How life has changed in Powys: Census 2021

The population grew very little

Between the last two censuses (held in 2011 and 2021), the population of Powys increased by just 0.1%, from around 133,000 in 2011 to around 133,200 in 2021.

This means Powys' 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, Powys was home to around 0.2 people per football pitch-sized piece of land. This area was the 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 Powys than across Wales

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

An older Powys

Between the last two censuses, the average (median) age of Powys increased by four years, from 46 to 50 years of age.

This area had a higher average (median) age than nearby Ceredigion (47 years) and the highest average (median) age in Wales.

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 just over 3,600 (an increase of 22.5%), while the number of residents between 35 and 49 years fell by around 5,300 (20.5% decrease).

The share of residents aged between 65 and 74 years increased by 2.7 percentage points between 2011 and 2021

Fall in proportion of Welsh speakers

The percentage of Welsh speakers in Powys fell from 18.6% in 2011 to 16.4% in 2021.

This was the joint second-largest decline (alongside Denbighshire and Pembrokeshire) in the percentage of Welsh speakers of any local authority area in the country (the largest decline was in Carmarthenshire). Of the few areas where knowledge of the Welsh language increased, Cardiff saw the largest change (from 11.1% to 12.2%).

In 2021, there were just over 2,600 fewer Welsh-speaking Powys residents (over the age of three years) compared with 2011. The number of people who did not speak Welsh increased by 3,500.

In nearby Ceredigion, 45.3% of people over the age of three years could speak Welsh, down from 47.3% at the 2011 Census. Across Wales, the percentage of Welsh speakers fell from 19.0% to 17.8%.

The percentage of people who could speak Welsh in Powys decreased by 2.1 percentage points

Family in Powys

Powys saw Wales' largest percentage-point fall in the proportion of lone-parent households (from 9.0% in 2011 to 8.2% in 2021).

Pembrokeshire (from 11.0% to 10.8%) and Carmarthenshire (from 11.3% to 11.0%) saw the country's next largest decreases in the percentage of lone-parent households.

During this period, Powys went from having the third-lowest to the lowest percentage of lone-parent households (out of all 22 Welsh local authority areas).

The percentage of households including a lone parent in Powys decreased by 0.7 percentage points

Health in Powys

In 2021, 48.6% of Powys residents described their health as "very good", increasing from 46.9% in 2011. Those describing their health as "good" fell from 33.9% to 33.5%. 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 Powys residents describing their health as "very bad" was 1.1% (similar to 2011), while those describing their health as "bad" fell from 4.3% to 3.9%.

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.

The percentage of people in good health in Powys decreased by 0.4 percentage points

Powys residents' country of birth

In the latest census, around 62,600 Powys residents said they were born in Wales. This represented 47.0% of the local population. The figure has decreased from around 66,200 in 2011, which at the time represented 49.8% of Powys' population.

England was the next most represented, with around 62,500 Powys residents reporting this country of birth (46.9%). This figure was up from just under 59,500 in 2011, which at the time represented 44.7% of the population of Powys.

The number of Powys residents born in Scotland fell from just under 1,300 in 2011 (0.9% of the local population) to just under 1,200 in 2021 (0.9%).

In 2021, 47.0% of Powys residents reported their country of birth as Wales

More adults never married or in a civil partnership

The percentage of people aged 16 years and over who had never been married or in a civil partnership increased in Powys, while the percentage remained stable in nearby Ceredigion.

In Powys, the percentage of adults who had never been married or in a civil partnership increased from 28.2% in 2011 to 30.8% in 2021. During the same period, the percentage in nearby Ceredigion remained 38.7%.

The percentage of adults who were married or in a civil partnership in Powys fell from 51.3% to 48.9%, while the percentage of adults who had divorced or dissolved a civil partnership increased from 9.6% to 10.2%.

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 had never married or registered a civil partnership in Powys increased by 2.6 percentage points

Fall in employment

Powys saw Wales' largest percentage-point fall in the proportion of people aged 16 years and over (excluding full-time students) who were employed (from 57.1% in 2011 to 53.9% in 2021).

Pembrokeshire saw the country's next largest decrease in the percentage of people aged 16 years and over (excluding full-time students) who were employed (from 53.0% in 2011 to 50.4% in 2021).

