1% in 2011 to 14.5% in 2021).

During this period, Wrexham went from having the third-highest to the fourth-highest percentage of social renting (out of all 22 Welsh local authority areas).

The rate of social renting in Wrexham decreased by 1.5 percentage points

Unpaid care in Wrexham

In 2021, 4.5% of Wrexham residents (aged five years and over) reported providing up to 19 hours of unpaid care each week. This figure decreased from 7.0% in 2011. These are age-standardised proportions.

Age-standardised proportions are used throughout this section. They enable comparisons between populations over time and across geographies, as they account for differences in the population size and age structure.

In 2021, just over 1 in 50 people (2.2%) reported providing between 20 and 49 hours of unpaid care each week, compared with 1.8% in 2011. The proportion of Wrexham residents (aged five years and over) that provided at least 50 hours of weekly unpaid care increased from 3.3% to 3.4%.

The decrease in the proportion of people (aged five years and over) providing up to 19 hours of weekly unpaid care in Wrexham (2.5 percentage points) was similar to the decrease in nearby Denbighshire (2.6 percentage points). In nearby Denbighshire, the proportion fell from 7.2% in 2011 to 4.6% in 2021, while across Wales, the proportion fell from 7.4% to 4.7%.

Census 2021 was undertaken during the coronavirus (COVID-19) pandemic. This may have influenced how people perceived and managed their provision of unpaid care, and therefore may have affected how people chose to respond.

Caution should be taken when making comparisons between 2011 and 2021 because of changes in question wording and response options.

The percentage of people (aged five years and over) providing up to 19 hours of weekly unpaid care in Wrexham decreased by 2.5 percentage points

Religion in Wrexham

In 2021, 41.8% of Wrexham residents reported having "No religion", up from 27.4% in 2011. The rise of 14.4 percentage points was the largest increase of all broad religious groups in Wrexham. Because the census question about religious affiliation is voluntary and has varying response rates, caution is needed when comparing figures between different areas or between censuses.

Across Wales, the percentage of residents who described themselves as having "No religion" increased from 32.1% to 46.5%.

In 2021, 49.5% of people in Wrexham described themselves as Christian (down from 63.5%), while 6.5% did not state their religion (down from 7.5% the decade before).

There are many factors that can cause changes to the religious profile of an area, such as a changing age structure or residents relocating for work or education. Changes may also be caused by differences in the way individuals chose to self-identify between censuses. Religious affiliation is the religion with which someone connects or identifies, rather than their beliefs or religious practice.

In 2021, 41.8% of usual residents in Wrexham reported having "No religion"

Health in Wrexham

In 2021, 45.5% of Wrexham residents described their health as "very good", the same level as in 2011. Those describing their health as "good" rose from 32.9% to 34.2%. These are age-standardised proportions.

Age-standardised proportions are used throughout this section. They enable comparisons between populations over time and across geographies, as they account for differences in the population size and age structure.

The proportion of Wrexham residents describing their health as "very bad" was 1.3% (similar to 2011), while those describing their health as "bad" fell from 5.2% to 4.8%.

These data reflect people’s own opinions in describing their overall health on a five point scale, from very good to very bad.

Census 2021 was conducted during the coronavirus (COVID-19) pandemic. This may have influenced how people perceived and rated their health, and therefore may have affected how people chose to respond.

In 2021, 45.5% of usual residents said their health was very good in Wrexham

National identity in Wrexham

Of Wrexham residents, 50.2% identified as "Welsh" (and no other national identity) in 2021, down from 52.0% in 2011.

In 2021, just under 1 in 12 people (8.0%) described themselves as "Welsh and British only", compared with 6.8% in 2011. The percentage of residents in Wrexham that identified as "British only" increased from 17.5% to 18.8%.

While the percentage of people who identified as "Welsh only" fell here, in nearby Denbighshire the percentage increased from 44.1% in 2011 to 44.7% in 2021. Across Wales, the percentage fell from 57.5% to 55.2%.

In Census 2021, “British” was moved to the top response option and this may have influenced how people described their national identity. For further information, please see our quality report.

The percentage of people who identified as "Welsh only" in Wrexham decreased by 1.8 percentage points

Fall in employment

Of Wrexham residents aged 16 years and over, 54.5% said they were employed (excluding full-time students) in 2021, down from 56.4% in 2011.

In 2021, just under 1 in 40 people (2.4%) said they were unemployed, compared with 3.8% in 2011. The percentage of retired Wrexham residents increased from 22.4% to 23.8%.

The decrease in the percentage of people aged 16 years and over (excluding full-time students) who were employed in Wrexham (1.9 percentage points) was similar to the decrease in nearby Denbighshire (1.7 percentage points). In nearby Denbighshire, the percentage fell from 52.2% in 2011 to 50.5% in 2021, while across Wales, the percentage fell from 52.5% to 51.9%.

