List of Welsh principal areas

Population in Wales is concentrated in South Wales and the northeast; the remainder of the country is sparsely populated

This is a list of the 22 principal areas of Wales giving their most recent date of creation and the style by which they are known.

The population and density are from the Office for National Statistics 2022 estimates.

Principal area	Created	Population	Density (/km2)	Area km2	Type
Cardiff	1996 a	372,089	2,641	140	County (also a city)
Swansea	1996 a	241,282	639	378	County (also a city)
Rhondda Cynon Taf	1996	239,018	564	424	County borough
Carmarthenshire	1996 a	189,117	80	2,370	County
Caerphilly	1996	176,130	635	278	County borough
Newport	1996 a	161,506	848	190	County borough (also a city)
Flintshire	1996 ab	155,319	353	438	County
Bridgend	1996	146,136	583	246	County borough
Neath Port Talbot †	1996	142,158	322	442	County borough
Wrexham	1996	135,394	269	498	County borough (also a city)
Vale of Glamorgan	1996	133,492	403	335	County borough
Powys	1974	133,891	26	5,180	County
Pembrokeshire	1996 a	124,367	77	1,590	County
Gwynedd *	1974 b	117,591	46	2,535	County
Conwy ‡	1996	114,290	102	1,126	County borough
Denbighshire	1996 ab	96,558	115	844	County
Monmouthshire	1996 ab	93,886	111	850	County
Torfaen	1996	92,860	739	126	County borough
Ceredigion §	1996	71,610	40	1,795	County
Isle of Anglesey	1996 a	69,049	97	711	County
Blaenau Gwent	1996	67,014	616	109	County borough
Merthyr Tydfil	1996 a	58,883	528	111	County borough

* = Named as 'Caernarfonshire and Merionethshire' in legislation. Name changed by the council.

† = Named as 'Neath and Port Talbot' in legislation. Name changed by the council.

‡ = Named as 'Aberconwy and Colwyn' in legislation. Name changed by the council.

§ = Named as 'Cardiganshire' in legislation. Name changed by the council.

a = re-instated as a principal administrative authority after a gap

b = boundaries significantly altered in 1996 from its previous incarnation

See also

• List of Welsh areas by percentage of Welsh-speakers