How life has changed in Monmouthshire: Census 2021

The population reached nearly 93,000

Between the last two censuses (held in 2011 and 2021), the population of Monmouthshire increased by 1.8%, from around 91,300 in 2011 to around 93,000 in 2021.

This means Monmouthshire's population increased by a greater 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, Monmouthshire was home to around 0.8 people per football pitch-sized piece of land. This area was the eighth-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 higher in Monmouthshire than across Wales

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

An older Monmouthshire

Between the last two censuses, the average (median) age of Monmouthshire increased by four years, from 45 to 49 years of age.

This area had a higher average (median) age than nearby Torfaen (42 years) and the joint second-highest average (median) age in Wales (alongside Conwy and behind Powys).

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 25.1%), while the number of residents between 35 and 49 years fell by just under 3,800 (19.4% decrease).

The share of residents aged between 65 and 74 years increased by 2.5 percentage points between 2011 and 2021

Fall in proportion of Welsh speakers

The percentage of Welsh speakers in Monmouthshire fell from 9.9% in 2011 to 8.7% in 2021.

In 2021, there were around 950 fewer Welsh-speaking Monmouthshire residents (over the age of three years) compared with 2011. The number of people who did not speak Welsh increased by 3,000.

In nearby Torfaen, 8.2% of people over the age of three years could speak Welsh, down from 9.8% 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 Monmouthshire decreased by 1.3 percentage points

Unpaid care in Monmouthshire

Monmouthshire saw Wales' joint second-largest percentage-point fall (alongside Neath Port Talbot and Torfaen) in the proportion of people (aged five years and over) providing up to 19 hours of weekly unpaid care (from 8.3% in 2011 to 5.3% in 2021). 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.

Wales' largest decrease in the proportion of people (aged five years and over) providing up to 19 hours of weekly unpaid care occurred in Vale of Glamorgan (from 8.3% to 5.1%).

Every local authority area across Wales saw a fall in the proportion of people (aged five years and over) providing up to 19 hours of weekly unpaid care, as the proportion across Wales 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 Monmouthshire decreased by 3.0 percentage points

Fewer couples without children

Monmouthshire saw Wales' second-largest percentage-point fall in the proportion of households including a couple but no children (from 20.0% in 2011 to 18.4% in 2021).

Wales' largest decrease in the percentage of households including a couple but no children occurred in Denbighshire (from 17.6% to 16.0%).

During this period, Monmouthshire went from having the highest to the joint highest percentage of households including a couple without children (alongside Powys) (out of all 22 Welsh local authority areas).

The percentage of households including a couple without children in Monmouthshire decreased by 1.5 percentage points

More adults never married or in a civil partnership

Of Monmouthshire residents aged 16 years and over, 28.9% said they had never been married or in a civil partnership in 2021, up from 26.3% in 2011.

In 2021, just over one in two people (51.3%) said they were married or in a registered civil partnership, compared with 54.3% in 2011. The percentage of adults in Monmouthshire that had divorced or dissolved a civil partnership increased from 9.4% to 10.2%.

This area had the country's lowest percentage of people aged 16 years and over who had never been married or in a civil partnership and the highest percentage of people aged 16 years and over who were married (or in a civil partnership). Powys had Wales' next-lowest percentage of people aged 16 years and over who had never been married or in a civil partnership (30.8%), while Cardiff had the country's highest percentage (48.6%).

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 Monmouthshire increased by 2.6 percentage points

Health in Monmouthshire

In 2021, 49.7% of Monmouthshire residents described their health as "very good", increasing from 47.5% in 2011. Those describing their health as "good" fell from 33.5% to 33.4%. 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 Monmouthshire 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 3.8%.

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.

The percentage of people in very good health in Monmouthshire increased by 2.2 percentage points

Change in employment

Monmouthshire saw Wales' third-largest percentage-point fall in the proportion of people aged 16 years and over (excluding full-time students) who were employed (from 55.9% in 2011 to 53.7% in 2021).

Wales' largest decreases in the percentage of people aged 16 years and over (excluding full-time students) who were employed occurred in Powys (from 57.1% to 53.9%) followed by Pembrokeshire (from 53.0% to 50.4%).

During this period, Monmouthshire went from having the fifth-highest to the sixth-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 Monmouthshire decreased by 2.2 percentage points

Rise in private renting

In 2021, 13.6% of Monmouthshire households rented privately. This figure increased from 10.8% in 2011.

