Census data released by the Office of National Statistics shows that the population of Pembrokeshire has increased over the last decade.

Since the previous census in 2011, Pembrokeshire’s population size has grown by 0.8 per cent, from 122,400 in 2011 to 123,400 in 2021.

This growth is lower than that the Welsh average of 1.4 per cent. Across Wales, the population has grown in the last 10 years by 44,000, with the population now standing at 3,107,500.

The 0.8 per cent growth in Pembrokeshire is ranked 13th among the 22 local authority areas of Wales, as the county maintains the same position it held a decade ago.

The area of Wales with the biggest population growth is Newport, with a growth of 9.5 per cent.

At the other end, Ceredigion has had the biggest decrease in population, with a fall of 5.8 per cent.

The county is also listed as the fourth least densely populated area of Wales. Pembrokeshire as an area equivalent to approximately two football pitches per resident.

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Pembrokeshire’s most staggering figure is arguably the growth in the ageing population.

In the last ten years, there has been an increase in the county of 20.6 per cent in people aged 65 and over, and a 22.4 per cent increase in people aged 70 and over.

The area in Wales with the highest ageing population growth was Monmouthshire, with a 26 per cent increase in people aged 65 or over.

Monmouthshire came ahead of Vale of Glamorgan with 24.9 per cent.

Adding to this, Pembrokeshire has seen a decrease of 4.9 per cent in people aged 15 to 64, and a decrease of 5.5 per cent in children aged 15 years and under.

Ceredigion, adding to its drastic population fall, also saw the biggest fall in child population, as the county had a 10.1 per cent decrease in children aged 15 or under.