Census 2021 took place during the coronavirus (COVID-19) pandemic, a period of rapid and unparalleled change; the national lockdown, associated guidance and furlough measures will have affected the labour market and our ability to measure it.

The percentage of people aged 16 years and over who were employed (excluding full-time students) in Wrexham decreased by 1.9 percentage points

Change in work hours

Wrexham saw Wales' joint third-largest percentage-point fall (alongside Blaenau Gwent) in the proportion of people aged 16 years and over and in employment who said they usually worked 15 hours or less per week (from 8.7% in 2011 to 7.8% in 2021).

Wales' largest decreases in the percentage of people aged 16 years and over and in employment who said they usually worked 15 hours or less per week occurred in Flintshire (from 9.1% to 7.9%) followed by Newport (from 8.9% to 7.9%).

In 2021, Wrexham was ranked 17th-highest out of the 22 Welsh local authority areas for the percentage of adults in employment working 15 hours or less. In 2011, it was ranked 15th-lowest.

Working hours may have been affected by the coronavirus (COVID-19) pandemic.

The percentage of adults who worked 15 hours or less in Wrexham decreased by 0.8 percentage points

Disability in Wrexham

In 2021, 9.3% of Wrexham residents were identified as being disabled and limited a lot. This figure decreased from 11.3% in 2011. These are age-standardised proportions.

Age-standardised proportions are used throughout this section. They enable comparisons between populations over time and across geographies, as they account for differences in the population size and age structure.

In 2021, just under one in nine people (11.0%) were identified as being disabled and limited a little, compared with 10.8% in 2011. The proportion of Wrexham residents who were not disabled increased from 77.9% to 79.6%.

The decrease in the proportion of residents who were identified as being disabled and limited a lot was greater in Wrexham (2.0 percentage points) than in nearby Denbighshire (1.3 percentage points). In nearby Denbighshire, the proportion fell from 11.6% in 2011 to 10.3% in 2021, while across Wales, the proportion fell from 12.3% to 10.0%.

Census 2021 was undertaken during the coronavirus (COVID-19) pandemic. This may have influenced how people perceived their health status and activity limitations, and therefore may have affected how people chose to respond.

Caution should be taken when making comparisons between 2011 and 2021 because of changes in question wording and response options.

The percentage of people who were identified as being disabled and limited a lot in Wrexham decreased by 2.0 percentage points

Ethnic groups in Wrexham

In 2021, 1.2% of Wrexham residents identified their ethnic group within the "Mixed or Multiple" category, up from 0.7% in 2011. The 0.4 percentage-point change was the largest increase among high-level ethnic groups in this area.

Across Wales, the percentage of people from "Mixed or Multiple ethnic groups" increased from 1.0% to 1.6%.

In 2021, 96.0% of people in Wrexham identified their ethnic group within the "White" category (compared with 96.9% in 2011), while 1.7% identified their ethnic group within the "Asian, Asian British or Asian Welsh" category (also 1.7% the previous decade).

The percentage of people who identified their ethnic group within the "Other" category ("Arab" or "Any other ethnic group") increased from 0.2% in 2011 to 0.6% in 2021.

There are many factors that may be contributing to the changing ethnic composition of England and Wales, such as differing patterns of ageing, fertility, mortality, and migration. Changes may also be caused by differences in the way individuals chose to self-identify between censuses.

In 2021, 1.2% of usual residents in Wrexham identified their ethnic group within the "Mixed or Multiple" category

About the data

Census data are adjusted to reflect estimated non-response so that the published results relate to the entire usually resident population as it was on Census Day (21 March 2021).

Those respondents who were on furlough because of the coronavirus (COVID-19) pandemic were asked to classify themselves as "temporarily away from work" to ensure they remained in the economically active population.

Students are counted as usually resident at their term-time address even if they were not physically present there on Census Day.

The questions relating to disability differed slightly between 2011 and 2021 to ensure that data were more closely aligned with the definition of disability in the Equality Act (2010). There was also a change to question wording for unpaid care, for more information read the health, disability and unpaid care quality information.

Age-standardised proportions are used throughout the health, disability and unpaid care sections. They allow for fairer comparisons between populations over time and across geographies, as they account for differences in the population size and age structure. The 2013 European Standard Population is used to standardise proportions.

Percentages and percentage point changes have been individually rounded to one decimal place. This means they may not sum exactly.

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About these articles

There is an article like this for every local authority district in England and Wales. The articles have been written and semi-automated by our data journalists and are a new publishing format for the Office for National Statistics.

Topics are chosen and ordered automatically based on how relevant they are for each area, however all data are checked before publishing.

We have not included topics that were new for Census 2021 or where there is no comparability with the 2011 Census. Read about how we developed and tested the questions for Census 2021.

These articles were first published on 8 December 2022 covering topics such as demography, country of birth, ethnic groups, religion, national identity and economic activity status. They were updated on 19 January 2023 following the release of more data from Census 2021 and now include housing tenure, general health, disability and unpaid care.

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