During this period, Powys went from having the second-highest to the fifth-highest percentage of people aged 16 years and over who were employed (excluding full-time students) out of all 22 Welsh local authority areas.

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 Powys decreased by 3.2 percentage points

Change in work hours

Powys saw Wales' second-largest percentage-point rise 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 9.9% in 2011 to 10.4% in 2021).

Wales' largest increase 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 Pembrokeshire (from 10.3% to 11.3%).

During this period, Powys overtook Swansea to become the Welsh local authority area with the fifth-highest percentage of adults in employment working 15 hours or less.

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

The percentage of adults who worked 15 hours or less in Powys increased by 0.6 percentage points

Rise in private renting

In Powys, the percentage of private renting increased from 14.8% in 2011 to 17.9% in 2021. During the same period, the percentage in nearby Ceredigion increased from 19.9% to 20.6%.

The rate of social renting in Powys increased from 14.0% to 14.1%, while the rate of home ownership decreased from 68.7% to 67.6%.

Private renting in Powys increased by 3.1 percentage points

Unpaid care in Powys

In 2021, 5.2% of Powys residents (aged five years and over) reported providing up to 19 hours of unpaid care each week. This figure decreased from 7.8% 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 1 in 50 people (1.9%) reported providing between 20 and 49 hours of unpaid care each week, compared with 1.6% in 2011. The proportion of Powys residents (aged five years and over) that provided at least 50 hours of weekly unpaid care increased from 2.8% to 2.9%.

This area had the country's third highest proportion of people (aged five years and over) providing up to 19 hours of weekly unpaid care and the third lowest proportion of people (aged five years and over) providing between 20 and 49 hours of weekly unpaid care. Across the country, only Ceredigion (5.3%) and Monmouthshire (5.3%) had a higher proportion of people (aged five years and over) providing up to 19 hours of weekly unpaid care.

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 Powys decreased by 2.6 percentage points

Religion in Powys

In 2021, 42.0% of Powys residents reported having "No religion", up from 27.9% in 2011. The rise of 14.2 percentage points was the largest increase of all broad religious groups in Powys. 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, 48.9% of people in Powys described themselves as Christian (down from 61.8%), while 7.2% did not state their religion (down from 8.8% 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, 42.0% of usual residents in Powys reported having "No religion"

National identity in Powys

Of Powys residents, 42.0% identified as "Welsh" (and no other national identity) in 2021, down from 43.3% in 2011.

In 2021, just under 1 in 17 people (5.8%) described themselves as "Welsh and British only", compared with 5.2% in 2011. The percentage of residents in Powys that identified as "British only" increased from 21.0% to 24.4%.

This area had the country's joint third lowest percentage of people who identified as "Welsh only" and the fourth lowest percentage of people who identified as "Welsh and British only" (alongside Conwy). Across the country, only Flintshire (34.7%) and Monmouthshire (41.9%) had a lower percentage of people who identified as "Welsh only".

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 Powys decreased by 1.4 percentage points

Disability in Powys

In 2021, 7.6% of Powys residents were identified as being disabled and limited a lot. This figure decreased from 9.1% 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 10 people (10.5%) were identified as being disabled and limited a little, compared with 10.2% in 2011. The proportion of Powys residents who were not disabled increased from 80.7% to 81.9%.

This area had the country's second lowest proportion of residents who were identified as being disabled and limited a lot and the fourth lowest proportion of residents who were identified as disabled and limited a little. Across the country, only Monmouthshire, with 7.3%, had a lower proportion of people who were identified as being disabled and limited a lot.

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 Powys decreased by 1.5 percentage points

Ethnic groups in Powys

In 2021, 0.9% of Powys residents identified their ethnic group within the "Mixed or Multiple" category, up from 0.6% in 2011. The 0.3 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, 97.7% of people in Powys identified their ethnic group within the "White" category (compared with 98.4% in 2011), while 0.9% identified their ethnic group within the "Asian, Asian British or Asian Welsh" category (also 0.9% the previous decade).

The percentage of people who identified their ethnic group within the "Other" category ("Arab" or "Any other ethnic group") increased from 0.1% in 2011 to 0.3% 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, 0.9% of usual residents in Powys 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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