In 2021, just under one in seven households (14.0%) lived in socially rented housing, compared with 13.8% in 2011. The percentage of Monmouthshire households that owned their home (outright or with a mortgage or loan) decreased from 73.6% to 71.9%.

The increase in the percentage of privately-rented homes in Monmouthshire (2.8 percentage points) was similar to the increase in nearby Torfaen (2.6 percentage points). In nearby Torfaen, the percentage increased from 8.6% in 2011 to 11.2% in 2021, while across Wales, the percentage increased from 14.1% to 17.0%.

Private renting in Monmouthshire increased by 2.8 percentage points

Fewer adults working long hours

Monmouthshire saw Wales' largest percentage-point fall in the proportion of people aged 16 years and over and in employment who said they usually worked over 49 hours per week (from 15.8% in 2011 to 12.8% in 2021).

Ceredigion saw the country's next largest decrease in the percentage of people aged 16 years and over and in employment who said they usually worked over 49 hours per week (from 16.7% in 2011 to 14.0% in 2021).

Every local authority area across Wales saw a fall in the percentage of people aged 16 years and over and in employment who said they usually worked over 49 hours per week, as the percentage across Wales fell from 11.9% to 10.2%.

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

The percentage of adults in employment who worked 49 hours or more in Monmouthshire decreased by 3.0 percentage points

Religion in Monmouthshire

In 2021, 43.4% of Monmouthshire residents reported having "No religion", up from 28.5% in 2011. The rise of 14.9 percentage points was the largest increase of all broad religious groups in Monmouthshire. 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, 48.7% of people in Monmouthshire described themselves as Christian (down from 62.5%), while 6.2% did not state their religion (down from 7.7% 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, 43.4% of usual residents in Monmouthshire reported having "No religion"

Monmouthshire residents' country of birth

In the latest census, around 54,100 Monmouthshire residents said they were born in Wales. This represented 58.2% of the local population. The figure has decreased from just under 55,200 in 2011, which at the time represented 60.4% of Monmouthshire's population.

England was the next most represented, with just under 32,300 Monmouthshire residents reporting this country of birth (34.7%). This figure was up from just over 30,600 in 2011, which at the time represented 33.5% of the population of Monmouthshire.

The number of Monmouthshire residents born in Scotland fell from just under 1,200 in 2011 (1.3% of the local population) to just over 1,100 in 2021 (1.2%).

In 2021, 58.2% of Monmouthshire residents reported their country of birth as Wales

National identity in Monmouthshire

Of Monmouthshire residents, 41.9% identified as "Welsh" (and no other national identity) in 2021, down from 44.0% in 2011.

In 2021, just under 1 in 13 people (7.6%) described themselves as "Welsh and British only", compared with 6.9% in 2011. The percentage of residents in Monmouthshire that identified as "British only" increased from 23.5% to 27.0%.

This area had the country's second lowest percentage of people who identified as "Welsh only" and the tenth lowest percentage of people who identified as "Welsh and British only". Across the country, only Flintshire, with 34.7%, had a lower percentage that 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 Monmouthshire decreased by 2.2 percentage points

Disability in Monmouthshire

In 2021, 7.3% of Monmouthshire 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 (10.3%) were identified as being disabled and limited a little, compared with 10.0% in 2011. The proportion of Monmouthshire residents who were not disabled increased from 80.9% to 82.3%.

This area had the country's lowest proportion of residents who were identified as being disabled and limited a lot and the lowest proportion of residents who were identified as disabled and limited a little. Powys had Wales' next-lowest proportion of residents who were identified as being disabled and limited a lot (7.6%), while Merthyr Tydfil and Blaenau Gwent had the country's joint highest proportion (13.1%).

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 Monmouthshire decreased by 1.8 percentage points

Ethnic groups in Monmouthshire

In 2021, 1.2% of Monmouthshire residents identified their ethnic group within the "Mixed or Multiple" category, up from 0.7% in 2011. The 0.5 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, 96.9% of people in Monmouthshire identified their ethnic group within the "White" category (compared with 98.0% in 2011), while 1.3% identified their ethnic group within the "Asian, Asian British or Asian Welsh" category (compared with 1.0% 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, 1.2% of usual residents in Monmouthshire 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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